# Restaurant green chili.How do you make it?



## Debraj (Mar 4, 2011)

I am a Mexican food fanatic and I am totally stumped.Growing up I remember big pieces of pork,chilies and tomatoes in green chili.Not anymore.Now everywhere you go all you get is an orange or pinkish color gravy devoid of any texture, but what it lacks in chunkiness it more than makes up for it in flavor. My regular green chili has always sucked for a lack of a better word.I have been trying for years to make the perfect smothered burrito.The re fried beans are another story.I have tried every recipe and technique and what they are all leaving out is their secret.
So I am hoping someone out here in D,C may know what I am looking for.
I am pretty sure the answer is in the way the pork fat is prepped and used.


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## 4meandthem (Mar 4, 2011)

I think your talking about Chile Verde.
the toms are tomatillos and green to start out with.
Good stuff with many recipes to google.
I don't have a TNT one to share!


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## spork (Mar 4, 2011)

just posting a ditto so that I get an email with any suggestions... 
New Mexico makes the best verde, and it's instantly distinctive.  I have no idea why, it's not the soil in Hatch, and I too suspect pork fat.  I will definitely try any posted recipes.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

Green Chile/Chile Verde
olive oil 
2 pounds pork shoulder blade steaks 
4 cloves garlic, chopped 
1 large onion, chopped
4 tomatillos,  diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano 
2 pounds roasted Anaheim or New Mexico chiles, peeled, seeded and chopped 
4 serrano chile peppers, diced 
3 roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and chopped 
salt to taste

Cut meat off bones and cube.  Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the bones and brown. Add two cups of water and bring to boil, cover and simmer 1 hour.  Remove from heat, discard bones, skim scum off top and pour into a large measuring cup or bowl and set aside. Heat another tablespoon of oil in Dutch oven, add the cubed pork, garlic, onion, tomatillos, cumin and oregano. Cook and stir until pork is browned. Cook and stir for a few more minutes, then pour in the pork broth. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered for about 45 minutes.  You can roast your chilies during this time, peel, seed chop and add to the stew along with the serrano peppers. If the stew becomes too dry, add a little water. When the pork is tender, add the tomatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and serve.


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## spork (Mar 5, 2011)

Thank you, PFee!
Before I try... do you think the tomatillos are critical?  I'm not a big fan of them.
I wish a market somewhere nearby roasted Anaheims daily.  Sigh, I'm a bit oven-challenged, but this I suspect is a critical ingredient.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

spork said:


> Thank you, PFee!
> Before I try... do you think the tomatillos are critical? I'm not a big fan of them.
> I wish a market somewhere nearby roasted Anaheims daily. Sigh, I'm a bit oven-challenged, but this I suspect is a critical ingredient.


 
No the tomatillos are not critical...the pork and green chiles are.  Check the freezer section in the store and see if there are frozen, roasted anaheims or if you can get Hatches green chiles, get a bunch of those, drain and chop. Enjoy, I love green chile and often shred the pork and turn it into a gravy for eggs, etc.  I would be happy with green chile for every meal.


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## CraigC (Mar 5, 2011)

I'm not a measurement fan with my green chili stew, but here goes.

Green Chili Stew

5-6 Pablano Chilis
2-3 Jalapeno or serrano chilis
6-8 Tomatillos depending on size, husks removed
Large onion, peeled, ends trimmed and quartered 
5-6 lb Boston Butt
2-3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Whole Cumin seeds
Chicken stock
Salt and Pepper

*Options*
carrots
potatoes
whole canned homeny

Preheat oven to broil (you can also do this on a grill). Place the chilis, tomatillos, onion and garlic in a single layer on an aluminun foil lined sheet pan. Broil, turning as needed to char all vegis. Remove chilis to a bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap and set aside. Transfer tomatillos to a blender along with the onions. Peel the garlic and add it to the blender.
Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet until they start "hopping" in the pan, while stirring often. Remove to cool. After they cool slightly, grind in a spice grinder. Nothing quite smells as great as freshly toasted and ground cumin! Peel and seed the pablonos and add them to the blender. Peel and seed the jalapenos/serranos and add them to the blender. Chilis tend to very in heat. Sometimes the pablanos can be pretty spicy and/or the jalapenos/serranos can be mild. Taste is your best friend to determine the heat level. Try a taste of both the chilis before you add them to the blender. Adjust to your taste! Pulse blend to a smooth consistency, add cumin, salt and pepper to taste. You may have to add chicken stock to loosen up the sauce.

