“I love this dish,” Isaac Sandoval says. “Shawna had the idea for this item, and it has been a crowd favorite since the food-truck days. We use a pressure cooker for most of this process, but it can also be cooked in a slow cooker. This recipe is for the oven.”

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5-pound bone-in pork butt roast
  • 2 cans tomatillos or 1 ½ pounds freshly peeled tomatillo
  • 2 ½ cups of roasted and diced green chile
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 6 garlic cloves, diced

Serves 8

  1. Set oven to 450° and place the olive oil and pork roast with the fat side up into a large cast-iron Dutch oven. If using fresh tomatillos, add to the pork at this step.
  2. Cook pork about 45 minutes until browned. The fat cap should have a nice sear.
  3. Remove from oven and add remaining ingredients. If using canned tomatillos, add at this point.
  4. Reduce the heat of the oven to 250°. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until pork reaches 165° or falls apart easily with two forks.
  5. Serve in tacos and burritos, on a quesadilla, or enjoy as is in a bowl.

This recipe originally appeared in Funky Town by Lynn Cline.