May 26, 2020 Plume Ridge Bottle Shop

Chili Verde

With so many of us spending more time at home these days, comfort foods go a long way. As much as we love traditional chili, we also adore this Chili Verde. There's so many great ways to serve this zesty slow cooked dish that it is easy to serve a family or reserve as leftovers. This recipe has plenty of delicious chiles for flavor while making it simple to adjust the level of spicy hot or mild that you desire.

We're lucky to live in a place where tomatillos are not hard to come by at most markets. They have a unique and delightful tartness that compliments the lovely roasted chili flavors and richness of the meat. Serve this chili overtop a pantry staple like rice or lentils. We hope that you love this dish as much as we do.

Recipe Ingredients:

2 ½-3lb Pork Butt (cut into 2"cubes)
3-4 Poblano Chiles
2-3 Jalapeno Chiles
10 firm Tomatillos
3 large Cloves of Garlic
1 large White Onion
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds (toasted)
1 tbsp Whole Coriander Seed (toasted and crushed)
1 16oz can of Amber or Dark Beer (Tecate or of your choice)
2 cups Chicken Stock
Juice of 2 Limes and their Zest
1 handful of chopped Cilantro
1/4 cup Cotija or Feta cheese (sprinkle)
1 tbsp Olive Oils
Salt & Pepper to taste
Top with Pickled Red Onion

Cooking Instructions: Makes about 6 servings

Pre-heat your oven to 400°F and remove the beer from the fridge to allow it to come to room temperature.
Prepare the Vegetables: Husk and clean the tomatillos, roughly chop the cilantro and dice the onion and garlic.
Brown the Meat: In a large heavy soup pot or enameled crock pot, brown the butt in batches. Remove the meat and set aside, saving the drippings.
Roast the Chilies: Place the Poblano and Jalapeño chilies over the stove burner to char them, roasting on both sides. This method is quicker than oven roasting and the Chiles will be more firm and much easier to handle when removing the charred flesh if it can safely be done in your home.
Toss the tomatillos in 1 tbsp of olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Place them on a foil lined baking sheet or better yet, a Marie Calendar's pie tin you have lying around, then put in the oven. The tomatillos should take about 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown and starting to release their juices.
After you've charred the peppers, put them in a large bowl and cover with a plate and to allow them to steam till they are cool enough to handle. Just as you would scale a fish, lightly scrape the chiles with your favorite knife. The burnt bits should scrape off easily. The chili does not need to be perfectly clean. Remove the seeds and stem from the pasillas. For a mild chili, remove the seeds from the jalapeños as well. Dice the peppers.
Add the diced onion and garlic to the same pot used to brown the pork. Sauteé them just until they release their aromatics and add the diced peppers at this time.
Once the veggies are softened, add the browned pork back into the pot and mixing well to incorporate. At this time, also add the beer which should be at room temperature. Stir well and bring to a soft boil on a medium high flame.
Remove the tomatillos from oven and slide them into the pot, juices and all.
Add the Seeds: whole toasted cumin and crushed coriander. Let the mixture boil softly, stirring every few mins. This step will break up the tomatillos and blend everything together. Here's how to toast and grind spices for your pantry.
Once the pot is softly boiling, bring it down to a simmer while stirring. When the mixture starts to reduce from the simmering, taste for salt, pepper, heat and spices. Make any desired adjustments, cover the pot and let it simmer for 2-2½ hrs. This long simmer time will allow the flavors to harmonize. Check the pot every 30 minutes to see if you may need to add more stock or beer, it's up to you.
When you feel the pot is ready, turn off the heat and zest your lime or lime, and adding the lime juice and cilantro.
Add your cheese to the dish after plating. Serve over cilantro rice or even tortilla chips. I LOVE it topped with a dollop of sour cream. Have Fun with it. There's so many ways it can be served.