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chile verde
Moving to the southwestern US has meant a whole new kind of cooking to explore. Yesterday I made this New Mexico specialty, and it was delicious--the freshness and acidity of the tomatillos works beautifully with the richness of the meat and the bite of the chiles.
The recipe below is slightly adapted from a recipe by Ari Levaux in the Alibi newspaper. It makes a big batch, but since the stew takes a long time to cook and freezes well, you might as well make lots.
Chile Verde (pork and green chile stew)
2 lb (approx 1 kilo) pork shoulder or butt (or beef chuck, or any stewing meat), cut into chunks
2 onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic powder (optional; I left it out and didn't miss it)
2 teaspoons whole cumin seed, or more to taste
1 quart chicken broth or water
2-3 bay leaves
1.5-2 lb assorted green chiles (e.g. poblano, jalapeno, serrano) and green bell peppers (capsicum), chopped (or crumbled if dried)
2 lb tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
1 bunch cilantro (aka fresh coriander)
4 garlic cloves
A word on the chiles--the type and proportion depends on how hot you like your food. Also, be aware that two chiles of the same type can vary enormously in hotness, so taste as you go. Since my housemate doesn't like very spicy food, I used two bell peppers and about 6 poblanos, some roasted and skinned and some fresh (depending on where you live, poblanos may erroneously be labelled "pasilla." Poblanos are largeish, medium-dark green with a pointy end, whereas the real pasilla chile is a dried chilaca and is long and thin). The result was very mild. You can also add in dried chiles, both green ones like anchos and mulatos and red ones such as chipotles, but too many red chiles may change the color of the dish.
In a large pot, brown the meat in batches. Set the meat aside and cook the onions and cumin seed until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, then return the meat to the pot and add the stock or water and bay leaves. You may need more than a quart--the meat should be nearly covered. Simmer for 30 minutes or so.
Add the chiles and simmer for a couple of hours. Add more water or stock as needed to keep the stew from getting too dry.
Cut the tomatillos in half and grind them in a food processor along with the cilantro and garlic until fairly smooth but not pureed. Add to the stew and simmer until the meat is tender (probably another couple of hours, depending on the meat). If you don't have a food processor or blender, I think chopping these ingredients by hand would work fine.
Serve with tortillas or rice, some sour cream to dollop on top, and additional fresh cilantro if desired.
Variation: According to Ari Levaux, this dish can be made vegetarian by substituting beans, summer squash, potatoes, and/or corn for the meat. Obviously in that case you wouldn't cook it so long.
The recipe below is slightly adapted from a recipe by Ari Levaux in the Alibi newspaper. It makes a big batch, but since the stew takes a long time to cook and freezes well, you might as well make lots.
Chile Verde (pork and green chile stew)
2 lb (approx 1 kilo) pork shoulder or butt (or beef chuck, or any stewing meat), cut into chunks
2 onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic powder (optional; I left it out and didn't miss it)
2 teaspoons whole cumin seed, or more to taste
1 quart chicken broth or water
2-3 bay leaves
1.5-2 lb assorted green chiles (e.g. poblano, jalapeno, serrano) and green bell peppers (capsicum), chopped (or crumbled if dried)
2 lb tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
1 bunch cilantro (aka fresh coriander)
4 garlic cloves
A word on the chiles--the type and proportion depends on how hot you like your food. Also, be aware that two chiles of the same type can vary enormously in hotness, so taste as you go. Since my housemate doesn't like very spicy food, I used two bell peppers and about 6 poblanos, some roasted and skinned and some fresh (depending on where you live, poblanos may erroneously be labelled "pasilla." Poblanos are largeish, medium-dark green with a pointy end, whereas the real pasilla chile is a dried chilaca and is long and thin). The result was very mild. You can also add in dried chiles, both green ones like anchos and mulatos and red ones such as chipotles, but too many red chiles may change the color of the dish.
In a large pot, brown the meat in batches. Set the meat aside and cook the onions and cumin seed until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, then return the meat to the pot and add the stock or water and bay leaves. You may need more than a quart--the meat should be nearly covered. Simmer for 30 minutes or so.
Add the chiles and simmer for a couple of hours. Add more water or stock as needed to keep the stew from getting too dry.
Cut the tomatillos in half and grind them in a food processor along with the cilantro and garlic until fairly smooth but not pureed. Add to the stew and simmer until the meat is tender (probably another couple of hours, depending on the meat). If you don't have a food processor or blender, I think chopping these ingredients by hand would work fine.
Serve with tortillas or rice, some sour cream to dollop on top, and additional fresh cilantro if desired.
Variation: According to Ari Levaux, this dish can be made vegetarian by substituting beans, summer squash, potatoes, and/or corn for the meat. Obviously in that case you wouldn't cook it so long.
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This recipe looks awesome -- I'm definitely going to keep it on hand for the next time I need something spicy this winter. Usually I just make chili, but this looks delicious.
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