January 11, 2009

Sunday Surf - A Green Chile Recipe

Actually, I didn't surf anywhere on the web to find this recipe. I got it from the wife of a guy that I used to work with and who is an excellent cook. In case you have no idea what green chile is or how it's different from the kind of chili that usually has beans in it (red chili and actually it can be made with or without beans), or you only know of Cincinnati style chili (that's a whole 'nother blog post), let me explain. Green chile is made from green chile. No duh, huh!?! Okay, see here in the west/southwest we love the stuff. We eat it smothered over burrito's or by the bowl or on huevo's ranchero's...HUH???


I'd never heard of green chile either, before I moved to Colorado, but now I'm addicted. I was born in Texas and they don't do green chile that much and then I moved a lot, but not in the southwest and mostly in Ohio. No green chile there. Anyway, in the southwest, like New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona green chile comes in a variety of ways. I prefer the most common way since it's the most versitile, and frankly it's focused on the green chile and not a bunch of added ingredients.


This recipe was originally made for either a really large family or for a party. I've put in parentheses what I do instead for a smaller amount to serve a family for one meal or a single person for a few meals (basically in parentheses I cut this recipe down to roughly 1/4 of the amount of ingredients and it still lasts for several meals).


2 to 4 lbs. cubed pork (I use between 8 to 10 oz.)

2 Tbs or so of Olive Oil ( use 1 Tbs)

3 to 4 cloves of garlic chopped or minced (I use 1 large clove)

10 Tbs flour browned in a skillet (I use about 3 Tbs)

10 - 12 roasted green chile peppers rough chopped (I use this same amount even for my version cause I LOVE green chile's and I mix a bunch of mild chile's with a few really hot ones, cause I'm a heat freak!)

4 - 6 cups of water OR can substitute 1 or 2 14oz cans of diced tomatoes for some of the water (I use 1 can and add enough water to bring the chili to the consistency that I want depending on what else is part of the meal...although I like it thicker like a gravy)

Salt or Garlic Salt to taste (since I use a large clove of garlic I usually just use regular salt)


Brown flour in a skillet until tan or light brown and set aside. In a large stock pot, cook pork in olive oil and season with minced garlic and salt until pork is well browned but not burned. Lower the heat to medium low, add flour and throughly coat the pork. Add green chile and stir. Mix in the tomatoes/water and bring to a light boil. Add additional salt as desired. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.


Serve it ladled over a bean burrito and garnish with cheese, lettuce, and chopped tomatoes. Or serve it in a bowl with cheese on top and tortillas. Or smother eggs with green chile and cheese...YUM! Enjoy!


PS...if you make it, pop back by and let me know what you think.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

"here in the west/southwest we love the stuff." You just made yourself right at home on that trip! And what, no wine to go with it? (Although I guess chili is really more of a beer food.)

The Gentleman said...

mmm.. sounds yummy. I love everything spicy... but just for information is it possible to made a variation with beef instead of pork?

Oh and Happy New Year since I haven't had the chance to say it before :P

TheWeyrd1 said...

Citizen...Colorado still counts as the southwest if you ask most folks around here...AND...Tex Mex is Definitely NOT southwestern food. I think a state isn't southwestern unless it's really WEST. By the way, I've been in Colorado for over 23 years, I'm almost a semi-native now! I was only in Texas until I was 4...heh.

Gentleman...um you can substitute ground turkey for the pork and it would be similar, but beef is just WRONG. And it really wouldn't taste anything like green chili. Also, despite the efforts of certain Mexican restaurants to fool people on the east coast of the US, BELL PEPPERS are NOT green chili's...so if you can't get REAL green chili's, I'd skip on this recipe because you'd be very disappointed in the lack of spicy heat!

LostInColor said...

Since your are a texan, let me point out that green chile is actually spelled with an 'e'. And the Texas type of chili is with an 'i'. So now you know! NOW that you know this, maybe we will let you be a semi-native... maybe... ;) BTW, roasted green chile is the best stuff! YUM!!! oh I need to go back and read your recipe now.

TheWeyrd1 said...

Lost...My bad. I knew that looked WRONG...lol Love the green chiles! Especially those from New Mexico. YUM indeed!

Jannie Funster said...

You are such a nice and observant of the human condition kind of person but this recipe falls upon a very bland palet (palette?) No! Palate - (duh Jannie) in me, I am afraid.

Mild salsa sent me to bed once.

xo

Anonymous said...

i'll have to make this for rita -- she loves anything that includes multiple chiles and pork. then again, she actually likes cincinnati chili. i've lived here for year's and can hardly choke the stuff down. luckily, they make a mean greek salad.

TheWeyrd1 said...

Jannie...um...WELL, you could make it with extremely mild Anaheim green chili's...they're like half a step above bell peppers which have NO heat. But if you mean bland palate like mash potatoes and white rice, then I have no suggestions...heh.

Lynt...I LOVED Cincinnati style chili. I used to work for G.D. Ritzy's for about 4 months (lived above it on High St. in Columbus across from Ohio State). They made a great 7 way chili. There was ONE out here in Denver when I first moved here, but it went out of business about 5 or 6 years ago...or maybe more... And anyway, Skyline is better on the chili dogs!

Jannie Funster said...

Yeah - mild mild ones - cool!