Chili Verde Con Cerdo (Pork Green Chili) for Memorial Day
May 30, 2017 8:02:26 GMT -5
BBQ Butcher likes this
Post by gracoman on May 30, 2017 8:02:26 GMT -5
A few highlights
Blackening some poblanos
Giving some country style ribs a bit of color
All ingredients in the pot for a long simmer over live coals
How it turned out
Chili Verde Con Cerdo (Pork Green Chili)
Now there are a bazillion ways to make this and I make it differently every time but there are a few rules, to my mind, and they mostly pertain to ingredients.
Rule #1: Do not stoop to using canned or jarred green chili sauces or, for heaven sakes, green enchilada sauce as a base.
Rule #2: Always roast fresh chiles over high temps to blacken them. Let them steam and remove the skins.
Rule #3: Onions. See rule #2.
Rule #4: Garlic. You can’t have to much garlic. Especially when roasted.
Rule #5: Pork. Use a bone in pork butt.
Rule #5: Let the finished chili rest in the fridge for a day or two, or three. It will improve so let it.
The stuff:
4 −5lbs of pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes. Feel free to substitute smoked pork butt for this. It will only be better.
5 or 6 poblano peppers
2 Anaheim peppers
4-20 serrano peppers. Chiles are funny. How hot they are depends upon the batch. Generally, use 4 for mild. 10 for a decent kick. The more you use the hotter it will be.
4-20 jalapeno peppers. 4 for mild. 10 for a decent kick. The more the merrier.
About a pound of tomatillos. Around 8. Depends upon their size. This will translate into 2-3 cans if you gotta use canned.
2 large white onions sliced into thirds
1−2 heads of garlic
3-4 tablespoons of cumin
2 tablespoons of Mexican oregano
1 cup of chopped cilantro divided
2 cups of chicken broth. Make one of those beef broth if you like.
1 cup of dark beer
1/4 cup of masa harina
Salt, white and black pepper to taste. Lots of freshly ground pepper is good.
Oil or lard for frying unless of course you are using up some smoked pork butt.
The particulars:
Remove the husks from the tomatillos, if you are using fresh, and give them and all of the chilies, and onions a good roasting directly over the fire. Turn them occasionally so the skins all blacken. If you are using canned tomatillos, skip the roasting. They don’t need it. While all of this chili roasting is going on, you should have a head or two of garlic roasting away on the indirect side cause you’re going to need lots of garlic. Put the blackened chilies, tomatillos, and onions in a large glass bowl, cover it up, and let that stuff steam for 20 minutes or so.
If your going to fry the pork, now’s the time. Cut it into 1”cubes, and add to a hot dutch oven with some sort of fat in it. You’ll have to do this in batches. Don’t forget the bone. Put a good caramelization on all sides of the pork.
Peel those lovely chiles. You may want to use gloves for the serranos and jalapenos. Throw the skins, stems, and seeds from the anaheims and poblanos out. Likewise, throw the skins and stems from the serranos and jalapenos away but I’d keep the seeds and veins if I were me. And I am.
Chop the chiles, onions, and tomatillos into chunks and add to a blender with some of that roasted garlic you’ve been dreaming about. Now let ‘er rip. Once again, you’ll have to do this in batches. Add some chicken broth to make the purée easier. It’s going to get awfully thick if you don’t.
Throw the caramelized pork, the chopped or puréed veggies, chicken stock, dark beer, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of Mexican oregano, and ½ cup chopped cilantro all into the dutch oven you fried the pork in. Let that simmer for an hour or so. Don’t forget the bone.
It’s been an hour or so, so add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of cumin, and the other tablespoon of Mexican oregano. Let that simmer for another hour or so.
Now that another hour has gone by, throw in the other half cup of chopped cilantro. Add black and white pepper.
Mix the masa harina with some of the chili sauce and mix it into a paste. Add this paste, a little at a time while stirring. It will thicken the chili a bit and add a bit of corn flavor. Let this simmer for 30 − 45 minutes. Skim off whatever fat has formed at the top, let it cool, remove that pesky bone, pack it up and leave it in the fridge for a couple of days.
Oh, and that leave it in the fridge for 2 or 3 days thing? Do it!
