The first tomatillos appeared at a local farmers’ market this week. Three years ago, I never cooked with this vegetable which is foreign to most Midwesterners. I am a farmers’ market junkie and love to shop several each week. That summer a vendor who I purchase from weekly had a huge surplus of tomatillos and was selling them dirt cheap. She urged me to take some home and make salsa verde. I did and it rocked. I now make and can my own salsa verde.

With these tomatillos readily available, I looked for more recipes. I came across this recipe in Recipezaar (now Food.com). It is an amazing recipe that I make many times a year. The slow cooker is perfect for summertime when you don’t want to slave over a grill, oven or stove. This is a perfect hardy winter  recipe. Tomatillos freeze quite well for winter use.

This is also a versatile recipe. It tastes equally as well with either pork or chicken. It’s a pretty healthy recipe, especially when made with chicken. It can be served as a stew.  It also makes a great filling for tortillas. I think this is perhaps the best recipe I have found on-line.  If tomatillos are strange to you, I urge you to give this a try. It will convert you to a tomatillo lover.

Salsa Verde Chicken or Pork
Adapted from Food.com recipe #229073

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
3 TBS pickled jalapeno peppers (to your taste)
1/2 cup loosely packed roughly chopped fresh cilantro (divided)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs boneless pork shoulder (cut into large chunks) or 2 lbs skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 (15 ounce) cans large white great northern beans, drained

Directions:

Place the tomatillos into the bottom of a slow cooker. Cover with garlic, jalapenos  and half of the cilantro. Sprinkle evenly with salt.

In a large bowl, combine the pork or chicken with the Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the tomatillos. Cover and slow cook on low for 6 hours.

Remove the pork or chicken to a bowl. Shred.

Ladle the tomatillos into a food processor. Add the cilantro. Blend until smooth. Return to the slow cooker. Stir in the drained beans and shredded meat. Cook on low for another hour. Serve.