This is one of the first chili recipes I wrote down, mostly because I couldn’t ever find a good recipe in any of my chili books and I kept having to re-invent the dish every time I made it. Since I first penned this, chili cook-offs have started including a chili verde category, so I expect there are now more good recipes out there, but I am so pleased with this one I haven’t done more research.
It is important to have a large quantity of good fresh tomatillos for this chili. If you cannot find them, give up and revert to a red chili. There is really no substitute. If you are unfamiliar with tomatillos, they are a mexican fruit that is a cousin to the tomato (both members of the nightshade family. Yes – that nightshade family.) They look like small green tomatoes, with a papery husk. Chose firm fruit with a dry, tight fitting husk. They will last for up to a month in a paper bag in the refrigerator, so if you spot them, grab them and then start looking for an excuse to make chili.
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
6 large yellow onions, chopped coarsely
4 long green chili peppers (mild), chopped coarsely
2 jalepeño peppers, chopped finely
2 habenero peppers, chopped finely
6 large cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1 pound fresh tomatillos, chopped coarsely
1 12 oz bottle beer (dark mexican is good)
2 cups chicken broth
12 oz medium or hot green salsa with tomatillos
12 oz canned chopped green chilis (mild)
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons coarse ground corn meal
Directions
Cut up the pork
Chop the onions
Chop the peppers and combine in a bowl
Chop the garlic
Remove the tomatillos’ husks, wash and chop
Take a large chili pot or dutch oven (about 12 quarts) with a tightly fitting lid and thick bottom. Cover the bottom of the pan with oil and heat until hot.
Add pork, 2/3rds of the onions, peppers, chili powder and the cumin.
Cook on high, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned and the onions are clear. Scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing sticks and burns.
Take a large roasting or lasagne pan and cover bottom with remaining onions. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and vegetables from the chili pot to the pan.
Place the pan under the broiler and roast until the edges of the meat and onions are crispy. Watch carefully and turn frequently so nothing burns.
NOTE: it is important that everything cooks well at this stage and that there are plenty of crispy crunchy bits.
Drain the oil from the chili pot, leaving any leftover bits from the browning process. Add beer, stock, tomatillos, salsa, canned chilis, cilantro and the broiled ingredients. Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.
Using the slotted spoon, transfer the roasted ingredients back to the chili pot. Take a potato masher (or any flat bottomed implement) and mash the ingredients until the pork cubes come apart.
Simmer covered for 2-3 hours. Stir from time to time, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
After the chili has simmered for a while, thicken by adding the corn meal, stirring until well mixed. Simmer for 30 minutes more.
Taste before serving. If the chili is too hot, add sugar or fruit juice. If the chili needs extra heat, add crushed dried chili peppers (chipotle peppers are best). If too acidic, add more cornmeal. Give any adjustments at least 20 minutes to cook into the mix.
Serve with rice or tortillas!
Serves 6-8 people.
Download plain text version
Copyright Alex Cone 1990-2006, All Rights Reserved.
