Winter is for soups, stews, and chilis at my house. As a writer—and especially one on deadline—food prep on the weekend makes my work week much easier. Roast a chicken. Make bone broth. Make a big chili. Prep salad fixin’s for my lunches. And one of my favorite make-ahead meals—that also takes advantage of some awesome local Asheville producers—is chili verde.

Here’s how I kinda-sorta do it, more or less. (Or as my grandmother used to say as she tossed a few pinches of the nearest spice into the pot on the stove: “What do you mean how much? I don’t know how much. THIS much!!”)

Pork butt, 3-4 lbs.. I use local farmers Hickory Nut Gap out of Fairview, NC.
1 16 oz. jar of salsa verde from Smoking J’s Fiery Foods, another local favorite.
4 cans Hatch diced green chiles, 2 each of mild and hot.
1 head garlic, chopped. (Yes, “head.” I sometimes use even more. Spice it up! It’s good for you!)
1 yellow onion, chopped.
1 cup or so broth. I make my own bone broth, but any chicken broth will do.
Olive oil. Cumin (I use 1 TBSP, then taste.) Oregano (I use at least 2 TBSP, but that’s me.) Salt, pepper…to taste, of course.
Wanna kick things up? Add a half cup sliced jalapeños.

My favorite—easy— way to do this is in a pressure cooker: (But a slow cooker is also fine.)

Salt and pepper the pork.
Cover the bottom of the pressure cooker in oil, and sauté the pork until brown on the outside. You can also brown in a pan if you must. Doing everything in one pot—pressure, slow cooker, whatever—means you keep all the juices and fat. LOTS of fat. Why keep the fat? Fat is tasty. That’s why.
Dump in everything else. No need for ceremony or any particular order.
Pressure cook on low for 3 1/2 hours. Let steam release naturally. OR, slow cook on high for at least six hours.

The meat should come apart very easily with only a fork. If the pork was particularly fatty, you may wish to spoon off some of the fat at this stage OR, refrigerate and scrape it off once it solidifies.

Serve over rice. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, or whatever else floats your culinary boat. Add sharp cheddar and mix it up for a tasty, warm tortilla chip dip.