BONUS PINEAPPLE HABANERO HOT SAUCE.
This stuff is hot. It was a spicy Memorial Day
Blackening some poblanos
Giving some country style ribs a bit of color
All ingredients in the pot for a long simmer over live coals
How it turned out
Chili Verde Con Cerdo (Pork Green Chili)
Now there are a bazillion ways to make this and I make it differently every time but there are a few rules, to my mind, and they mostly pertain to ingredients.
Rule #1: Do not stoop to using canned or jarred green chili sauces or, for heaven sakes, green enchilada sauce as a base.
Rule #2: Always roast fresh chiles over high temps to blacken them. Let them steam and remove the skins.
Rule #3: Onions. See rule #2.
Rule #4: Garlic. You can’t have to much garlic. Especially when roasted.
Rule #5: Pork. Use a bone in pork butt.
Rule #5: Let the finished chili rest in the fridge for a day or two, or three. It will improve so let it.
The stuff:
4 −5lbs of pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes. Feel free to substitute smoked pork butt for this. It will only be better.
5 or 6 poblano peppers
2 Anaheim peppers
4-20 serrano peppers. Chiles are funny. How hot they are depends upon the batch. Generally, use 4 for mild. 10 for a decent kick. The more you use the hotter it will be.
4-20 jalapeno peppers. 4 for mild. 10 for a decent kick. The more the merrier.
About a pound of tomatillos. Around 8. Depends upon their size. This will translate into 2-3 cans if you gotta use canned.
2 large white onions sliced into thirds
1−2 heads of garlic
3-4 tablespoons of cumin
2 tablespoons of Mexican oregano
1 cup of chopped cilantro divided
2 cups of chicken broth. Make one of those beef broth if you like.
1 cup of dark beer
1/4 cup of masa harina
Salt, white and black pepper to taste. Lots of freshly ground pepper is good.
Oil or lard for frying unless of course you are using up some smoked pork butt.
The particulars:
Remove the husks from the tomatillos, if you are using fresh, and give them and all of the chilies, and onions a good roasting directly over the fire. Turn them occasionally so the skins all blacken. If you are using canned tomatillos, skip the roasting. They don’t need it. While all of this chili roasting is going on, you should have a head or two of garlic roasting away on the indirect side cause you’re going to need lots of garlic. Put the blackened chilies, tomatillos, and onions in a large glass bowl, cover it up, and let that stuff steam for 20 minutes or so.
If your going to fry the pork, now’s the time. Cut it into 1”cubes, and add to a hot dutch oven with some sort of fat in it. You’ll have to do this in batches. Don’t forget the bone. Put a good caramelization on all sides of the pork.
Peel those lovely chiles. You may want to use gloves for the serranos and jalapenos. Throw the skins, stems, and seeds from the anaheims and poblanos out. Likewise, throw the skins and stems from the serranos and jalapenos away but I’d keep the seeds and veins if I were me. And I am.
Chop the chiles, onions, and tomatillos into chunks and add to a blender with some of that roasted garlic you’ve been dreaming about. Now let ‘er rip. Once again, you’ll have to do this in batches. Add some chicken broth to make the purée easier. It’s going to get awfully thick if you don’t.
Throw the caramelized pork, the chopped or puréed veggies, chicken stock, dark beer, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of Mexican oregano, and ½ cup chopped cilantro all into the dutch oven you fried the pork in. Let that simmer for an hour or so. Don’t forget the bone.
It’s been an hour or so, so add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of cumin, and the other tablespoon of Mexican oregano. Let that simmer for another hour or so.
Now that another hour has gone by, throw in the other half cup of chopped cilantro. Add black and white pepper.
Mix the masa harina with some of the chili sauce and mix it into a paste. Add this paste, a little at a time while stirring. It will thicken the chili a bit and add a bit of corn flavor. Let this simmer for 30 − 45 minutes. Skim off whatever fat has formed at the top, let it cool, remove that pesky bone, pack it up and leave it in the fridge for a couple of days.
Oh, and that leave it in the fridge for 2 or 3 days thing? Do it!
BONUS PINEAPPLE HABANERO HOT SAUCE.
This stuff is hot. It was a spicy Memorial Day