OMG! This is a recipe we got from Mike Wade. Thank you! It’s amazing! Note:it is a spicy dish, I tamed it down a lot, but it can be tamed even more and I will let you know where as we go.
About Hatch Green Chilis: Once a year, you are able to get Hatch Green Chilis from the grocery story. My dad found out when they were going to be at his store and picked up 10 lbs of them. Lucky for me, they had already roasted them and were sweating them, so I peeled them, cut the top off, cut them in half, and scraped out the veins and seeds, then put them in about 7 or 8 freezer bags, squeezed ou as much air as possible, then froze them. As I grab a large bag to unfreeze, I separate it into little bags and re-freeze them as individual chilis. They are great for flavor in many dishes like Spanish rice, chile relleno, enchiladas, burritos, or pretty much anything…
Start by preparing all your Chilis (this is the time consuming part and some can be done the day or night before). You will need about 4-5 Hatch Green Chilis (roasted, peeled, and seeded), and 3 Anaheim Chilis (roasted, peeled, and seeded). This is for the medium version. For hot, use 12 Hatch Green Chilis and 1 Serrano chili pepper. For mild use 2 Hatch Green Chilis and 6-7 Anaheim Chilis (or Pablano). In order to prepare them, roast them over the stove till they are all black and look burned. Put them in a ziploc bag sealed for 20 minutes, this is called sweating the Chilis). Using a fork to hold it, and a butter knife to peel with, gently peel the skin from the pepper (it should come away pretty easy). When working with hot peppers, remember to wear gloves and NEVER touch your eyes. After peeling, cut the top off and cut down the center to split it open. Scrape the seeds and veins out of the middle. Once cleaned up, but the pepper into the bag and work the next one.
When you are ready to cook, prepare everything else. Cut 2 lbs pork into bite size peices, dice 1 large white onion, dice 2 large tomatoes, and dice 2-3 jalepenos (or none for mild) leaving out the seeds for medium. In a blender or food processor, add the green Chilis (hatch, Anaheim, and Serrano depending on your version) and pulse till they are finely chopped.
Let’s get cooking! Start in a large pot. Melt about 1-2 tbsp butter, then add the pork. Cook a few minutes, stirring around so all sides get cooked. On low heat, add the onion, 2 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tbsp dry ground mustard, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground oregano, and 1 tbsp minced garlic. Stirring occasionally, cook over low heat till mixed well and onions are softened. When pork is cooked through and onions are soft, add diced fresh tomatoes, 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, green chili purée, and jalapeños (if you want). Continue cooking stirring occasionally. Start rinsing your rice here and grab your rice cooker if you haven’t already. Start the rice. After 5-10 minutes, 4 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally. Increase heat to a rolling boil. In a separate pan, melt 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of butter (I used unsalted). Once melted, stir in the 1/2 C flour (or masa if you can find it) creating a roux. Slowly add the roux to the chili stirring constantly till it is all mixed and heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste, and garlic powder and onion powder if you don’t taste enough of them. I just did the salt and pepper and it was great. If you add the garlic or onion powders, cook an additional 5-10 minutes to get it all worked through. Turn off the beat and let sit 5 minutes before serving.
When the rice is ready, serve it up in a bow with the chili poured over it. Yummy! Or enjoy it as a burrito filling, or just as a chili on its own. Something else I will try next time is doing the pork in the crock pot with water or broth and shredding it to add to the chili instead of chunks.
Enjoy!
365 Meal Challenge 