Colorado Pork Green Chili

SoupMexican Food

Jan 15

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 abdunance of hatch or Anaheim chilis here, it’s the first thing I cook when fall starts to roll in.

There are many debates when it comes to green chili even down to the spelling of the word. Colorado pork green chili recipes often uses tomatoes which give it a redish orange hue while New Mexico green chili involves both green and red. They’ll mix both red and green chili together for the famous “Christmas” style. 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.

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.

I love to eat pork green chili in a bowl with a piping hot, fresh tortilla and eat it as stew. It's also a fabulous breakfast addition, top your eggs and potatoes with it in the morning, put it inside a breakfast burrito and on top, or make breakfast enchiladas. There’s even a Japanese way, top your bowl of hot rice with it, and pour a dash of shoyu (soy sauce) on top, optional to include a fried egg. Really, Japanese people will pair anything with rice.

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.