Kel’s Perfect Pork Enchiladas with Tangy Tomatillo Sauce

I’ve been making these pork enchiladas for years, tweaking the recipe along the way until coming up what I think is one of my favorite comfort foods ever. My original inspiration was to make a great tomatillo sauce as a base for several recipes, after devouring some of the best chili verde I’d ever eaten after a long day on the ski slopes in Vail, Colorado, many moons ago. Enter these pork enchiladas and the rest is history!

If you are unfamiliar with tomatillos, I urge you to try them. They are tangy, tart and tasty and look like small green tomatoes in husks. A common staple of Mexican cuisine, they are the basis of many green sauces for enchiladas and salsas. Choose ones that are still firm to the touch — most grocers have these in their tomato/garlic/avocado section. Beware, tomatillos are often sticky, but that washes off easily!

I prefer to use white corn tortillas to wrap the shredded spicy pork for the enchiladas — just make sure to warm them first to make rolling easier. Since they are fairly small, I use a spoon to hold down the enchiladas as I add them to the casserole dish so they won’t accidentally open!

I used my Instant Pot to shorten the cooking time of the pork, but feel free to brown the seasoned pork in a dutch oven on the stovetop. Either transfer the pork and the water to a slow cooker for at least 4 hours on high, or leave the meat in the dutch oven, add the water, and simmer for several hours until the pork is fork tender.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds pork roast or shoulder, cut into large cubes
1 package hot taco seasoning
½ cup water
1 cup sweet onion, diced small
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
12 tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed and diced small
2 cans (4 oz. each) green chiles, diced
Hot sauce to taste
1 can (19 oz.) green chili enchilada sauce
½ lime, juiced
Cilantro to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
15 corn tortillas (or more as needed)
2½ cups Colby jack cheese, grated (sharp cheddar works well, too)
Green onions for garnish
Salsa (optional)

Preparation

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the Instant Pot. Coat the pork with the taco seasoning in a plastic bag.

Brown the pork on all sides in the oil. You will need to do this in small batches.

Add the water, and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes, according to the directions for your pressure cooker. Allow to release naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.

Place pork in a large bowl and shred with two forks (I like my Pampered Chef salad choppers for this step.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the pork is cooking, heat the rest of the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for several minutes. Add the diced tomatillos, green chiles and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.