We’re at that sweet spot between Thanksgiving and Christmas when you are craving anything that isn’t labeled “traditional home cooked.” Mexican is frequently the “get away” to those meals. Traditional Chili Verde (Green Chili) starts out with roasting the chilis, tomatillos and onions so there is a nice char to them. Then the peppers are often placed in a paper bag to sweat so you can easily peel off the skin. This is how my co-pirate made her fabulous Chicken Jalapeño Soup, and it is always worth the effort. But if you’re pressed for time (or patience!) here’s a recipe for Chili Verde that is fantastic and skips the charring step.

You’ll want pork with lots of fat so the meat just falls apart when braised. Pork chops are often not fatty enough. Today I went with Graul’s country ribs that are bone-in and juicy with pork fat.

Chili Verde the Easy Way

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lbs pork country ribs, shoulder or loin
1 large white onion
4 garlic cloves
4-5 tomatillos
4 poblano chilis
3-4 jalapeños
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups chicken broth (can be made with Better Than Bouillon)

For Garnish: cilantro, avocado and tortilla chips

Husk the tomatillos and rinse them well under water. They will have a “stickiness” to them when the husks are removed which can easily be rinsed off with water.

Chop the onion, chilis, jalapeños, and tomatillos. Mince the garlic.

In a large pot heat up the oil. Brown the pork, turning to evenly brown each side. Remove to a platter.

Keeping the grease in the pot, sauté the chopped vegetables until they begin to soften.

Add the cumin, oregano, and chicken broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro.

Now take your emulsifier and gently blend the soup ingredients.

You don’t want this blended into a purée, just roughly blended with some chunks still visible. This will thicken the soup as well. Adjust the seasonings with more cumin or salt/bouillon.

Place the browned pork back into the pot. Cover and simmer on low for 40 minutes or until the pork falls from the bone. Using metal tongs, pull out the pork and let rest on a cutting board until it is cool enough to handle.

Shred the pork and place back into the pot, stirring well to combine the meat into the chili stew. Simmer on low for 5 minutes. Let cool a bit before serving.

Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with crushed tortilla chips, cilantro, and diced avocado.