What's Green, Fragrant, and Consumed All Over Colorado? Chili, Of Course!

Colorado Green Chili w/ Candied Jalapeños, Tortilla Crisps, and Chipotle Pinto Crema

Surprised at the answer in the title?  You shouldn't be.  Green chili ubiquitous across the Centennial State.  What makes this chili so special?  Well, it's all about the chiles.

In Colorado, green chili (chili: the dish) means pork in a sauce made of roasted Hatch green chiles from New Mexico (chile: members of the capsicum family).  Most often, cooks look for the Hatch variety due to its unique, delicious flavor, but the same seed grown in the Mesilla Valley (south of the Hatch Valley) will not vary greatly in flavor or quality.  When in season, it's best to get these chiles roasted and freeze them.  Alas, my poor planning/Hatch chile addiction has led me to run out of my stash, so I'll be using a substitute that will prove more useful for the rest of you unprepared readers.  More information after this quick aside:

Few things are better than a burrito stuffed full of green chili

I got the idea to post this recipe because the Denver Broncos will be playing in the Super Bowl this coming week if you haven't heard.  This will be the first of three in a series of "Super Bowl Party" recipes for this week.  In the final two entries I'll be demonstrating how to show your support of the Broncos (or just plain delicious food) by making empanadas with this Colorado green chili, as well as create a Seattle Seahawks inspired dish, in the spirit of fairness.  Now, back to the chili talk...

Before the aside about the meal's inspiration, I was discussing how Colorado green chili is made with chiles from New Mexico, naturally.  While there isn't a true substitute for Hatch/New Mexico chiles, I've come up with a combination of hot chiles I'm more than pleased with.  If you actually have New Mexico chiles, a couple things of note: try to get them roasted already and know that they vary greatly in heat.  Some chiles are relatively mild, while others can be extremely hot.  Remember, you can reduce a lot of the heat by removing the white "ribs" (actually placenta) and seeds. 

One of the best things about green chili, is it's versatility.  Try it with fried eggs, on top of rice, with beans, as a dip, on top of nachos, or best of all: in a burrito... with more poured on top of the burrito.  No excuse not to try this one.  Enjoy.  

Ingredients:

Green Chile Purée

1 T oil with high smoke point (canola, grapeseed, olive oil works too)

7 small tomatillos, (7 oz/200g)

1 large lime, juiced

17 oz roasted Hatch chiles, about 6-8, skins taken off*

     

     If you don't have Hatch chiles, use:

     -4 Anaheim peppers (12 oz/340g)

     -1 poblano pepper (4 1/2 oz/ 128g)

The Rest

1 large onion, diced (weighed about 1 lb/450g)

3 large jalapeños (10 oz/300g)

2 oz Spanish chorizo, about a 3 inch piece

4 strips thick-cut bacon (4 1/2 oz/128g)

2 1/2 lb pork shoulder, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

2 t ground coriander 

1 T ground cumin

1 T fresh oreg, or 1 t dried (preferably Mexican)

2 t New Mexico chile powder**

12 fl oz low sodium chicken stock

2 bay leaves

7 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed

large handful of cilantro (about a heaping quarter cup)

salt and pepper to taste 

garnish with extra lime and cilantro, sliced green onions, or chives.

Need metric?

The chile is done when the pork shoulder is fork tender.  This could take as little as an hour, but you can cook it longer to develop the flavor further.  That is up to you.  However, don't let it go so long that the pork falls apart.

This chili stores well in the fridge or freezer and tastes better the next day, so feel free to make it ahead and heat it up over medium heat in a pot until boiling, then reduce to a simmer.  Add a little broth if the chili gets too thick. 

* I do not remove the skins after roasting if I'm using the Anaheims and poblanos.  I would recommend removing the skins if using Hatch or other New Mexico varieties.  The amount of seeds you choose to include is also up to you.  I keep the seeds in because I like it spicy.  Adjust to your liking (i.e. keep seeds in Hatch chiles, but remove them from the jalapeños)

** If you do not have this, you can skip it.  If you want to substitute it, which I recommend, try ground jalapeño, ancho chile powder, or even cayenne if you want it hotter. 

-Toss chiles (except jalapeño) and tomatillos in 1 tablespoon oil and salt.  Roast in 425 F oven for 30 minutes, giving a stir at halfway point.
-If you're roasting Hatch/New Mex chiles, then remove their skins after roasting (made easy by a half hour rest in a paper bag).  Personally, I keep the skins on the Anaheims and poblanos. Cut off tops of chiles once done roasting and puree with juice of one large lime and tomatillos.  Season this mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
-Crisp up bacon in a large pot.  Once bacon is cooked, remove and chop into bacon bits for garnish, or do what you please with it.  Keep fat in pan.
-Turn up the heat and place pork cubes in bacon fat to brown.  Add coriander and salt and coat cubes.
-Once pork is pretty much browned on all sides, add in diced onion, jalapeno, and chorizo.  Stir for a minute or so.
-Add cumin, oregano, and chile powder. Stir.
-Add chicken stock and green chile puree to deglaze, scraping the bottom of pan.
-Add in bay leaves and slightly crushed garlic cloves.
-Bring liquid to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.
-Cover almost completely with lid, and stir every 30-40 minutes until fork easily pierces pork.
-Taste for seasoning.  When happy, add roughly chopped cilantro, stir, and turn off heat.  Let chili sit, covered by lid, for five minutes while you assemble the "fixins"
-Serve with extra lime wedges and garnish with cilantro, green onions, or chives, as well as your favorite extras (salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc).  If you decide to make burritos, remember to make your own tortilla shells!

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