Rachael's Pork Tacos with Poblanos and Raw Green Salsa

For the raw green salsa:

• 6 tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed, coarsely chopped
• Salt
• About ½ cup cilantro (a handful of tops)
• About 2 tablespoons mint leaves
• 2 serrano or jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 small or ½ medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 ripe Haas avocado
• 1 lime
• ¼-1/2 cup water, to thin sauce if necessary

For the pork tacos:

• 3 large or 4 small poblano peppers
• 4 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 2 white onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 pounds coarse ground pork (ask your butcher to grind on coarse side for you)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin (a palmful)
• 2-3 stems fresh oregano, stemmed
• 2 serrano or jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, whites and greens, finely chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 cup combined parsley and cilantro tops, chopped
• 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
• Shredded Chihuahua or Monterey jack cheese
• 12-16 corn tortillas, charred

For the salsa, place tomatillos in food processor or blender and pulse into puree. Add salt, cilantro, mint, peppers, garlic, onion, avocado, and juice of 1 lime, and combine until fairly smooth. Adjust seasoning and thin with water if too thick. Store in fridge up to 2 weeks.

For the poblanos, char them over an open flame on burners or under a hot broiler until blistered all over. Cool poblanos in covered bowl. Peel and seed the peppers, then cut into thin strips or “rajas.”

For the onions, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil. Cook the onions slowly until sweet and very soft, but not caramelized, 20-25 minutes. Add water if they begin to brown and lower heat.

For the pork, season with salt and pepper and baking soda and chill uncovered 1 hour or overnight. (This will help the pork get extra-crispy once crumbled.)

Heat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet with 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. When pan smokes, add pork and brown well, crumble, and season with cumin and oregano. To a food processor, add serrano peppers, scallions, garlic, chard, and parsley and cilantro. Pulse until smooth. Stir mixture into pork, adjust salt and pepper and add juice of 1 lime.

To serve, place cheese on hot tortilla, top with pork, poblanos, onions and a little raw salsa.