Green Chile

SoupMexican Food

Jan 15

Colorado Pork Green Chile

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A cozy Colorado staple made with pork, freshly roasted green chiles (from Pueblo) tomatoes and a rich, savory broth!

Colorado pork green chili is a staple in our state. When I moved to the Bay Area, I had no idea that I wouldn’t be able to find pork green chili (the Colorado way). Now that I’m back and can get an abundance of freshly roasted chilies here, it’s the first thing I’m cooking when the temp drops and the leaves start turning colors.

The version you see here if my true Colorado-style pork green chile. It uses roasted Colorado green chiles (from Pueblo, ideally), pork shoulder or pork butt, fresh and canned tomatoes, chicken or beef broth, lots of warm spies and a simple roux that yields a thick and hearty texture.

Note on the green chiles: I like to blend half of the green chiles and leave the other half chopped which gives the chile body while keeping some texture in tact.

Green Chile Fun Facts

There are many debates when it comes to green chile even down to the spelling of the word. Colorado pork green chile recipes often uses tomatoes which give it a redish-orange hue while New Mexico green chile involves, you guessed - chilis from New Mexico. And, they’ll mix both red and green chile together for the famous “Christmas” style version. If that’s an option, you should always opt for that. Colorado green chilis come from the area close to Pueblo in southern Colorado. And, New Mexico green chilis come from the Hatch Valley. Hence, the name Hatch green chilis.

How to find green chile

There are a wide variety of chilis to pick from and it's fun to stop by the roadside chili stands. Don't be surprised if your eyes water, your throat gets scratchy and you start to sneeze when cooking. That's how you know the chilis are spicy and have heat.

What Makes this colorado pork green chile special?

Roasted Colorado green chilis

Roasted green chilis from Colorado are the heart of the recipe. I like using Colorado green chiles when I can find them, but Hatch, Pueblo, Anaheim or a mix of roasted green chiles will all work. Roasting gives the chiles a deeper, smokier flavor that makes the whole pot taste richer.

Note: During green chili season, you can find freshly roasted green chili’s by the bag or bushel. If it’s not green chili season, you’ll have to take on the extra step of roasting them yourself. I like to do this over an open flame on the stove, a grill would work great too.

Pork shoulder or pork butt

Pork shoulder becomes tender and flavorful after a long simmer. You can cut it into chunks and let it slowly cook down until it is tender enough to shred right into the pot.

Tomatoes for Colorado-style flavor

Colorado-style green chile often has a tomato base, which gives it a warmer reddish-orange color and a slightly sweet, savory depth. This is what makes it feel different from a brighter tomatillo chile verde.

A simple roux for body

A butter-and-flour roux gives the green chile that cozy, thicker texture. It helps the broth cling to burritos, eggs, potatoes and anything else you want to smother.

How to serve Colorado Pork Green Chile

By the bowl: Serve it like stew with piping hot, fresh tortillas (or quesadillas)
Smothered over burritos: This is the classic Colorado move.
Chile Wrap: Place a whole roasted green chile inside a warm flour tortilla with a dab of butter and sprinkle of salt (if you attend the Pueblo Green Chile Festival, be sure to find the stands that serve it this way!)
Over breakfast: Spoon it over eggs, potatoes, or breakfast enchiladas.
Over fries or tots or a cheesburger: Add cheese and make green chile cheese fries.
Over rice: Serve with hot rice, a fried egg and a splash of shoyu.
With beans: Add pinto beans if you want to stretch the recipe or make it heartier.

I'm excited to share a recipe of mine that I've tinkered with over the years and love. It’s from my Auntie Jodell who lives in southern Colorado so she’s lucky to be close to an abundance of delicious green chili peppers. I still love using her hand-written recipe because it makes me feel like she’s in the kitchen next to me cooking. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 30 minutes, Total Time: 2-4 hours (lots of simmering time is recommended)

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

2 lbs pork butt or pork shoulder
Enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan
1 yellow or white onion (chopped)
5-6 garlic cloves (minced)
5-6 medium tomatillos (chopped)
3-4 tomatoes
2-3 cups of chicken broth (enough to cover meat plus a little more)
Cumin
Mexican oregano
2 Bay leafs
New Mexico green chili powder
Kosher salt and pepper
2 cups (or more) of chopped Anaheim green chilis (roasted and peeled)

Directions:

Heat up oil in a large pot or pan. Brown the pork after you’ve cut it into bite size pieces. Remove the meat and move to a separate plate. Don’t worry about cooking it all the way through because it’s going to simmer for a long time after. I fed 15 ppl with about 3 lbs of pork. It’s up to you how much you want to use depending on how meaty you like your chili.
In the same pot, saute 1 large chopped onion and 3 or more garlic cloves until soft (about 5 minutes). Add in about 5-6 peeled and chopped tomatillos. Put the meat back in the pot along with 1 tbsp of Mexican oregano, 2 tsp of New Mexico green chili powder,* 1-2 tsp of cumin and salt & pepper to taste.

*I buy most of my specialty spices from the Oaktown Spice Shop here in the Bay Area. They literally have anything you could dream of. I love, love this place!

Cover your meat mixture with chicken broth. You can also use water if you don’t have enough broth. Let this simmer for about an hour. Since the chilis we have in CA are not as spicy, I would add in some jalapeños or ghost chili pepper depending on your heat tolerance.
Take your 5-6 green chilis and roast them directly over a hot flame. This step takes a bit of time but it’s 100% worth it because 1) it’ll remove the outer pepper skin and 2) adds a rich, roasted flavor. Once you’re done roasting all of them (they should be even darker and more blistered than the picture below) let them sit for 15 minutes. Peel them after 15 minutes (if you run them under cold water it’ll help remove the skin) and chop them up.
There’s only 5 steps to this magical stew. And, you’ve made it to the end. Plop all your chilis in the pot and add in 2 bay leafs plus one more dash of salt and pepper. Let this simmer covered for 2-4 hours on super low heat. Give it a stir and taste test now and then to alter it to your liking.

Leave a comment on how you served the final product!

Pro tip: If you’re using really hot chilis, definitely buy some cooking gloves. This reduces the risk of burning everything you touch later (aka your face and eyes). I may or may not have learned that lesson from experiencing excruciating pain while I washed my face hours after cooking this.