By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up minorganmichael@yahoo.com
CHILI VERDE
Contrary to popular belief chilies did not originate in Mexico, they are in fact a product of the South Western area of the US, more particularly the states of Texas and Arizona and New Mexico where they were an integral part of Tex Mex cuisine.
The first chili stand was operated at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. (1)
Chili con carne is now the official dish of the US state of Texas.
Chili Verde is a moderately to extremely spicy New Mexican stew rationally made with pork, garlic, tomatillos and a variety of roasted green chilies (jalapenos, serranos or poblanos). It may also be made with chicken and can be accompanied by grated cheese, diced onions and sour cream.
This is a great dish to keep you warm on these cold winter evenings and a with all chilies it always tastes better the day after……Enjoy!
(1) wikipedia
Ingredients
Carnitas
4 – 6 pound pork butt (smaller if bone-out, larger if bone-in or chicken)
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup salt
Chili
3 tablespoons butter
3 pounds tomatillos
5 fresh jalapeños
1 large sweet onion
5 cloves garlic
2 beers
2 cups cilantro, loosely packed
juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons salt
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Season the pork with cumin, chili powder and salt, place into a heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven), cover and roast for 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, roughly chop all the vegetables, heat the butter in a large pot over high heat and sauté the vegetables with the rest of the cumin, chili powder and salt until soft (8-10 minutes). Season with salt.
- Add 2 beers, cover and let simmer for about 3 hours.
- Turn off the heat, add the cilantro and lime, then blend in the pot with an immersion blender, or in a regular blender in batches (but let it cool a little first).
- When the pork is done, allow it to cool enough to handle, take it out and use two forks to pull the meat apart into long, ropy strands. Take care to remove any large pieces of fat (or skin) and discard.
- Stir the shredded pork into the blended chili mixture, bring back to a simmer, and let cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve, garnished with sour cream and cilantro leaves, by itself or on top of rice and beans.
original recipe and image courtesy of www.foodrepublic.com
