Introduction: Chicken Chile Verde

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About: I helped start Instructables, previously worked in biotech and academic research labs, and have a degree in biology from MIT. Currently head of Product helping young startups at Alchemist Accelerator, previous…

Chicken simmered with tomatillos and other tasty green stuff.

Step 1: Chop Veggies

Initial ingredients:

3-4 onions
handful of hot peppers (to your spice preference)
2 bell peppers (I picked red, but green is fine and fits the color scheme)

Saute the veggies in canola oil, and add a bit of black pepper. Stir until they've softened and begin to brown.

Step 2: Add Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken*, chopped (I used thighs; breasts are also fine)

Remove bones and fat, chop into bite-size pieces, and add to pot. Stir as necessary as the chicken browns. You can up the meat/veg ratio if you prefer; 2lbs is really the minimum, though.

*This recipe is traditionally made with pork, but we're pretending to be healthy by using chicken. You don't really need to do anything different to swap meats.

Step 3: Add Tomatillos

3-4 lbs tomatillos, chopped

Peel off the husks, then wash and coarsely chop the tomatillos before add them to the pot. Stir with enthusiasm.

Step 4: Season and Simmer

Seasonings:
handful garlic, coarsely chopped
black pepper (to taste)
1c stock* or 2 boullion cubes
~1T cumin
sprinkle of allspice

Stir as necessary. The tomatillos will drop a huge quantity of water, which needs to cook off to give a proper stew consistency. Leave the pot on medium/low at the back of the stove to simmer, and stir as needed to prevent sticking.

*see pressure cooker beef stock for instructions on making your own; you may substitute chicken or turkey bones without changes.

Step 5: Finish and Serve

When the liquid has cooked down and the meat is just about ready to fall apart, do some last-minute tasting. This is the time to add more cumin, some extra garlic, a dash of hot sauce, another boullion cube, extra salt, or anything else that will finish out the flavor properly.

Turn the heat off, and stir in a coarsely-chopped handful of cilantro.

Serve warm. The flavor gets better after sitting in the fridge overnight.

This was a collaboration with my mother, who did lots of chopping, photographing, and tasting.