What on earth are tomatilloes?

As I stood in the produce section of my local grocery store yesterday, I realized I hadn’t quite done all my homework.  My shopping list called for a pound of tomatilloes — but I had no clue what to look for (and no mobile device to consult Wikipedia).  So I just started reading labels until I found them next to the tomatoes.

Not that they look like tomatoes.  More like Japanese lanterns giving birth to mini-Granny Smiths.

With these beauties in hand, I was able to try out a new chili verde recipe.  Toss the tomatilloes together with some pork sirloin, navy beans, hot green chilies, onions, cumin, garlic, chicken broth and chopped spinach.  Cook for six hours, and then serve with a dollop of sour cream and a cilantro garnish.  Yum!