New Mexico Green Chili Stew
Description
This dish is an interesting fusion of both Old and New World ingredients - pigs were brought to the Americas by the Spanish, while chile peppers were cultivated in the Americas prior to European contact. Green chili stew is very popular in both the states of Colorado and New Mexico, with some slight variations existing in the preparation. The most popular type of meat for this is pork, although lamb, beef and other cuts of meat can be used. This stew is famously made with Hatch green chiles, which originate from the village of Hatch New Mexico.
Ingredients
1 lb pork shoulder, cut into cubes
3 hatch or anaheim chiles
¼ medium onion, diced fine
½ tsp cumin (3 g)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp vegetable oil or lard (5 ml)
1 tsp flour (6 g)
1 cup chicken stock (240 ml)
Salt & pepper
Preparation
Season the pork with salt & pepper. Heat a pot over high heat and add the oil. Fry the meat until well browned, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pot.
Roast the peppers under a broiler for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the skin is charred. Place in a container and cover for 15 minutes. Then, peel the skin off of the peppers and remove the stems and seeds. Chop the pepper into small pieces.
In the same pot that the pork was cooked in, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion & garlic. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft, and make sure to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a spoon. Then stir in the flour. Cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the chicken stock, cumin and the peppers. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. If the stew gets too dry, add additional water or stock. Adjust for seasoning with salt & pepper. Serve in a bowl along with a flour tortilla.
Notes
Some versions of this dish include diced potatoes - you can add these to the pot with 20 minutes of cook time left.
Some versions of this dish are made with the addition of chopped tomatoes.
Versions of this dish are also made with stew beef.