Mexican Pork with Purslane
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
30 mins
-
Cook Time
3 hrs
-
Total Time
3 hrs 30 mins
-
Servings
8 servings
-
Calories
306 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Mexican
Mexican Pork with Purslane
Description
This recipe begins with braising large pieces of pork shoulder slowly in water with aromatic spices such as bay leaves, garlic, chopped onion, Mexican oregano, and optional traditional herbs like epazote and hoja santa. The long simmer tenderizes the pork and infuses it with subtle herbaceous notes. Meanwhile, a complex salsa is prepared by charring tomatoes, garlic, and onions until blackened for smoky depth. Rehydrated dried chiles including guajillo, ancho, and morita or chipotles provide layers of mild to moderate heat and fruity spice. These ingredients are blended with tomatillos into a smooth sauce.
The salsa is then cooked in lard or vegetable oil to develop further richness. The braised pork is served with this salsa and topped with fresh purslane – a slightly lemony and succulent green that contrasts the richness of the meat and sauce. A finishing dollop of crema or sour cream adds a creamy tang. The dish pairs well with tortillas and can be adapted with other wild greens or meats like venison or wild turkey.
Substitutions for chiles based on availability are flexible, and the salsa can be strained to remove tough skins and seeds. The dish can be cooked longer or reduced for thicker texture, making it versatile for fillings such as tacos.
Ingredients
BRAISED PORK
- 3 pounds pork shoulder cut into large hunks
- salt
- 3 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1/2 onion chopped roughly
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 epazote optional, sprig
- 2 hoja santa leaf optional, leaves
SALSA
- 4 tomato halved, plum
- 1 onion quartered, white
- 4 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 2 to 5 guajillo chiles seeded, stemmed and rehydrated
- 2 to 5 ancho chiles seeded, stemmed and rehydrated
- 2 to 5 morita chile or chipotles in adobo
- 1/4 pound tomatillo husked
- salt
- 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
TO FINISH
- 2 pounds purslane
- crema or sour cream, to taste
Instructions
- Cover the pork shoulder with water in a large, lidded pot like a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer. Skim off any scum or froth that develops. Add the remaining braise ingredients, cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer gently until the pork is tender -- anywhere from 90 minutes for some store bought pork to 3 hours for an old wild hog.
- Meanwhile, get a comal, griddle or cast iron pan hot and sear the onion, cut side of the tomatoes and garlic until well blackened. While this is happening, rehydrate the chiles with hot water after you have seeded and stemmed them.
- When the vegetables are well charred, discard the garlic peels and put everything in the blender, along with the chiles -- discard the chile water. Add the tomatillos and a pinch of salt and puree. If you want to, push the salsa through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any bits of skin and seed, which are undigestible.
- Heat the lard in a sauté pan and pour the salsa in. It will spit and sputter. Stir this constantly until the lard is incorporated, then turn the heat to low and cover the pot.
- When the pork is tender, strain the broth and reserve. Slice the pork across the grain here and there so you don't have long, stringy pieces. Wipe out the pot, then return the pork, strained broth to it, adding the salsa and the purslane. Simmer this for about 10 to 20 minutes, adding salt to taste.
- Serve with the crema alongside, with some hot sauce, and tortillas.
Notes
- Substitute chiles with pasillas, California, negro, or dried red Hatch chiles if needed.
- Use chipotles in adobo or other hot chiles in place of moritas for spicier salsa.
- If purslane is unavailable, replace with quelites or lambsquarters as suitable greens.
- Venison, wild turkey legs, or jackrabbit are good meat alternatives for this recipe.
- Adjust cooking time for tenderness; reduce sauce thickness if desired for tacos or fillings.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 306 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 306kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 21g | 7% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 70mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 187mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 1209mg | 26% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 16185IU | 324% |
| Vitamin C | 103mg | 114% |
| Calcium | 394mg | 39% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
