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Puerco con verdolagas
Pork with purslane
Puerco con verdolagas: Central Mexican pork stew in tomatillo salsa with lemony purslane
Purslane grows wild between the maize rows of Central Mexico, and in the rainy season markets sell it in big damp bunches, mostly for this pork dish. Cubes of pork shoulder are simmered until tender, browned in their own fat and finished in green tomatillo salsa with the juicy, slightly lemony leaves. Eat it with white rice and corn tortillas. Chef's tip: keep the pork broth; a ladle of it in the salsa gives the stew its body.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pork
- 1 ¾ lb boneless pork shouldercut into 4 cm cubes
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
For the salsa
- 1 ⅛ lb tomatilloshusked and rinsed
- 1 pinch ground cumin
For the greens
- 14 oz purslane (verdolagas)thick stems removed
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the 1 ¾ lb boneless pork shoulder in a pot with the 4 ¼ cups water, half the ¼ white onion, 2 cloves of 2 cloves garlic, the 2 bay leaves and half the 1 tsp salt. Simmer gently for 50 minutes, skimming, until a fork slides into the pork easily.
50 minStep 2: Meanwhile, simmer the 1 ⅛ lb tomatillos and 2 serrano chiles in water for 10 minutes until soft. Drain and blend with the rest of the ¼ white onion and 2 cloves garlic, the 1 pinch ground cumin, the remaining 1 tsp salt and 250 ml of the pork broth.
12 minStep 3: Wash the 14 oz purslane (verdolagas) in several changes of water; skipping this is a common mistake, as the leaves hold a lot of grit.
5 minStep 4: Drain the pork, saving the broth. Heat the 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat and brown the pork for 8 minutes until golden at the edges.
8 minStep 5: Pour in the salsa and fry for 5 minutes, adding a little more broth if it gets too thick. The pork should be well past 160°F by now.
5 minStep 6: Add the purslane and simmer for 6–8 minutes until the leaves wilt and the stems are tender but still bright. Serve hot.
7 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does puerco con verdolagas take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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