These Are The 4 Chiles Guy Fieri Uses To Take Pork Chile Verde To The Next Level

Guy Fieri's pork chile verde isn't your average chile con carne. As you'd expect from the self-appointed mayor of Flavortown, his rendition layers together bold ingredients, including tender pork shoulder braised in a tangy tomatillo broth, but the whole thing is brought together by a formidable combination of pasilla, poblano, Anaheim, and jalapeño peppers.

Let's start with pasilla and poblano, which lay the foundation for the chile's deep flavor. Pasilla is the dried form of the chilaca pepper, and the name pasilla (meaning "little raisin") reflects its raisin-like look and flavor. It adds a smoky, earthy, and slightly fruity undertone, often described as tasting like raisins, dried fruit, or even a hint of cocoa. The spiciness is mild at 1,000–2,500 on the Scoville Heat Unit index, or SHU, which is the spicy guide for all hot peppers. It's that mild spice that stays in the background, enriching the sauce without overpowering it. Dried pasilla chiles are similar to ancho chiles, although the latter are a touch sweeter. For Fieri's chile verde, you'll need to rehydrate these chiles first.

Poblano peppers are the fresh, non-dehydrated form of ancho chiles. They contribute a deeply earthy, meaty, and slightly bitter flavor that mellows into a subtle, sweet warmth when roasted. In Fieri's recipe, he skips the roasting in favor of sauteing them. The poblano's very mild heat (1,000 to 2,000 SHU) complements the tropical tang of tomatillos without drowning them out.

Guy Fieri deepens his pork chile verde with Anaheim and jalapeño chiles, which balance and brighten the dish. Fresh Anaheim peppers bring a clean, grassy, and slightly sweeter flavor (relative to poblanos). They have a gentle warmth, scoring between 500 and 2,500 SHU for heat. Anaheim peppers are often roasted, which gives them a hint of extra sweetness and a soft texture. They act as a mild, tangy bridge between the earthier pasilla and poblano notes and the sharper edges of the jalapeño. They're arguably not as easy to find in stores, so you may want to substitute them with poblanos or sweet red and orange bell peppers.

The last peppers in Fieri's chile verde are jalapeños, which add the spark to this recipe. They bring a fresh, crisp flavor with grassy and herbal notes when green, and a sweeter, livelier heat when ripened. Typically ranging from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU, jalapeños add a small kick of heat, but bear in mind that jalapeños are still relatively mild. They're the hottest chile in this recipe, so heat fiends may want to leave the seeds in to dial up the spiciness. Jalapeño completes the quartet with Anaheim, poblano, and pasilla peppers, encompassing all the main flavor profiles for a chile verde that's both comforting and complex.