Oscar's Chili Verde

This is hands down the best chili verde that I have ever had!  It is smoky, spicy and utterly freakin' delicious!  When you have the time to put forth towards it...it will not disappoint.  This is my good buddy Oscar's families' recipe that has been passed down through 3 generations.  Myabe not 3 generations...but you catch my drift.  He has perfected it, and it will make your taste buds sing!  The way this recipe is written it is spicy...so those faint at heart...beware.

Ingredients:

Pork shoulder (roughly 4 pounds trimmed) and cut into 1/2" cubes
12 tomatillos
4 jalapenos
2 onions quartered
12-14 cloves of garlic (peeled)
2 pasillas
6 dried chili de arbol
1/2 bunch of cilantro separated
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of ground cumin separated
4 tablespoons of granulated garlic separated
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of chili powder

Directions:

Cut the pork into 1/2" cubes.  Trim as much of the fat as possible to keep it low calorie:).  Sprinkle the chili powder, half of the granulated garlic and half of the cumin onto the pork.  Mix into the pork evenly and put into an oiled, preheated dutch oven to sear.  After turning the pork once add the red wine vinegar and continue to cook while you are putting the sauce together.  In a separate cast iron skillet, roast the tomatillos, the garlic, onions, jalapenos, pasillas and chili de arbol.  You want a good char on the outside of all pieces and you might need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your skillet.  Once all vegetables are roasted, place in a blender with the remaining cumin, granulated garlic, 1/4 of the bunch of cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.  Blend well and add to the dutch oven with about a cup and a half of water; turn the heat down and simmer the meat and sauce, uncovered for at least 2 hours.  If you notice that the sauce is too thick add a little more water or place the lid over half of the pot so that less evaporation takes place.   

Serve over your favorite rice, with homemade whole pinto beans or in a burrito.  Mix it in with scrambled eggs or eat it off of a flip flop...either way I guarantee that you will like it.  Remember...this is spicy!  If the 4 jalapenos and the chili de arbol scare you a little, reduce both by half; you will still retain the flavor but significantly diminish the heat.