Step 1

Roast peppers in a 450°F oven for 20–25 minutes, until the skin blisters. Place peppers in a plastic bag and close up for about 20–30 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Remove the skins and seeds from the peppers and discard. Chop the flesh and set aside.

Step 2

Season pork thoroughly with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy shallow skillet until it just begins to glisten. Add pork in small batches until all the cubes are browned on all sides. Do not crowd the pork.

Step 3

(We use a shallow skillet because a deep one would steam, rather than brown, the pork.)

Step 4

Take your time and complete this step carefully because it makes all the difference. Set pork aside; reserve 3–4 tablespoons of the rendered pork fat. Add 2 tablespoons pork fat (mo’ fat, mo’ flavor) to a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and gently sweat onions, garlic and tomatillos until all vegetables are soft. Add the remaining ingredients, including the pork, and cook until the pork is fork-tender, about 1 to 2 hours.

Step 5

45 minutes before serving, add the potatoes, cayenne pepper (if desired) and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm flour tortillas.