Turkey Chile Verde

We have a lot of tomatillos in our garden this year. While the tomatoes suffered from too much water, too little heat, nematodes and wilt at the beginning of the season, the tomatillos we planted are growing. A few volunteers from last year’s harvest also having a good time.

Do you know tomatillos? They look like small green tomatoes but are surrounded by a papery shell.

With this week’s bounty, we decided to make a Mexican Chili Verde, but instead of using the traditional pork, we’re going to use turkey thighs instead.

Incidentally, Chili Verde from the state of New Mexico is made with green chilies from Hatch. Chile Verde, which is made in most of Mexico, is made with tomatillos. It’s the tomatillo salsa verde that makes the dish green.

So, same name, different dish. The dish we are working on today is the Tomatillo variety.

I’ve found that turkey needs more help with seasoning than pork. It also benefits greatly from a little smoke flavor.

So I added more spices than I would normally add to a pork chili verde and also added some chipotle chili powder for a hint of smoky flavor. But the amounts are just guidelines and depend so much on your specific ingredients and taste.

By the way, my dad says, “Let your readers know that this restaurant critic gives it 5 stars.” My mom just brought a huge bowl of tomatillos from her garden (as if I don’t have enough) and wants me to make them again . Enjoy!

preparation time
20 minutes

cooking time
4 hours

total time
4 hrs 20 mins

portions
8 servings

* You can soften the heat of this dish with jalapeno seeds. Taste the tomatillo sauce after mixing it. If it needs more heat, mix in some of the jalapeno seeds.

** If you can only get bones and skin, that’s fine. Remove the skin and discard or save to use in making turkey bacon. Trim as much meat off the bone as possible, then cook the meaty bone with the turkey chunks. When the meat is cooked, remove the bone and shred the meat from the bone.

Salsa Verde:

1 1/2 lb fresh green tomatillos
5 cloves garlicpull it off
1 jalapenostems and seeds removed, chopped*
2 poblano chile
1 bunch corianderrinsed, roughly chopped, including stems
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon lime juice
prize sugar

Turkey:

3 lb boneless, skinless turkey drumsticks
salt and pepper
2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onionsroughly chopped (approx 3 cups)
1 teaspoon cumin
3 cloves garlicpeeled, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon Chipotle powder
2 tablespoon Fresh oreganochopped
2 bay leaves
prize Ground carnations

Roast the poblano chiles:

Roast the poblano chiles over a gas burner or under a grill until almost black all over. Place the chiles in a paper bag, seal the bag, and let the chiles steam in their own heat for a few minutes.

Remove the chilies from the bag, removing the charred skin, stem and seeds. (See How to Roast Chili Peppers Over a Gas Torch for step-by-step instructions.)
Fry the tomatillos:

Remove the papery skins from the tomatillos. Rinse the tomatillos with water (they may be a bit sticky).

Halve the tomatillos and place cut-side down on a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Mix the garlic cloves (peel) with the tomatillos.

Cook under a grill until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool to the touch, then remove the garlic cloves from their skin.
Make the salsa verde:

Place the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeño, poblanos, cilantro, salt, lime juice, and sugar in a blender. Start on a low speed and then increase the mixer speed and puree until smooth. Set aside (can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use).
Prepare the turkey leg meat:

Cut the turkey thigh into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces, trimming and discarding any tough, gristly bits or large chunks of fat. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast the turkey:

Heat olive oil in a large (6 to 8 qt) dutch oven or high sided skillet over medium-high heat (hot enough to sear the meat).

Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan (a full pan makes it harder to brown the meat), sear the turkey pieces on all sides (don’t stir the meat in the pan until well browned). Pour into a bowl with a slotted spoon.
Sauté onions, add garlic:

Add the chopped onion and cumin to the saucepan and cook, stirring and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes).

Add the garlic, fry for another 30 seconds.
Add turkey, tomato sauce, broth, seasonings to saucepan:

Put the turkey back in the pot. Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth.

Add chipotle powder, oregano, bay leaves, and ground clove. Add a teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.
Simmer for 3 to 4 hours:

Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low (enough to maintain a gentle simmer) while leaving the pot uncovered. Cook, uncovered, until turkey is tender, 3 to 4 hours.

If at any point you think too much liquid is evaporating, cover the pan. Otherwise leave uncovered. You want the sauce to be more concentrated. Adjust the spices to taste. You may need to add more salt than you would expect.

Serve in a bowl with chopped fresh cilantro and toppings like chopped avocado, thinly sliced lettuce that’s been seasoned with vinegar and salt, sliced radishes, diluted sour cream or crema fresca, and topped with freshly heated tortillas or tortilla chips. Or serve with rice and beans, or wrapped in a large wheat tortilla, burrito-style.

Links:

Pork chile verde from here on Simply Recipes

nutritional information (per serving)
446	calories
22g	Fat
20g	carbohydrates
45g	protein

Turkey Chile Verde

Chile Verde with turkey leg meat and homemade tomatillo salsa verde.