Smoked Pork Chili Verde for Game Day
Barbecue University®
What makes this pork chili verde special is its combination of roasted green chiles, tangy tomatillos, tender pork, and a touch of wood smoke.
The green chiles and vegetables develop a rich, roasted flavor when charred over high heat. Meanwhile, the pork gets its own dose of smoke before everything comes together for a slow, gentle braise.
It’s the kind of meal that makes people stop talking about the game long enough to ask, “Who made this chili?”
And that’s saying something when the score is tied in the fourth quarter.
Ingredients
- 20 to 24 fresh chiles, preferably a mix of poblanos, Anaheim, Hatch, or New Mexican chiles
- 2 to 3 jalapeño chiles
- 1-1/2 to 2 pounds fresh tomatillos, husked, washed, and halved
- 2 large Spanish onions, peeled and quartered through the stem ends
- 4 to 5 pounds country-style pork ribs, bone-in or boneless, each 3/4 to 1 inch thick
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 12-ounce bottle or can of beer, in a spray bottle
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarse stems removed, with a few sprigs reserved for serving
- 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- Sour cream or Mexican crema, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. Grill the chiles, jalapeños, tomatillos, and onions, turning as needed, until the chile skins blister and blacken and the onions develop a good char.
- Transfer the grilled vegetables to a large bowl and allow them to cool. Peel, stem, and seed the chiles, reserving their juices. Remove any excessively charred layers from the onions and tomatillos. Coarsely chop the vegetables and garlic.
- Working in two batches, process the roasted vegetables, cilantro, garlic, chicken broth, cumin, and oregano in a food processor. Pour the mixture into one or two grill-safe Dutch ovens or heatproof casseroles.
- Prepare the grill for indirect grilling at 225 to 250 degrees F, placing a drip pan between the coal piles. Add 1/2 cup of wood chips or chunks to each pile, replenishing halfway through smoking. Alternatively, use a smoker according to its instructions. On a gas grill, use a smoker box or foil smoking pouch, starting on high until smoke appears, then reducing the heat to medium-low.
- Season the pork generously with salt and black pepper. Place the ribs over the drip pan and smoke for 1 hour, turning once and periodically spraying with beer. Transfer the smoked pork into the chile mixture, submerging the pieces.
- Cover the Dutch oven or casserole and place it on the grill. Cover the grill and braise for 1-1/2 hours, maintaining a temperature of approximately 300 degrees F by adding coals as needed.
- Move the Dutch oven to a heatproof surface. Remove the pork, discard any bones, and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Stir it back into the chili. Adjust the seasoning with additional broth, cumin, or salt if necessary. Serve in bowls, topped with sour cream or crema if desired, and garnish with cilantro.
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