You now have a version of raw Chili Verde. I use this as is to braze the butt. If you want to use as a sauce, heat a large saute pan over medium high and add some Spanish olive oil to coat the pan bottom. *CAUTION!* You are going to add the sauce to hot oil, be prepared, it is going to spatter! Once the commotion is over, you will need to stir often. The sauce will slightly darken when it's ready. Let cool and use in recipes that call for chili verde. It will freeze well.

*THE STEW *
Heat a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven to medium high heat. Trim the fat cap from the butt. Coat liberally with salt, pepper and cumin. Add canola oil to coat pan bottom. Brown on all sides and remove to a plate. Remove pot from heat and add raw chili verde. Place back over heat, add butt and any juices. Add chicken stock to bring liquid level about 3/4 way up the sides of the butt. Bring to a boil, cover reduce heat to low simmer and cook, rotating butt and adding stock as needed, until meat begins to "pull" off the bone. You can also do this in a 350 F oven. Remove from heat. Remove butt to cutting board and allow to cool enough to handle. Once cool pull the meat from the bone. Cut it into bite size pieces or shredd it, removing any fat. Reheat pot on medium high and skim fat. Add meat back to pot. You can eat it as is or add carrots, potatos or homeny in any combination you like, just mind the cooking times required i.e. carrots longest, potatos second and homeny last. Serve with warm tortillas!

Craig


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## sparrowgrass (Mar 5, 2011)

My recipe is similar Fiona's (excuse me for being so familiar, Your Highness) except I use chicken stock instead of water. I can't ever find tomatillos, and I use canned green chiles, all that is available here unless I grow my own.

You can use pork butt, cut into cubes, if that cut is available. 

Sometimes I add a can of pinto beans or hominy. Probably sacrilege, but I like it. Add some warm flour tortillas--heaven.

Now I want chile verde.


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## CWS4322 (Mar 5, 2011)

I sometimes roast my tomatillos (which, I disagree, Princess, tomatillos give salsa verde that bite that is missing if you use green tomatoes instead). Word of advice re: growing tomatillos: plant where you don't care if they take over. They are very invasive. My DH curses them every year because we always have more "volunteer" tomatillos than we want.

Here's one of the ways I make salsa verde:

~2 lb tomatillos (husked--do that under warm running water since they are sticky)
3-4 green tomatoes (I like to use Brandywines)
2-3 jalepeno peppers
1 serano pepper (I think those are the long skinny ones we grow <g>)
1-2 shallots (diced)
1/4 c fresh cilantro (or more)
1/3 c white vinegar (or less, depending on the amount of lime used)
3-6 cloves garlic
1/2 c olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lime (or more)
1 c fresh corn kernels (optional) (cooked)

Roast the tomatillos and peppers. Place the tomatillos, tomatoes, peppers, shallots, garlic, vinegar, and lime juice in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Pour into the food processor, and puree until smooth. Add chopped cilantro and corn. I usually add a bit of cumin as well. 

I make chicken enchiladas using this sauce.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> I sometimes roast my tomatillos (which, I disagree, Princess, tomatillos give salsa verde that bite that is missing if you use green tomatoes instead). Word of advice re: growing tomatillos: plant where you don't care if they take over. They are very invasive. My DH curses them every year because we always have more "volunteer" tomatillos than we want.
> 
> Here's one of the ways I make salsa verde:
> 
> ...


 
Just responding to someone who doesn't care for tomatillos...I like them.  I think if you are an adult, you should be able to not eat what you don't care for.  And leaving one ingredient out of a recipe isn't that big a deal.

