Smoked Pork Green Chili

I had never experienced anything like this before I moved to Denver many years ago. There aren't may restaurants that don't have some version of this on their menu, and certainly no self-respecting taco shop would be without their own"special recipe" for green chili. 

My version incorporates many of our homemade sauces and canned goods, so I will offer alternates to those, unless you want to start canning ! The real key for this version was roasted hatch chiles. We grew some on our garden, but I was also able to locate some at a local grocery store for the first time this year. They are seasonal, so I roasted as many as I could get my greedy hands on, and froze them for use later. They peel very easily after being frozen, which is a bonus when you are using this many in a dish.

I wish I had taken the picture sooner...this is the aftermath of a chili cook-off I entered with this recipe. I won for the "Most Spicy" !!

Smoked Pork Green Chili 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 medium onions, diced 

5 cloves garlic, minced 

12 roasted Hatch chiles, peeled and seeded 

3 serrano chiles 

8 cups chicken stock 

3 pounds smoked pork, shredded or diced (regular roast pork will work here) 

2 cups green enchilada sauce (my recipe, here or store bought 

      *http://eatlikethat.blogspot.com/2012/10/green-enchilada-sauce.html

2 tablespoons cumin 

1 tablespoon chili powder 

1 tablespoon dried oregano 

1 tablespoon each, salt and pepper 

2 teaspoons chipotle powder 

1/2 cup jalapeno hot sauce (Tabasco brand from the store)
1/2 cup masa or corn meal

2 cans Great Northern beans 

In a large Dutch oven, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add chiles and continue to cook until all vegetables are soft. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the beans. Adjust stock/moisture level to your tastes. Cook for approximately one hour, then stir in the beans. Simmer for at least another half hour so all flavors can combine. Serve wit your favorite garnishes, mine is this simple cilantro lime cream: 

2 cups sour cream 

1/2 cup cilantro, leaves only 

2 limes zested and juiced

1 teaspoon chipotle powder 

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.