Pork Chile Verde with Red Chile Salsa

So D and I went to a Hatch Chile Festival earlier in the month. We ended up buying some bags of chiles.  And we found a beef chile and a pork chile.  So this is the pork chile.

The verde part of the chile was really good.  The Red Chile Salsa...well that part was just odd.  It was made with honey.  On the front of your mouth you got a sweet, but when swallowed it was a bland flavor of nothing.  The salsa was kind of gross on its own.  However, if you stirred it into the green chile chili, then it was good.

I'm not really sure if we would have again.  We have a Homesick Texan Green Chili that we both enjoyed better.  Still this was different, and I'm glad we tried it.

Pork Chile Verde with Red Chile Salsa

Photo by ALB

From BON APPÉTIT
YIELD:  13 1 Cup servings

ACTIVE TIME: 1 hour
TOTAL TIME: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
3 cups (or more) chicken broth, divided
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, cut into 1/2-inch wedges, divided
1 bunch green onions, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh cilantro with tender stems
Olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 4- to 4 1/2-pound pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3/4 cup diced roasted peeled seeded mild green chiles (such as Hatch or Anaheim)
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 pound yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes chopped
Fresh cilantro
Red chile salsa (below)

Preparation
Puree 2 cups chicken broth, 1/4 of tomatillos, green onions, cilantro with stems, and garlic in blender. Set salsa verde aside.

Brush heavy large pot with oil; heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add pork to pot; cook until browned, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot (add oil if needed).

Add onion to pot; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle cumin seeds over; cook until onion is golden and cumin is toasted, about 2 minutes. Add remaining tomatillos; cook until tender and browned in spots, stirring occasionally and reducing heat to medium if browning too quickly, about 8 minutes. Return pork and any juices to pot. Add 2 cups reserved salsa verde, 1 cup broth, chiles, and oregano.

Cover; simmer over medium-low heat until pork is tender, about 2 hours.

Add potatoes to pork. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining salsa verde; bring to simmer. Thin with additional broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide chile verde among bowls. Top with cilantro and dollop of red chile salsa.

Red Chile Salsa

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 2-ounce package dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, coarsely torn
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation
Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chiles; fry until fragrant and chiles turn light orange, stirring often, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to plate; cool. Heat same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup water; remove from heat.

Puree chiles, garlic-water mixture, honey, and cinnamon in blender, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if too thick. Transfer to bowl. Season with salt.