Happy Saturday! If you’re looking for a yummy, slow-cooked meal for your long weekend, I got you. This Chile Verde Pulled Pork + Mango Avocado Salsa makes for delicious sweet and savory Cali-style tacos. Cooked low and slow, with roasted tomatillos and Anaheim chiles, this pulled pork will keep ya satisfied all weekend long. Serve with warm tortillas, crumbled queso fresco, and fresh cilantro for a range of taco fixings!

anaheim chiles, fresh cilantro, limes, jalapeño, and tomatillos

For this recipe, I used pork shoulder, a typically inexpensive cut of meat that, when cooked low for a few hours, makes succulent pulled pork. Since it is a bit of a longer recipe, though most of the magic happens on its own, this makes a lot of Chile Verde Pulled Pork. The Mango Avocado Salsa is inspired by something my dad used to make growing up, with a bit of twist. Not your typical salsa, with sweet mango, avocado, cilantro, green onions, and lots of fresh lime juice, this Mango Avocado Salsa makes for a refreshing and sweet salsa to top off the savory pork.

chile verde pulled pork with mango avocado salsa

If you're looking to make a full-on taco bar, complete with queso fresco, cilantro, beans, warm tortillas, and any other preferred fixings, I'd recommend checking out your local Mexican supermarket. These are great places to find good ingredients, especially fresh tortillas and chiles!

Note: Feel free to adjust the spice to your liking. I started off with half of a large jalapeño, which packs a punch at first, but completely mellows out once cooked. If you're looking for some extra spice, keep that other half on hand, and finely chop up if needed.

chile verde pulled pork + mango avocado salsa

yield: 8 servings | time: 3 hours 30 minutes

ingredients

Chile Verde Pulled Pork

2 lbs pork shoulder, divided into 4 or 5 pieces
2 Anaheim chiles
3 cups chicken broth (more if needed, see note)
¾ lb tomatillos, husks removed
½ jalapeño, seeds removed
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste
Mango Avocado Salsa
1 mango, cut into small cubes
2 avocados, cut into small cubes
2 green onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste

method

Set the oven to broil, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the husked tomatillos and the Anaheim chiles on the lined baking sheet, and broil for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through, until the skin is charred. Transfer all of the tomatillos to one resealable plastic bag, and the Anaheim chiles in a separate one, and reseal. This allows the tomatillos and chiles to steam, which makes the skin easily peel away. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Remove the seeds from the Anaheim chiles, and the skin from the chiles and tomatillos. In a food processor or blender, combine the chiles, jalapeño, tomatillos, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
Note: The chile verde will taste much more sour and spicy at this point. Once it has cooked with the pork, the flavors mellow out quite a bit.
In a dutch oven or deep pan/pot over medium heat, sear the pork for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the seared pork and transfer to a plate to rest. Reduce the heat to low, and add the garlic to the pan, cooking for about a minute, until translucent. Transfer the pork back to the pan, and add the chicken broth and chile verde.
Note: The chicken broth should almost cover the pork. Exact amount needed varies depending on the size of the pan. Add more if needed.
Cover and braise for about 3 hours over low heat, until the pork shoulder is tender and easily shredded. Once it is ready, shred the pork and cook for an additional 20 minutes to allow the sauce to absorb.
Combine the mango, avocado, cilantro, green onions, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Gently mix and adjust seasoning to your taste.