Colorado Green Chili

Ingredients:

  • 12 cups of chicken broth
  • 4 cups of beef broth
  • 2 heads of garlic cloves, minced or 2 tablespoons of garlic powder
  • 2 large yellow onions, diced or 1/2 a cup of dried chopped onion
  • 3 roasted Serrano peppers (optional depending on desired level of heat)
  • 8 to 10 roasted tomatillos, skins removed (Canned will work also but be certain to drain it.)
  • 12  roasted green chilies, skins removed, or 1 27 ounce can of Hatch green chilies or 7 of the 4 ounce cans of any brand of green chilies. Always try for fresh roasted of you have that option.
  • 2 lbs of pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon of cumin powder
  • 6 tablespoons of flour (cornstarch is OK but it's not traditional)
  • 6 tablespoons of water

To start off you are going to need some fresh green chilies. They are commonly labeled Anaheim (if you are lucky you will find fresh Hatch or Pueblo chili peppers) in many grocery stores in America. Most in commercial grocery stores are mild, and I would choose mild for this recipe, although certain years the chilies are hotter than other years, a factor that depends on the weather and drought conditions. If you can't find fresh green chilies, you can use canned green chilies which are commonly found on any Mexican food isle, there are several manufacturers of canned green chilies, I would definitely choose the Hatch brand if fresh can't be found. Frozen may also be an option, but I have only seen frozen in local grocery stores in Colorado and New Mexico.

If you are lucky enough to spot a guy with a chili roaster that is definitely your cue to stop and buy some rotisserie roasted chilies right off the farm, they will sell them to you in bags that can be used right away or frozen. If you can't find that guy and have a grill you can roast the chilies on your barbecue grill. You'll need a pair of tongs and you'll have to stay with them until the skins are darkened to brown and even partially blackened. After roasting put them in a brown paper bag and that paper bag into a plastic zip lock bag. Double bagging is necessary since the bottom of some paper bags will fall out. If you don't have a barbecue grill or simply want to work indoors, the chills can be broiled in the oven on HI. Spread your chilies and tomatillos onto a baking sheet. Broil them,  rotating every so often until the skins are darkened on all sides, to a deep golden to dark brownish black. Again, you will have to stay with them and watch them or they will burn. Place the roasted peppers into a paper bag and that paper bag onto a plastic zip lock bag. Once the peppers have softened and cooled their skins are easy to remove.  After they have cooled completely, scrape the skins from the chilies, cut the tops off and then cut them in half so you can remove the seeds, especially if they are hot, but I never remove all the seeds, I always leave a least a few.  If you choose to add a Serrano or two, it's a good idea to remove the seeds.  Then dice the chilies into a fairly fine dice. Take the cooled tomatillos and peel them.

Next...

Heat a deep pot to medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil, add the diced onions, saute until golden brown, to that add the cubed pork then sear and brown, by stirring the pork cubes by stirring often. After the pork is browned, add the minced garlic and cumin, stir and coat well for about two minutes. To this add the broth, the chilies, Serrano chilies, the tomatillos, and last but not least the roasted diced green chilies. Heat everything to a slow boil, then reduce the heat a bit, and let this all simmer for about an hour.  After it's been simmering it will thicken some.   Slowly add the flour/water mixture one tablespoon at a time until the pot just thickens (you may not use all 6 tablespoons), of course thickening can be a personal matter but the green chili should be medium thick, like thick tomato soup or stew.  Serve your delicacy hot, put the leftovers into smaller containers and refrigerate or freeze,  next day green chili is even better because the flavors have melded.

Burritos in Colorado come smothered or not, so do chili rellenos, if one orders their burrito smothered, it will come covered in green chili.  I like my green chili many ways but in a bowl on a chilly day is my favorite, topped with onions and/or cheese or both.   

A traditional recipe with a long history.

This is by far one of my most memorable foods growing up in Colorado. The smell of the chilies roasting over an open fire, in black rotisserie chili roasters, it was always a sight and smell to behold. I just assumed the entirety of the free world knew how wonderful it was and delighted in the joys of eating green chili on a weekly basis, like I have for the entirety my life. It wasn't until I lived a few years in Kansas and had an extended vacation in Florida, that I realized, it's only a tiny area of the world that knows about this near wonder of the culinary world, green chili.

Undoubtedly, there is some heated debate as to the origins of this delicacy, be it Colorado or New Mexico, and I don't want to touch extensively on that debate. If you have never tried true authentic Colorado Green Chili, this recipe will take you from ignorance to bliss and give you a taste of a true Southwestern delicacy.

Needless to say, the best green chili recipe around can be found right here at A Cook's Corner. Our green chili is made from a secret family recipe that has been passed down for many generations - ensuring that you get a delicious and authentic flavor every time. Our green chili is made with all natural ingredients and spices, and is cooked slowly to perfection. Whether you're looking for a flavorful addition to your favorite dish, or just a delicious bowl to warm up with on a chilly night, our Colorado green chili recipe is sure to please your taste buds and have your friends and family asking for more. Try it today and find out why A Cook's Corner has the best green chili recipe around!

 For more information on the debate: https://www.pullupyourplants.com/archive/pueblo-green-chilies


 


 

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