Loin of Pork in Green Chili Sauce

This is the traditional Mexican green chili pork (pork in salsa verde) you’d find simmering on a Oaxacan stove top. Cubed pork loin braises slowly in a sauce built from blanched tomatillos, four serrano chilies, sauteed onion and garlic, plus a full bunch of fresh cilantro blended into a punchy green base.

The nopalitos (cactus paddles) are what set this version apart from a generic salsa verde stew. They add a subtle tartness and a tender-crisp texture that holds up through the long simmer, the way okra or green beans might in a southern braise. Use the canned and rinsed kind to skip the slime-removal hassle.

Properly blanching the tomatillos is the move that unlocks flavor. The brief 15-20 second dip loosens the husks and softens the raw acidity into something sweeter and rounder. Skip the blanch and the sauce stays sharp and grassy.

Low and slow is the only path here. An hour to ninety minutes covered, and the pork goes from chewy cubes to fork-tender chunks that melt into the sauce.

Chef Tips

• Sear the pork cubes in the Dutch oven before adding sauce for deeper flavor and a darker, richer braise.
• Serrano heat varies wildly; taste one before adding all four, or seed them all if you want milder heat.
• The sauce will thicken as the pork releases collagen; if it’s too tight at the end, splash in chicken stock to loosen.
• Make this a day ahead; the flavors deepen overnight in the fridge and reheat better than they cook fresh.

Variations

• Use pork shoulder instead of loin for a richer, more forgiving cut that holds up to longer cooking.
• Skip the nopalitos and add diced potatoes or hominy in the last 30 minutes for a heartier stew.
• Stir in a half cup of Mexican crema or sour cream at the end for a creamy chile verde finish.