Wow!  Somebody flipped the “summer heat” switch to the “off” position!  I am grateful for cooler, more moderate temperatures, but it seems the change was a bit extreme!  There’s been at least a 20′ difference in temperatures from last week to this.  We knew rain was coming, so we scrambled to get the last of the garden clean-up / harvesting / fall planting done.  I ended up with a fair amount of peppers and tomatillos, which, along with the cool, rainy weekend, inspired me to make this dish.  We added a few more tomatillos, poblano peppers, garlic and onion from the farmers market, and we were set.

For the Pork Chili Verde (this makes a lot, we froze half)

for the tomatillo pepper slurry

8 poblano peppers

12-15 fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed, stem removed

2 large white onions, peeled and quartered

8 cloves of garlic, peeled

8-10 assorted peppers – jalapeno, Fresno, Serrano, based on your taste and desired heat level!

Heat your oven to 500′.  Place all the peppers, tomatillos, quartered onions, and garlic on a sheet pan.  Roast the vegetables until they begin to brown and are softened.  This will take about 25 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from the roasted peppers.  Place all of the roasted veggies and any juice from the roasting pan,  in the large bowl of your food processor and pulse until smooth.

for the meat

4 pounds lean pork cut into 1″ cubes (I used boneless, thick cut pork loin chops)

flour, salt and pepper for dredging

neutral, high heat oil for browning

1 large, sweet onion, diced

1 can/bottle beer – an ale of your choice

2 cups fresh or frozen chopped Hatch green chili (I bought a ton directly from Hatch in August.  Canned chili ok, but not as flavorful.)

2-4 cups of chicken stock

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons of cumin

Avocado slices, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, cooked rice, charred tortillas, sour cream and shredded cheese for serving.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil.  Place 1 cup of flour, one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of pepper in a zip lock bag.  Dredge the cubed pork, in small batches and add to the hot oil.  Do not crowd the pan.  Turn the pork to ensure all sides are browned evenly.  Repeat this process until all the meat is browned, adding additional oil as needed.

In the same pan, sauté the chopped onion until golden, scraping up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.  Deglaze the pan with the beer.  Let simmer 5 minutes.  Add the meat back to the pan, then the pureed veggies, and the chopped green chili, cilantro and cumin.  If too thick, add a cup or two of the chicken stock.  Stir well, cover and simmer over low heat, about 6 hours.  Stir frequently and adjust the salt as needed, also adding additional stock if needed.

I also made a batch of black beans to serve along side, and a delicious, but non instagram worthy,  apple pie for dessert.  Ahh fall!  I wish you could have all smelled the kitchen.

To plate, place a scoop of rice on a plate or bowl.  Add a serving of stew.  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro and green onions.  I served black beans and charred tortillas along side.

I really hope you’ll give this recipe a try.  It’s one of our favorites.  Great left over and freezes well too.

Have a wonderful evening, and thanks for stopping by.

Laura