Since our Santa Fe getaway, there are four things we just can’t get over.
1. We wish we were still living in a city that was surrounded by mountains.
2. We wish we lived closer to that amazing dog park.
3. We wish we had cooler weather.
4. We wish we had access to more green chiles.
Since only one of the four “wishes” are within my control, I decided to do what I could for the cause. To recapture the spirit of New Mexico–and to rush the feeling of fall in South Texas, I made a pot of green chile pork stew.
As it slowly simmered away on the cooktop and filled the house with an amazing aroma, it was also the very taste of nostalgia we needed. Blistery and charred chiles, browned chunks of pork and a few chopped tomatoes make this savory stew something worth simmering over. The next day it was even better when we served it with rice. And two days later it became breakfast topped with a fried farm fresh egg.
If you’re needing a quick getaway, but don’t have time to actually “getaway,” stir up this green chile pork stew and I bet you’ll swear you’re in New Mexico.
Buen provecho!
Green Chile Pork Stew
This stew was truly simple and simply divine and that's one reason why I always like Lou Lambert's recipes. Like us, he cooks simply and lets the ingredients shine. Remember the stew is even better the next day. (NOTE: If you live in New Mexico, replace the poblano and Anaheim peppers with roatsed Hatch peppers.)
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb. heritage or all-natural pork butt fat trimmed and cut into 1" chunks
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour optional (I used rice flour, to dust the pork chunks)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 3-4 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 poblano peppers roasted, peeled seeded and chopped*
- 2 Anaheim peppers roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped*
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper roasted peeled and chopped*
- 4 tomatillos
- 4 cups homemade stock vegetable, chicken or beef
- 5 red potatoes diced
- 2 tablespoons masa harina corn flour, optional (this can be omitted if you dust the pork chunks with flour)
- Maldon salt for serving
- 1/2 cup cilantro minced, for garnish
Instructions
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Place the chunks of pork in a big bowl and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If using, sprinkle the flour over the pork and toss to coat. Heat a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat and add the olive oil. Add the pork to the pot and sear on all sides to a golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove the pork chunks and place on a platter.
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Lower the heat to medium high and add the onions, cooking until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes, just don't burn the garlic. Add the Roma tomatoes, cumin, oregano and stir well to combine.
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Add the roasted chiles and tomatillos, stock and return the pork to the pan, stir well and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook slowly for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. While cooking, stir occasionally and add a little more water if needed so the stew is always covered.
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When the pork is perfectly cooked for you, add the diced potatoes and masa harina (if using, this will thicken the gravy if you didn't previously flour the pork chunks) and stir well. Allow the stew to simmer another 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Ladle in bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, a dash of Maldon salt, eat, repeat.
Recipe Notes
To roast chiles, place washed peppers and tomatillos on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and place under the broiler on high until they blister and char. Turn and allow to blister and char on the other side. When completely charred--be aware that the tomatillos and jalapeno or serrano will blister quickly--remove from the oven and place in a glass or big bowl and cover with plastic to sweat the skins off. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Now the blistered pepper skins should come right off. Remove the stem and seeds, rinse lightly, if needed, and roughly chop.
I’ve made this before, but not with recipe. Going to give it a try and will report back! It looks so good … I can almost smell it!
Let me know how the green chile pork stew turned out for you, Brenda. It’s my favorite dish to make for a group–or for the two of us with plenty of leftovers.
Heather – please email me about permission to use your photo of green chile in a “Corazon” bowl, for a fee. Thanks. Jim Terr bluecanyon2@newmexico.com