A homestyle stew of Nayarit and the Pacific lowlands: pork simmered with chipile — a fragrant green herb (similar to chipilín but distinct) native to the region — in a light tomato-based broth. The herb gives the dish its distinctive earthy, slightly bitter-green flavor. A traditional everyday dish of Nayarit's central highlands, served with rice and beans.
Puerco en chipile is a traditional homestyle stew of Nayarit and the neighboring Pacific lowland states. The dish takes its name from chipile (sometimes called chipilín or chipile in different regions), a green herb used as a culinary flavoring across western Mexico. The stew belongs to the family of everyday pork-and-herb dishes of the region, reflecting the agricultural abundance of Nayarit's warm lowlands. It is most commonly made in homes rather than restaurants, and is served as a weekday family meal with rice, beans, and tortillas.
A bowl of puerco en chipile presents chunks of tender pork in a pale green-flecked tomato broth, the chipile leaves floating throughout. The first bite is savory and herbal — the chipile's flavor is distinctive, earthy and slightly bitter-green, somewhere between epazote and sorrel; the pork has absorbed the herb's character. Lighter than a mole, with a fresh, verdant quality. Eaten with rice and warm tortillas.
Puerco en chipile's character depends on the chipile herb. The herb (Crotalaria species, related to chipilín) contains volatile aromatic compounds that give it an earthy, slightly bitter-green flavor profile; it is added late in cooking to preserve its delicate aromatics. The pork simmers in a light tomato-onion-garlic broth until tender (collagen denaturing into gelatin); the broth is intentionally light (not blended into a thick sauce) so the chipile's flavor remains forward. The combination of slow-cooked meat with fresh, late-added herbs is a hallmark of Mexican home cooking.
Variations
Chicken can replace the pork; the herb is sometimes paired with squash or corn; the broth's thickness varies.
On the Palate
Where Puerco en Chipile sits in the Mexican flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
6 steps · 1 hour active + 30 min waiting
- 145 min
Cut pork into chunks; brown in oil in a pot; add water to cover; simmer 45 minutes.
Watch outSimmer the pork until fork-tender — the collagen needs time to melt into gelatin before the herb goes in.
- 210 min
Char tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a comal; blend with a little water; strain.
- 35 min
Add the tomato puree to the simmering pork; season with salt and a little cumin.
- 45 min
Wash and chop chipile herb (or substitute a mix of epazote and spinach).
- 510 min
Add the chipile in the last 10 minutes of cooking so it keeps its color and aroma.
Watch outStir the chipile in only for the last ten minutes — added late it keeps its green color and earthy aroma; simmered long it goes drab and flat.
- 61 min
Simmer until pork is fully tender and broth is fragrant; serve with white rice and tortillas.
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