Pork and Tomatillo Chili

By MooK

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 poblano chile peppers
• 2 jalapeno peppers
• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• Sliced scallions, pickled jalapenos and/or grated cheddar cheese, for topping

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the broiler. Toss the tomatillos and tomatoes with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil on a baking sheet and push to one side. Put the poblanos and jalapenos on the other side of the baking sheet. Broil, turning the vegetables occasionally, until charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos and tomatoes to a cutting board and let cool. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with a plate; set aside 10 minutes. Pull the skins off the tomatoes, then core and chop them along with the tomatillos. Peel, seed and chop the peppers; set all the vegetables aside.

Toss the pork with the chili powder, cumin, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Working in batches, add the pork to the pot and cook, turning, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the onion and garlic to the pot; cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the cornmeal and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the broiled tomatillos, tomatoes and peppers. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the broth and pork and any collected juices, then bring to a simmer.

Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Uncover, season generously with salt and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces slightly, about 30 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand about 10 minutes; spoon off any excess fat from the top. Season the chili with salt and pepper and serve with toppings.