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MAMA RITA’S RECIPE COLLECTION

Pork in Tomatillo Sauce

Carne de puerco en salsa de tomatillo

Tender pork in a tangy green sauce, with chile piquín bringing the heat. Serve with beans and warm corn tortillas.

From the family’s collected recipes · English home-kitchen adaptation

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Yield
6 servings
Preparation
20 minutes
Cooking / elapsed time
1½–2 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 kg (2¼ lb) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes
  • 1 kg tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 1 medium white onion, divided
  • 3 garlic cloves, divided
  • ½–1 teaspoon dried chile piquín, then adjust to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lard or neutral oil
  • 2 cups unsalted broth or water, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided; black pepper to taste
  • Corn tortillas, cooked beans, and rice, to serve

Method

  1. Braise the pork.

    Brown pork in the fat in batches. Add half the onion, one garlic clove, ½ teaspoon salt, and broth. Cover and simmer gently 60–90 minutes, until nearly tender, adding water to prevent drying.

  2. Blend the sauce.

    Simmer tomatillos in water just until softened, 8–10 minutes. Drain and blend with remaining onion, garlic, chile piquín, and remaining salt. Add a little pork broth only if needed to blend.

  3. Finish together.

    Remove the large onion pieces from the pork. Add sauce and simmer partly uncovered 20–30 minutes, until the pork is fork-tender and the sauce lightly coats it. Add broth if too thick. Adjust salt, pepper, and heat; serve with tortillas and beans.

Kitchen notes

Piquín is potent

Begin with the smaller amount. Its heat varies; add more gradually.

For cooked dishes, cool promptly and follow the storage and reheating guide. Follow the shorter storage directions above where given.