Your recipe sounds great!


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## CWS4322 (Mar 5, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Just responding to someone who doesn't care for tomatillos...I like them. I think if you are an adult, you should be able to not eat what you don't care for. And leaving one ingredient out of a recipe isn't that big a deal.
> 
> Your recipe sounds great!


 
Oops, I missed that the person didn't care for tomatillos...I know they are hard to find in some places and they are STICKY. And, they do have their own unique taste...I don't eat them by themselves <g>.  I make the salsa in late summer/fall and pressure can it. I have also frozen the tomatillos to have for later. We grow tomatillos because my DH planted them one year...he treats them as if they are weeds except in one part of the garden. a very invasive plant <g>. For those who don't think they can grow anything, tomatillos are pretty care free and disease free. Any "extra" tomatillos get ground for the dogs' veggies. I really need more recipes for tomatillos other than salsa verde...now that I've got him hooked on chicken enchilladas made with salsa verde, he tolerates the tomatillos. I have a couple of other recipes from green salsa, but that one is the TNT favorite. I also dump it in chicken chili (white chili) sometimes.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> Oops, I missed that the person didn't care for tomatillos...I know they are hard to find in some places and they are STICKY. And, they do have their own unique taste...I don't eat them by themselves <g>. I make the salsa in late summer/fall and pressure can it. I have also frozen the tomatillos to have for later. We grow tomatillos because my DH planted them one year...he treats them as if they are weeds except in one part of the garden. a very invasive plant <g>. For those who don't think they can grow anything, tomatillos are pretty care free and disease free. Any "extra" tomatillos get ground for the dogs' veggies. I really need more recipes for tomatillos other than salsa verde...now that I've got him hooked on chicken enchilladas made with salsa verde, he tolerates the tomatillos. I have a couple of other recipes from green salsa, but that one is the TNT favorite. I also dump it in chicken chili (white chili) sometimes.


 
I put it on everything...if I ate ice cream I'd probably pour it on there, too!


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## Claire (Mar 5, 2011)

Oh, good grief.  I give up.  New computer.  I seem to keep posting things before I'm through typing it!  Can't open the message from a site moderator.  Oh, well.  It is a good recipe!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

Claire said:


> Oh, good grief. I give up. New computer. I seem to keep posting things before I'm through typing it! Can't open the message from a site moderator. Oh, well. It is a good recipe!


 
I just asked you to repost the recipe...it only got as far as 

"2 pounds pork but"

Oh and I offered some hugs!


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## Claire (Mar 5, 2011)

I'll try again!  Two times I managed to somehow post the first line and nothing else.  Comes from an old dog trying to learn new tricks.  I know I'm hitting a key accidentally, but as I'm a touch typer (from olden days), I have no idea what key I'm hitting.  So, try, try again!


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## Claire (Mar 5, 2011)

My Cousin Joanne's New Mexican Green Chili Stew

2 lbs pork butt
lard or cooking oil _I use bacon fat with excellent results_
1 onion, chopped
4 med potatoes, diced
4 med zucchini, grated
12 large green chillies  _I use Anaheim or poblano, a simple case of availability.  Green bell doesn't taste as good in this recipe_.  Roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 tsp garlic salt _I use several cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
_1 tsp salt _I salt to tasste
_6-7c water   _I use low sodium chicken broth

_cut meat into very small pieces - about 1/2" cubes -- brown in a little oil with the onion and potatoes in a large, deep, heavy pan.  If there's any excess fat, drain it.  ad water (broth/stock), vegetables and seasonings.

Bring to a boil, lower heat, and cook for a minimum of an hour (longer preferred).  

This is my cousin's widow's recipe.  The itallics are mine, from experience.  The long cooking will allow the squash (and that green squash on another line ... merlit-something or chayote, would do well) and peppers to meld into the sauce.

Cousin Joanne says to eat it with Navaho fry bread or sopapillas.  I don't like to deep fry, so a bowl and spoon are all I need, but any flat bread, obviously flour tortillas, would go great.  

