Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Chile Verde de Puerco
391 kcal a serving, against 642 for the traditional version. That is 251 kcal off, or 39%, with 43.2g of protein. Serves 6. 3 hours.
What the traditional version is
Thick chunks of fatty pork shoulder, heavily seared in hot lard. The browned meat is slowly braised in a sharp, vibrant sauce made from blended tomatillos, green chillies, onions and garlic. The stew cooks for hours until the meat collapses and the sauce is completely saturated with rendered pork fat.
What changed, and what each change costs
1200g of fatty pork shoulder and 50g of lard swapped for 1200g of lean pork shoulder and zero lard
The fat inside a traditional shoulder cut and the extra frying lard add a staggering amount of fat to the pot. Using heavily trimmed lean pork strips that out entirely while keeping the actual meat intact. You get a much meatier stew.
What it costs you. You lose the incredibly rich, lip-coating texture that rendered pork fat provides. Lean pork also requires a very gentle simmer. If you boil it hard, the meat seizes up and goes tough rather than melting. That's the first compromise you'll spot.
Browning the meat in a frying pan swapped for a dry sear
Skipping the oil or lard for browning keeps the extra fat out of the pan. You just need a fiercely hot non-stick pan to get a bit of colour on the outside of the pork.
What it costs you. Meat doesn't brown as evenly or as deeply without fat to conduct the heat. You'll get some patchy colour rather than a beautiful golden crust, which means slightly less roasted flavour in the final sauce.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 642 | 391 |
| Protein | 38.5g | 43.2g |
| Fat | 46.8g | 16.7g |
| Saturated fat | 16.2g | 5.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 15.7g | 15.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6g | 11.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. celery.
The method is in the book
This is a brilliantly sharp, savoury bowl of food. What you've got is a bright, vibrant stew where the tomatillos really sing. A rich, fat-heavy winter warmer is a different dish and you know where to find it. You miss the silky mouthfeel of the rendered lard, and the pork isn't quite as meltingly soft as the traditional version. But you get a punchy, heavily seasoned dinner that lets you eat a huge portion of meat without feeling completely weighed down. I think the trade is absolutely worth it.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback