Pork Chile Verde

My freezer was overflowing, so I decided to thaw out some bone-in pork country ribs. I decided to make some chili verde. 

The Chile Verde is easy, so I make it often. If I'm feeling super ambitious and have actually planned ahead, I roast & peel fresh green chilies. I try to do a lot of chile preparation during the summer months when farmers markets sell them. But many times, I resort to canned. I've found a pretty good brand , Hatch Select Whole Green Chiles (1 chile = 75mg. sodium); I always rinse the chiles well before using them. Today I cooked the verde on top of the stove, but many times, I throw everything into my crock pot.


Pork Chili Verde 
(Printable Recipe)

2 lbs. pork shoulder/country ribs (boneless or bone-in)
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
NSA chicken broth/stock 
3 canned/fresh green chilies, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Handful of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin, ground (or to taste)
1/4 c orange juice
2 tbsp lime juice
1 bay leaf

Remove pork's visible fat. (If using pork shoulder, cut into large chunks.) In a dutch oven, brown pork in oil. Add enough broth just to barely cover. Also add the chilies, onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro, oregano, bay leaf, orange juice, and lime juice. Cover pot, and let it cook at a low simmer for about two hours or until pork is quite tender. Remove the cover and let most of the juice evaporate. If possible, spoon out excess fat. Saute the pork in the remaining fat until slightly crisp.

I served the pork in corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are great for low salt diets, lots of flavor but no sodium. I don't fry them; I just steam them a bit in the microwave to soften them. All in all, an easy, tasty, & super low sodium meal.