Every family has their signature tamales that they make every year. Ours are pork chile verde tamales. Today I’m sharing how to make the shredded pork for tamales. If you purchase prepared masa dough to make homemade tamales and just need a filling recipe, this is the one we make every year.
If you’ve ever tried my Instant Pot pork chili verde the flavor and texture of today’s pork filling recipe will seem familiar. My chili verde pairs the tender and chewy texture of slowly simmered pork with the cozy, comforting flavors of melty cheese, and it is a beautiful thing!
For today’s shredded chile verde pork, we are taking this a step further, by introducing the smoky charred flavors of blackened tomatillos, onions, and jalapeños and skipping the cheese for the most delicious traditional pork tamales.
I know a lot of people who prefer to buy their masa for making tamales and they don’t necessarily need a full tamales recipe but are looking for the perfect pork filling, and ladies and gentlemen, this. is. it.
This filling recipe produces Mexican pork tamales that are perfect for special occasions and I’m so excited to share this family recipe with you. Pair with avocado bruschetta, some spicy papaya lime shrimp skewers, and a fizzy mezcal margarita for a festive holiday meal.
Recipe Snapshot
- Texture: Tender, succulent, and pleasantly chewy
- Flavor: Tangy and saucy with a bit of smoke from charred vegetables
- Ease: This is a moderately difficult recipe only because there are several steps and it is a bit time consuming, but it’s not hard
- Time: Around 4 hours. This is because the pork takes this long to become meltingly tender
Ingredients You Need & Why
- Boneless pork shoulder or boneless pork butt: Just like we use for Chilorio, Chile-Braised Pork Stew, and my Mexican Pulled Pork. Don’t use a pork roast that comes from the loin, it will be too dry. 5 lbs of pork makes about 2-3 dozen tamales depending on how big you make them.
- White onions: These are the staple onion when making Mexican food.
- Garlic: You will use a few cloves garlic for the pork and for the salsa.
- Bay leaves: For giving a touch of anise flavor to the pork.
- Black peppercorns: Also essential for the pork shoulder and flavoring the broth it is cooked in.
- Tomatillos: These tart green cousins of tomatoes are for making the green salsa that brings so much flavor to the pork. We also use them to make the pipián sauce that goes in our vegan tamales.
- Jalapeños: For the tomatillo salsa. These just add flavor, this dish isn’t spicy.
- Cilantro: Again for the chili verde, making the sauce even brighter and greener.
- Kosher salt: Brings the flavor in the pork and the salsa.
Of course, you’ll also need dried corn husks, masa harina, baking powder, and all the other ingredients to turn this filling into authentic pork tamales.
Let’s Make Shredded Pork for Tamales
To make this traditional Mexican recipe, the first thing you want to do is to gently simmer the pork. To do that you need to combine the pork shoulder, onion, garlic, bay leaf, a couple tablespoons salt, and black pepper in a large pot, stock pot or even a large Dutch oven.
Cover the pork by at least 2 inches of water. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce to medium heat or even low heat so it is gently simmering. Keep an eye on the water level so that the pork is always submerged in water. Add more hot water as needed.
The pork takes a good amount of time to become tender. It usually takes between 3-4 hours. Once it easily pulls apart with a fork it is ready.
Remove the pork to a baking sheet and strain the cooking liquid. You will use this broth to make the masa if you are going to use homemade masa.
By the way, you can also do this in the slow cooker, but you won’t get as much leftover pork broth. This may or may not matter to you if you are using store-bought masa.
Once the pork is cool enough to handle shred into bite-size pieces. Remove any fat or gristle and place in a large bowl.
Success Tip: Char the Veggies For The Salsa
One of the unique techniques of Mexican cuisine is charring vegetables to give them a smoky flavor. We char poblanos all the time, like for these amazing corn-poblano crepes and our poblano and cheese tamales.
If this is the first time you’ve ever done this it may seem counterintuitive to burn the veggies but giving your veggies a nice char will add so much flavor to the salsa which in turn, makes fantastic homemade pork tamales.
Combine the blackened veggies in the blender or food processor and add 1 cup of water, cilantro, and salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and add another teaspoon or so of salt if needed.
If You’d Rather Make Red Chile Sauce
Are you more of a rich red salsa fan? I suggest making my mole poblano instead of the charred tomatillo salsa. It has lusty ancho chiles, dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, and spices. It is quite a bit more work than the charred tomatillo sauce, but so, so good. Or check out my red pork tamales recipe or use this sauce made with guajillo chiles.
Success Tip: Make Ahead
A great way to get a jumpstart on tamales prep is to make the filling in advance. You can make the pork filling up to 5 days in advance. You can also make the salsa one day and the next day make the pork then combine the two.
The pork filling can also be frozen for up to 6 months. Transfer to an airtight container or a freezer bag and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Happy Tamalidays!
It’s Christmas time and that means tamales! This recipe is part of my tamales countdown called Tamalidays. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! I’m adding new recipes every day. Browse dozens of fresh tamales recipes over on the Tamalidays page including:
- Vegetarian Tamales with Cheese and Jalapeños
- Chile Verde Chicken Tamales
- Black Bean & Cheese Tamales
- Apple Braised Beef Tamales
- Strawberry Tamales with Horchata Sauce
And here’s my video tutorial and guide for how to make masa for tamales using fresh masa & masa harina.
Pork Chile Verde Filling For Tamales
Every family has their signature tamales that they make every year. Ours are pork chile verde tamales. Today I'm sharing how to make the shredded pork for tamales. If you purchase prepared masa dough to make homemade tamales and just need a filling recipe, this is the one we make every year.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 2 large white onions, quartered (divided)
- 9 cloves garlic, divided
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed (about 20 tomatillos)
- 2 jalapeños
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and thin stems
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Combine the 5 pounds pork shoulder, 1 quartered onion, 5 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon black peppercorns in a large stock pot. Fill stock pot with water, covering the pork by at least 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low so it is gently simmering. Let simmer until the pork easily pulls apart with a fork, about 3-4 hours. Top off the water if it is starting to go below the level of the pork.
- Meanwhile make the salsa: place a comal or large frying pan (ideally cast iron) over medium-high heat. Place the 2 pounds of tomatillos, the remaining 4 cloves garlic, the 2 jalapeños, and the remaining quartered onion on the comal. You may have to do this in batches depending on how large your comal is.
- Cook the vegetables, turning frequently until they are evenly charred on all sides. The garlic will cook the fastest, remove it as soon as it is golden to prevent burning.
- Remove the charred veggies to a blender (cut the stems off the jalapeños first). Add the cup of cilantro, the cup of water and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Blend until smooth.
- Once the pork is tender, remove it from the broth to a baking sheet with tongs and let cool. Strain the pork broth and save it for making the tamales masa dough or another use like soup or beans.
- Shred the pork into bite-sized pieces with your fingers, discarding any fat or gristle.
- Place pork in a large bowl and pour half the tomatillo salsa over it. Stir to combine. If it needs more sauce add another cup or so. Save the remaining sauce to serve with the tamales. Taste the pork and season with more salt if needed.
- Use the filling to make the tamales or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using. Filling makes enough for 2 dozen tamales.
Notes
- Charring the vegetables: You can also char the veggies under the broiler on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Turn them frequently to evenly char all sides.
- Tacos, tostadas and more: Of course this filling makes excellent tacos, tostadas, tortas or flautas too. You can also serve it with rice, beans, and tortillas for a delicious Mexican meal.
- Blending tips: If your blender is having trouble with the thick salsa, add a little more water or some of the reserved pork broth.
- Make-ahead: This filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, making tamale assembly a breeze.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 454Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 113mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 50g
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