Crock Pot (or Not) Pork Tomatillo Stew

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lb pork shoulder, trimmed of all visible fat
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups tomatillos, chopped
• 1 7 oz can diced green chilis
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (use 1 if you prefer mild food)
• 2 cups chicken broth (or water with chicken bouillon)
• cooked rice, sour cream, chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. STOVETOP METHOD
2. Cut the pork into 1" cubes, removing as much of the visible fat as you can.
3. In a bag, mix the dry ingredients. Drop the cubes of meat into the bag in batches and shake to cover with the flour mixture.
4. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. In batches (so that you don't crowd the meat), cook the pork for 10-15 minutes, turning often, to brown on all sides. As each batch is ready, remove to a bowl and add more oil to the soup pot for the next batch.
5. While pork is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and chop the tomatillos and jalapenos, keeping all ingredients separate.
6. When all the meat is browned, if you find there is too much flour residue in the bottom of the soup pot, use a little of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Just pour it in and use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Keep those bits! Just pour them over the meat you've removed to the bowl. Now that the pot is clean, add a little more oil, heat, and then add the onions. Stir for about 10 minutes until translucent.
7. Add the minced garlic and cook another two or three minutes.
8. Add the chopped tomatillos, green chilis, jalapenos, and pork (with any juices that have collected in the bowl). Stir well.
9. Add the rest of the chicken broth and stir. Cover most of the pot, leaving just a little opening so steam can escape. Simmer for an hour, stirring often, until pork is tender and the tomatillos have melted down.
10. Serve over rice with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro.
11. CROCK POT METHOD
12. As described above, cut the meat, dredge in the flour mixture, and cook in batches in a frying pan until browned. Using that same pan, saute the onions and garlic.
13. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
14. If you want a thicker stew, reduce the chicken broth to 1 cup when cooking in the crock pot, as there is much less evaporation than when you cook on the stove.

Notes