Chile Verde with Beans

For the beans:

1.The night before you want to make this dish, rinse and pick over your beans. Place them in a large pot and cover them with at least an inch of water. Let them sit, covered, overnight. The next day, discard the soaking liquid and rinse the beans well.

2.Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add the bacon, onions, peppers and cumin. Cook until the onions and peppers are tender.

3.Add the beans and baking soda to the pot. Add enough water to cover the beans by one inch. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Remove the jalapeno pepper halves and discard. Stir in the chicken bouillon, canned diced tomatoes with green chiles and salt. If needed, use a potato masher to smash a few of the beans to thicken. Keep warm until ready to serve.

For the chile verde:

1.Combine the flour, cumin and taco seasoning in a large bowl. Add the cubed pork and toss to coat.

2.In a large, heavy saucepot, heat 2 tablespoons of corn oil. When sizzling, add the pork in a single layer (this step will take a few batches to complete). Let the pork cook about 3 minutes until browned, then flip it over and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the browned pork from the pot and set aside. Add more oil if needed, then add the next batch of pork cubes and repeat until all the pork is browned. Return the pork and any accumulated juices back to the pot.

3.Add the salsa verde and enchilada sauce to the pot over the pork and stir to coat the meat with sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, for 2 to 3 hours, or until the pork is very tender.

4.Once the pork is tender, smash it with a potato masher until the meat is shredded. Stir well and keep warm until ready to serve.

For serving:

Place the beans in a bowl. Add the chile verde on top. Add any additional toppings. Enjoy!