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The night before you plan to eat your pork, season the meat well on all sides with salt and pepper. Melt your lard in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in small batches, sear your meat on all sides. Remove meat and set aside. Meanwhile, if you're making green chili stew, steam your vegetables until easily pierced with a paring knife. Cool and refrigerate overnight.
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Add the onion and saute until softened, about 3 minutes, adding more lard or oil if necessary. Add the garlic and bay leaves; saute for an additional minute. Deglaze the pan with half of the broth or water, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the meat back along with any accumulated juices. Add in 1 cup of salsa verde; mix well. Cool and refrigerate overnight.
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The next morning, add the meat mixture to your crockpot, along with the remaining broth, dried herbs, and cumin (if using). Set the crockpot on low and allow to cook for 6-7 hours (a longer time period is fine).
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For green chile stew, remove 2 cups of the pork to use in enchiladas suizas; refrigerate. Add your par-cooked potatoes, roasted chiles, and posole corn at hour 7 and turn crockpot to high. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes. Check seasoning, adjusting as necessary. Stir in 1/2 cup more of the salsa verde; serve with cilantro and remaining salsa verde on the side.
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For salsa verde pork over rice or in tacos: Taste for seasoning, adjusting if necessary. I serve the pork over rice with shredded cheese, cilantro, and tortillas on the side—this is fun for kids because they can make tacos. Avocados are a wonderful accompaniment.