Chicharrón en Salsa Verde
(chee-chah-RROHN en SAHL-sah VEHR-deh)
Guisados de Martes (Quick Weeknight Skillets & 'A La Mexicana' Magic)
There is a glorious, violent sound in a Mexican kitchen that tells you something beautiful is about to happen: the aggressive sizzle of freshly blended salsa hitting blistering hot fat. They call it making the pot scream—que chille la cazuela. This magical weeknight guisado transforms humble, crispy pork cracklings into savory, yielding bites suspended in a bright, herbaceous sauce. The secret to making it taste exactly like it does in a grandmother's kitchen isn't an exhausting list of spices. It is boiling the tomatillos just until they blush a dull green, and dropping in a tiny pinch of baking soda to perfectly disarm the acid.
Before you start
Wash the tomatillos thoroughly.
Tomatillos naturally produce a sticky residue under their husks to deter insects; rinse them very well under warm water before boiling.
Ingredients
- tomatillos1 1/2 lb
- serrano chiles2 med
- white onion1/4 med
- garlic cloves2 large
- fresh cilantro1 cup
- chicken bouillon powder1 tsp
- baking soda1/4 tsp
- ground cumin1/8 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- pork lard1 1/2 tbsp
- authentic pork chicharrones1/2 lb
- water1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Boil the tomatillos and chiles with absolute precision.
Place the tomatillos and serranos in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a gentle boil. Let them cook for exactly 5 to 8 minutes, pulling them from the heat the second they shift from vibrant green to a dull olive; let them burst, and you will ruin the sauce with bitter pectins.
- 02
Blend the salsa and chemically disarm the acid.
Transfer the warm tomatillos and chiles to a blender with a slotted spoon, discarding the boiling water. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, chicken bouillon, cumin, and the crucial measure of baking soda—which will foam slightly as it neutralizes the tomatillos' harsh bite—and blend until perfectly smooth.
- 03
Make the pot scream.
Heat the lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully pour the blended salsa directly into the hot fat—it will sputter and roar—and stir immediately, letting the raw aromatics cook out and the sauce deepen in color for about 5 minutes.
- 04
Hydrate the chicharrones.
Stir the water into the bubbling salsa, then press the broken pieces of pork rind down into the sauce until completely submerged. Cover and simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes, adding a splash more water if it gets too thick, until the pork is yielding and deeply infused with the salsa but retains a pleasant, meaty chew.
- 05
Serve immediately.
Spoon the guisado hot straight from the skillet alongside warm corn tortillas and a pot of whole pinto beans.
Notes
Source the right pork.
Seek out traditional cracklings from a Mexican carnicería or the Hispanic aisle of the supermarket. Standard American gas station snack 'pork rinds' will disintegrate into mush when boiled.
Respect the baking soda.
Tomatillos in American supermarkets are often picked under-ripe to survive transport, making them aggressively acidic. The baking soda is not a flourish; it is mandatory culinary science that balances the dish without adding unnecessary sugar.
From Cook Mexican in America.