Green Chili

Coworker told me to look at the Homesick Texan page for chili. So I found this one. D made it while I was napping. I don't know if it was hard or easy.

But it was good. I liked the spiciness of it. It was a build-up. Like the first bite was mild, but by the 4th bite, yeah my nose was running, and I needed some sour cream. I liked it.

Green Chili

Photo by ALB

Ingredients:
4 lbs of boneless pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lb of poblano peppers (about 5) (we used 5)
4-10 serrano peppers stems removed and sliced (used 6)
4-10 jalapeno peppers stems removed and sliced (used ??)
1 lb tomatillos cut in 1/8ths (about 6 to 8)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic
6 tablespoons of cumin
2 tablespoon of Mexican oregano (used regular)
2/3 to 1 cup of cilantro
2 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of dark beer (imperial Porter)
1/4 cup of masa harina (used corn meal)
Salt and white pepper to taste
Peanut oil, olive oil or lard for frying (didn't use)

Method:
1. Roast the poblanos in the oven at 400 degrees, until blackened, and then place in a paper bag for about 20 minutes. After this, the skins should come right off. Then dice the peeled poblanos.

2. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, fry the onion in peanut oil until cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes more. Turn off the pot.

3. In an iron skillet, lightly brown the pork on each side in lard (or the fat of your choice) for a couple of minutes and then add to the soup pot. You will probably have to do this in batches.

4. Once all the pork has been lightly browned and added to the soup pot, add two cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of dark beer. Also throw in the pot the tomatillos, 3 tablespoons of cumin, 1 tablespoon of Mexican oregano and half of your sliced jalapenos and serranos. (I varied the number of jalapenos and serranos based on heat—the more you add the hotter it will be. If you don’t want it too fiery, just stick to four of each.)

5. Turn on the stove to medium and bring chili to a boil and then turn heat down to low.
Simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.

6. After an hour, add 3 tablespoons of cumin, 1 tablespoon of Mexican oregano, 1/3 cup of cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for half an hour uncovered on low, stirring occasionally. At this point, you’ll probably notice a nice brown oil slick on the top of the pot. I skim the fat by sticking in a ladle and dragging it over the surface. This isn’t foolproof, but it gets rid of most of the fat.

7. After half an hour, throw in the rest of the green chiles in the pot and add another 1/3 cup of cilantro. Cook for another half an hour to 45 minutes.

8. In a separate dish, mix the masa harina with some of the chili liquid until a thick paste is formed. Slowly stir this into the chili until it’s well incorporate without any lumps. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Goes great with sour cream, tortillas and cilantro.

Note from Homesick Texan: As with all things savory, the spice and herb amounts are just a guide. I usually make adjustments as necessary by tasting as I cook.