Comforting Chile Verde Recipe
The cherished tradition of Sunday family dinners, watching her grandparents and dad gather in the kitchen, instilled a deep love of cooking in Geena Marcuzzo that she still carries with her today. Her desire to share her love of food with others inspired her to start her blog and Instagram account, City Raised Farm Saved, where she shares recipes and clips of her life.
After building a social media following and having people suggest she write a cookbook, Marcuzzo began researching and planning. “Field to Fork” was released in the fall of 2020 and draws inspiration from her upbringing in California and the Montana farm she was living on at the time.
“I feel like a lot of people want to learn how to cook, and they either didn’t have parents that cooked, or they didn’t pay attention to it,” Marcuzzo says. “’Field to Fork’ emphasizes simple recipes with very easy, fresh ingredients to find. My original plan was actually to do family-style meals. I started working on it in 2019, but then 2020 came around, and there was no way for me to go back and forth from Montana to California quickly. So, I decided to change it and make it more farm-to-table using fresh ingredients because I couldn’t go back home and partake in family dinners.”
This recipe holds a special place in Marcuzzo’s heart, as she holds fond memories of enjoying the dish with her father throughout her childhood.
“Growing up, my dad always made chile verde. I just feel like it’s one of those things that everybody likes, even people who think that they don’t like pork. It’s also a fun meal to cook that brings people together,” Marcuzzo says. “There are so many ways to enjoy it — my dad rolls up a tortilla and dips it, some people like to rip up the tortilla and mix it in, and other people make it into a burrito. It’s very versatile. I make it every year for my dad’s birthday in November, as well as other family occasions. But I make it just for myself a lot, too. It’s also an easy meal to freeze and reheat.”
Chile Verde
Serves 6-8
Geena Marcuzzo’s Chile Verde. Photography by Shana Bailey photography
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 ½ pounds pork roast, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 ½ pounds tomatillos
1 ½ large white or yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2-3 poblano peppers (remove seeds if you don’t love the heat)
2-3 jalapenos (remove seeds if you don’t love the heat)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon crushed oregano leaves
Red pepper flakes, to taste
3 cups chicken broth
Directions:
In a heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and season with salt and pepper. Brown the pork on all sides until each piece has a nice, golden crust.
While the pork is browning, peel the husk off the tomatillos and cut it in half. Roughly chop onions, garlic and peppers. Add all the chopped veggies to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Add the tomatillos mixture, broth, cumin and oregano to the pot of pork. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cook covered for about 3 hours or until pork is tender. I like to take the lid off and cook for an additional hour, occasionally stirring to let the broth thicken. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve in a bowl with chips and rolled warm tortillas, as a taco or in a burrito!
“It’s not typically a spicy recipe, but I prefer it spicy. I recommend using the recipe as a base and adding whatever else you love to it,” Marcuzzo says. “I’ll add jalapenos and serranos to it, or even a Fresno chile. It just depends on whatever is available, but I definitely like to add extra heat. Also, try to find fresh ingredients because it does make a difference.”
Follow along with Marcuzzo’s cooking journey on Instagram @cityraisedfarmsaved!
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