Cooking Club: Jocon De Pollo

tomatillos

🥗Healthier: green tomatoes

💰Cheaper: canned green tomatoes

Green tomatoes provide a similar tartness and texture.

jalapeños

🥗Healthier: bell peppers

💰Cheaper: banana peppers

Bell peppers offer sweetness without the heat.

chicken

🥗Healthier: turkey

💰Cheaper: chicken thighs

Turkey is leaner, while thighs are more affordable.

corn tortillas

🥗Healthier: whole wheat tortillas

💰Cheaper: store-brand tortillas

Whole wheat adds fiber, while store brands can be budget-friendly.

Put water in a pot with chicken thighs and salt to start cooking and making a chicken broth.

Cut corn tortillas into slices and soak them in water.

Wash chilies, remove tops, and cut into fairly large pieces for blending.

Take the bottoms off the scallions and chop the rest into large pieces.

Chop the whole cilantro, including most of the stems, for added flavor.

Remove the husks from tomatillos, wash them, and cut into quarters.

Check on the chicken periodically to ensure it cooks well and makes a nice broth.

Toast sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat, stirring to prevent burning until they change color and smell toasty.

Grind the toasted seeds in a clean coffee or spice grinder until they form a fine powder.

Add soaked tortillas, ground seed mixture, and all chopped veggies into a food processor and blend, drizzling in some chicken broth to achieve a saucy consistency.

Once the chicken is mostly cooked, pull it out of the water and shred it, noting that a little pink in the middle is okay since it will cook further in the sauce.

Combine shredded chicken with the ground veggie mixture and a few scoops of chicken broth in a pan, adjusting the consistency to be slightly soupier than just the chopped veggies.

Cook the mixture for about thirty minutes until it all comes together, checking for seasoning before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary