Pork and Pickled Jalapeño Chili Recipe

Pickled Chili Peppers Make This Easy Pork Chili Hot and Tangy

© Norman Kolpas

Dec 26, 2008

Yes, the name of the recipe sounds like a variation on the classic tongue twister about Peter Piper.

But there’s no need to buy a peck of pickled peppers to make this easy meat chili. All it requires is six pickled jalapeños, which can be found in jars or can in many well-stocked supermarkets.

Beyond that, the most out-of-the-ordinary ingredient is tomatillos, the green, tomato-like vegetable-fruit popular in Mexican kitchens. Look for tomatillos fresh in the produce aisle, peeling off the papery brown dried husks that cover them; or head for the Mexican foods section, where canned tomatillos are usually found.

The tart tomatillos and the tangy pickled peppers join forces to give a delicious, complex, not-too-spicy flavor to the chunks of boneless pork loin that simmer with them. Since pork loin is already pretty tender, just an hour or so of simmering is necessary after all the ingredients have been combined.

Pork Chili Recipe with Pickled Jalapeños

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 pound boneless pork loin, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt
• White pepper
• 4 medium-sized garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 cups good-quality canned chicken broth
• 2 pounds tomatillos, coarsely chopped (including liquid if canned)
• 6 whole pickled jalapeño chili peppers, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over high heat. When the oil is hot enough to swirl easily in the pan, lightly season the pork cubes with salt and white pepper and, working in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan, lightly sear the pork, 1 to 2 minutes per side. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pork cubes to a bowl and set aside.
2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and onion to the saucepan and sauté, stirring continuously, until they begin to soften and turn fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the cumin and coriander to the pan and sauté them, stirring continuously, until they are fragrant, darken slightly in color, and coat the onions and garlic, 1 to 2 minutes more.
4. Add the chicken broth, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a boil, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits.
5. Return the pork to the pan, along with any juices that have collected in the bowl. Stir in the tomatillos, pickled jalapeños, oregano, basil, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender and the sauce is thick but still fluid, about 1 hour.
6. Before serving, discard the bay leaf. Stir in the cilantro and adjust the seasonings to taste with salt and white pepper.

Serve the chili with white rice to soak up the delicious juices and temper the heat from the jalapeños. A dollop of sour cream makes a nice complement to each serving, too.

Looking for more great chili recipes? Check out Shredded Beef Chili, Chicken Breast White Bean Chili, or Hearty Ground Turkey Chili!

Jalapeño chilies.

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