New Mexican Green Chile with Pork Recipe
An Easy Chili Recipe for an Old-Fashioned Favorite from New Mexico
Oct 31, 2009
For many people from New Mexico, a bowl of chili means a bowl of chile verde. The incredibly simple stew is made up of just fresh green chili peppers stewed in broth with chunks of pork and a little garlic.
The lean, mild meat goes perfectly with the sharp, slightly astringent quality of the chili peppers. The chilies, in turn, gain in flavor from being quickly roasting before they're added to the pot.
Picking the Right Chilies for Chile Verde
The authentic recipe New Mexican pork chile verde calls for New Mexican long green chilies, which are not too spicy and not too mild—though their heat level will vary depending on where they were grown and the particular strain of chili pepper. Within New Mexico, such chilies are often called Hatch chilies, after a top growing area. Or they're just called long green chilies.
Outside of New Mexico, the most commonly labeled similar variety is the Anaheim chili. It makes an awesome pot of green chili. But New Mexican diehards will swear that they results are not the same.
How to Roast Green Chilies
It's easy to roast the fresh green chilies before making the green chile stew. And the results will be all the more flavorful for the simple efforts:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Spread the whole chilies in a shallow baking dish or on a baking sheet with a rim.
- Roast the chilies in the oven until their tops are blackened and blistered.
- Turn the chilies over and continue roasting until they are evenly blackened. Total roasting time will be 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the chilies from the oven and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel. When the chilies are cool enough to hand, peel off the blistered skins and pull out the stems. Slit open the chilies and pull out the seeds and membranes.
- Afterwards, wash hands thoroughly with lots of warm, soapy water. Take care not to touch eyes or other sensitive areas, as residue of the oils from the chilies can cause a burning sensation.
New Mexican Green Chile
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1-by-1/2-inch chnks
- Salt
- White pepper
- 4 medium-size garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 20 fresh long green chilies, roasted, stemmed, and peeled (see above), seeds left in, chilies coarsely chopped
- 3 cups good-quality canned chicken broth
- Steamed rice, for serving
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions:
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 5 minutes.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the pork to drain on paper towels. Carefully pour off half the fat from the pot.
- Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the garlic. As soon as it it starts to sizzle, return the pork to the pot and add the chilies, broth, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and simmer, stirring occasionally to break up the chilies, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick, about 1 hour.
- Serve the chile verde over steamed rice, garnished with cilantro.
The New Mexican green chile is also delicious served with warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Ice-cold beer makes the perfect beverage.
Looking for more great chili recipes? Check out Steak Chili, Chicken Breast White Bean Chili, or Chili Dog Chili.
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