Chili Verde

This is a variation of Everyday Paleo‘s chili verde…..just a few tweaks here and there.  If you know me well, you know that I never follow directions/recipes just as they are written. I like to wing it, try my own thing, or just make a substitution or two.  In this case, I have made my own green salsa following Sarah’s recipe…and it was really good.

However, I have found a few great jarred green salsas without added ingredients (did you know many salsas have corn syrup and other mystery ingredients added to them?  Ick.) I’m almost always in favor of making things from scratch, but in this case, a pre-made green salsa without added ingredients saves sooo much time.  Read the labels before buying….if an ingredient is listed that you can’t pronounce or have no idea what it is, then leave it on the shelf and move on.

This chili is really good and easy….plus, every time I make it my son exclaims, “I love it!”  This kind of praise is very rare at our kitchen table and makes my heart smile. Hope you love it, too!

2.5 lb pork shoulder roast (I’ve used several cuts of roast….all worked well)

2 tbsp coconut oil (or butter or olive oil)

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2-4 cups chicken stock

1 tbsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1-16oz jar green salsa (I like Joe T. Garcia’s)

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.  Cut the roast into bite-sized pieces and brown in the hot oil.  When brown on all sides remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add onion and garlic to pot and cook in the oil/pork drippings until softened.  Add 2 cups of chicken stock, stir well and bring to a boil.  Add in cumin, salt and pepper.  Add back the pork and reduce heat until chili is simmering.  Add about 8oz of the green salsa.  Simmer 2-4 hours, until the pork is very tender.  The chili will thicken a bit as it cooks…..if you prefer a more soup-like consistency, add more chicken stock.  You can also add some extra salsa for more flavor.

I like to serve this with grated cheese and tortilla chips.  A dollop (that’s a fun word!) of sour cream is also good.

I haven’t tried it yet, but I bet this would also be good with chicken….substitute chopped chicken breasts or thighs for the pork and follow the remainder of the recipe.