Name: Chicharrones en Salsa Verde
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients: 8 oz. chicharrones, broken into 1” pieces (about 6 cups), divided; 2 Tbsp. lard, bacon fat, or vegetable oil; 3 jalapeños or serrano chiles, seeds removed if desired, finely chopped; 5 garlic cloves, finely grated; 1 large white onion, finely chopped, divided; ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper; 1½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more; 1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, chopped; Refried beans (for serving); 12–16 warm small corn or flour tortillas; Chopped cilantro and lime wedges (for serving)

Plated chicharrones in a tortilla with black beans cilantro and onions

Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Allie Wist

Crunchy chicharrones are ideal for soaking up bright tomatillo salsa, taking on an ultimate crispy-gone-soggy chewy texture. Every brand of chicharrones is different, sopping up more or less of the sauce, so you may need to add more or less water to achieve saucy-clingy consistency. If you can’t find tomatillos, use 4 cups chopped cored plum tomatoes (about 8 medium) to make a salsa roja instead.

Recipe notes