I recently visited my brother and his family in Texas. There’s a Mexican grocery near his house which he swears has the best meat in town, for the best prices. One of his favorite purchases is Mexican style pork chops or chuletas de puerco (chuletas de cerdo). The Mexican pork chops are thinly sliced bone-in pork chops that cook up in minutes. He fries them in a pan and claims they taste like bacon (I think they taste like pork chops).
Mexican Pork Chops with Chile Verde Sauce and Cotija Cheese
Unless you’re from New Mexico, you may not be familiar with chile verde which is a stew made from roasted green peppers (specifically Hatch green chiles) and pork. It’s a bit thinner in consistency than the typical stew and often ladled over other dishes as a condiment. I love it served in a bowl and topped with an egg, ladled over chicken enchiladas or served in a tortilla as a soft taco. It’s delicious.
This Mexican pork chops recipe is a version of chile verde. Instead of stewing the pork with the green chile peppers, I cooked the pork chops in a pan and then made a quick chile verde sauce to spoon over the pork chops. I found thin-cut, bone-in pork chops at my grocery store but substitute boneless pork chops if you’d prefer. Just make sure to pound them to ½ inch thickness so they cook quickly. I suggest to butterfly them before pounding.
If you haven’t noticed, this is a low carb recipe. Yes, you can have low carb Mexican food while watching your carbs. I stick with more traditional Mexican recipes that don’t require tortillas or rice, but you can always find substitutes for your favorite things. I often use low carb tortillas for soft tacos and cauliflower rice in place of Mexican rice. This time I made a meal of chile verde pork chops, Mexican green beans and cheesy cauliflower mash. It was delicious. I’m sure you’ll love it, too.
For an interesting shrimp chile verde recipe check out this great appetizer on Beauty and the Foodie.
Mexican Pork Chops Recipe with (Chile) Chili Verde Sauce is 3 net carbs per serving.
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Mexican Pork Chops Recipe with (Chile) Chili Verde Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork chops (4 thin-cut, bone-in pork chops) (can use boneless, but pound thin)
- 1 tbsp oil (divided)
Seasoning Rub
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp powdered cumin
- 1/4 tsp chile powder
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Chile Verde Sauce Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup salsa verde, I like Herdez (or 4 oz diced green chiles with liquid)*
- 1/2 tsp chicken base
- 1 tbsp oil
Optional Ingredients
- water if needed
- 2 tbsp *cilantro if using diced green chiles
- Cotija cheese for garnish (or feta)
Instructions
Preparation
- Remove pork chops from the refrigerator to come to room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Mix seasonings. Chop onions, mince garlic, and finely chop cilantro if using canned chiles or as an additional garnish. Crumble Cotija cheese if using.
Method:
- Rub about 1 1/2 tsp of oil over both surfaces of the pork chops and sprinkle sprinkle with seasoning. Rub the seasoning into the meat for good adhesion.
- Place a large pan over medium heat and allow it to get very hot. Add 1 1/2 tsp of oil, swirling to coat the pan. Put the pork chops in the pan being careful not to crowd them. Cook for 3 minutes. Flip. Cook for three minutes more and remove to a plate. Tent with a piece of foil to keep warm.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Saute until they begin to become transluscent, about 1 minute. If they aren't softening, add 1-2 tbsp water to help them along. Add the chicken base and stir into the onions and garlic.
- Measure the salsa verde (or can of green chiles) into the pan and add the juices from the pork. Scrape-up any browned bits in the pan. (If you used canned chiles, add the cilantro now). Simmer the sauce until thickened but still spoonable. Taste to adjust seasoning. (Alternately, return the pork to the pan and simmer gently as the sauce thickens.)
Serve:
- Place a pork chop on a serving plate and top with 1/4 of the chile verde sauce. Garnish with cilantro (or fresh oregano) and crumbled Cojita cheese. Serves 4.
Notes
Nutrition
New Mexico Green Chile Pork Stew (Chile Verde)
I made this and it is absolutely delicious! Saved the recipe and will use again, actually teach my hubby how to make.
I’m so glad that you and your husband enjoyed the recipe, Kelly. It’s so easy that I’m sure you husband will learn it very easily. Thanks for your nice comment and for rating the recipe. Have a great weekend. -Kim
I made this for my GF. It was easy and tasted great. Thank you.
Great, Sam. I’m happy you liked it. -Kim
Really would love to have that green bean recipe that you suggest as an accompaniment…hint, hint
thanks
Hi, Bill. I didn’t like the photos. I plan to reshoot several recipes this weekend and post them next week. Thanks for checking up on the recipe. -Kim
Planned to grill pork chops and decided to merge the two and use your chile verde for a topping as I had the right ingredients. WOW. So good. Used feta for the cheese as I did not have the cotija. Was delicious. Great recipe Kim.
Sounds like a delicious meal, Deborah. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Have a great weekend. -Kim
Such a great looking dish! I know almost nothing about Mexican food, well except the obvious things like tortillas or burritos, there just isn’t anything related to Mexico around here, so sad! Should I try this recipe, I will have to make salsa verde myself I suppose, that is also something unavailable here. Oh, I am hungry!
Thank you, Adina. You could absolutely make a salsa verde with roasted green peppers. Homemade would taste even better! Have a great day. -Kim