Recipe #17: Pueblo Green Chili

Mmm….chili. I’ve come to love this stuff - the red, the white, the green - it all tastes so good! It’s not just a Sunday night Football meal anymore at our house; it’s a great dish to cook up even when football season is over and baseball season has begun. And every bite of this green chili (a first for me) was delicious (PLEASE don’t judge by the photo; I neglected to take a photo of our version, and this one was from the recipe site, which doesn’t do it any justice. You’ll just have to take my word that it tasted good).

It was fun to go on the hunt for ingredients for this dish with Matt. We browsed the Mexican markets in Kensington looking for the different types of peppers, and when we couldn’t find the exact ones, we were adventurous and just bought which ones we could find. Very daring of us, no? I haven’t found a store yet that has heard of cubanelles, as the recipe lists, so we made do with some poblanos and jalapenos. (Update: I just did a quick Google search for a cubanelle, and turns out I had one in my hands at the market on Saturday but they went by a different name. Guess I’ll have to make this one again now that I know where to get the right peppers!)

I love trying new things, and roasting peppers was certainly a first. The roasting isn’t that difficult when you use the broiler in the oven, you just have to make sure to keep rotating the peppers. Once they are blackened, remove them from the oven and let them cool in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. The steam will help in removing the skins. I wondered if this step was necessary for poblanos, but everything I read tells me it is. When I made this dish again this weekend (the first time was well over a month ago now; slow posting time, I know), instead of roasting the peppers whole, I halved and seeded them before roasting and this eliminated the need to rotate them in the oven.

Next time I make this I think I’ll try using fresh tomatillos to get that really green chili color, and for an extra bit of texture, I might add in some brown rice or barley; I think that would be kind of nice.

INGREDIENTS

8 Mira Sol chilis (or 2 poblanos and 4 cubanelles)

2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (for those who like it less spicy)

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes packed in juice

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

5 medium cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

1 pound pork shoulder or sirloin, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Salt

DIRECTIONS

ROAST chilis directly over a gas burner set on high heat or under your oven broiler until well charred on all sides (about 10-15 minutes total). Transfer to a paper bag or bowl, tightly seal the top, and let rest for 10 minutes. Peel the skins off the chilis and chop into 1/2- to 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside.

HEAT 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add peppers, tomato mixture, chicken stock, and pork. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 hours.

REMOVE lid and continue to cook without lid until liquid is reduced to half, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil and flour in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until light blond in color, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk flour mixture into simmering chili. Continue to cook until desired texture is reached. Season to taste with salt. Cooked chili will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.