The beige or pinkish color someone described comes from NOT using all-green vegetables.  In other words, a red pepper will change the color (and, yes, the flavor).


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## Damien (Mar 5, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> No the tomatillos are not critical...the pork and green chiles are.  Check the freezer section in the store and see if there are frozen, roasted anaheims or if you can get Hatches green chiles, get a bunch of those, drain and chop. Enjoy, I love green chile and often shred the pork and turn it into a gravy for eggs, etc.  I would be happy with green chile for every meal.


You stay away from my freezer! lol

-Damien


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

Damien said:


> You stay away from my freezer! lol
> 
> -Damien


 
Head over to Damien's he's got the frozen, roasted green chiles!!!!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 5, 2011)

Claire said:


> My Cousin Joanne's New Mexican Green Chili Stew
> 
> 2 lbs pork butt
> lard or cooking oil _I use bacon fat with excellent results_
> ...


 
Sounds wonderful, Claire! Thank you for reposting! Copied and pasted.

My favorite is putting green chili over rice.


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## taxlady (Mar 5, 2011)

When you guys type "pork butt" do you mean from the buttocks of the pig? I only recently found out that Boston butt was from the shoulder. Colour me surprised. Why the heck is it called butt?


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## Selkie (Mar 5, 2011)

In pre-revolutionary New England and into the Revolutionary War, some  pork cuts (not those highly valued, or "high on the hog," like loin and  ham) were packed into casks or barrels (also known as "butts") for  storage and shipment. The way the hog shoulder was cut in the Boston  area became known in other regions as "Boston Butt." This name stuck and  today, Boston butt is called that almost everywhere in the US,… except, so they say,  in Boston.


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## Kayelle (Mar 5, 2011)

This is the first recipe I ever posted here at DC.  It's a winner, just ask Kades.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/my-shortcut-chili-verde-63601.html


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## Claire (Mar 6, 2011)

Princess, you should move to Hawaii, where everyone always eats their chili over rice!


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## CraigC (Mar 6, 2011)

We are talking about Boston Butt.

Craig


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 6, 2011)

Claire said:


> Princess, you should move to Hawaii, where everyone always eats their chili over rice!


 
I'll put anything over rice.  Love the stuff.


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## flpaintmaster (Mar 8, 2011)

Picasa Web Albums - Tim Abbott - Green Chili S...







I couldn't figure out how to add a photo, but the link is above. 
If you don't mind a messy project, roast all the ingredients, then steam in a covered vessel.  Remove the charred skins of the chilis.  Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves from the husks.  Puree all the ingredients in a food processor & add the juice of 1 to 2 limes according to your taste & add some cilantro if you want.  This a great base for chili verde or you can put it on fried potatoes, eggs, add it to soup, put it on sliced tomatoes, put it hamburgers, etc.

Tim Abbott


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## Andy M. (Mar 8, 2011)

Some tasty looking recipes here I'm going to give it a try.


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## taxlady (Mar 8, 2011)

flpaintmaster said:


> ...
> 
> I couldn't figure out how to add a photo, but the link is above.
> 
> ...



That's because you have to cheat to put Picasa pix into UBB code (I think that's the name of the code for forum posts). Find your Picasa pic and copy the URL of the photo, not the URL that Picasa provides when you click "Link to this Photo". (That works with regular HTML.) My browser is Google Chrome, so I right click on the picture and choose "Copy image URL". Then I use that with the picture icon in the message window. Looks like that's what you did, but pasted that URL that Picasa gave you.


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## taxlady (Mar 8, 2011)

Tim, I will definitely be giving your "messy project" a try. Sounds yummy


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 9, 2011)

flpaintmaster said:


> Picasa Web Albums - Tim Abbott - Green Chili S...
> 
> 
> I couldn't figure out how to add a photo, but the link is above.
> ...


 
Yum...will be giving that a shot!  Thanks!


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## flpaintmaster (Mar 9, 2011)

Thanks for the tip taxlady.

Tim Abbott


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