My second ever post on the red or green? blog included my recipe for red chile sauce and, over on my other blog
napa farmhouse 1885, I shared my Stacked Cheese Enchiladas recipe. So it was a bit of a shock for me to realize I had yet to write about green chile sauce and, the king of all green chile dishes, Green Chile Pork Stew. This stew is kind of like red pasta sauce, or fried chicken, or apple pie in that versions are tweaked, changed and perfected in families throughout generations. When I am in Taos I tend to ask everyone I meet for tips as to the best stew. I have been told to flour the meat…do not flour the meat, add potatoes…no way potatoes, carrots, or not…add the chile at the beginning…wait till after the meat is tender, cilantro…skip it. You get the idea. My plan is to keep testing, tasting and trying to get my own “perfect” version to pass down. Right now one of my nephews is addicted to this stew. He asks for it every time I am in California. He wants enough to freeze for later and I simply cannot make it too hot for him. He, like his auntie, likes it hot. Maybe he will continue our new family tradition and learn to make it too. Chris…game on!
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp flour
1 lb pork stew meat (like pork butt or shoulder) cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup white onion, diced
2 green onions, chopped, white & green parts
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly ground coriander seed
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb small red potatoes, quartered
2 cups fresh green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped*
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, divided
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chives, chopped
Preparation
1. Add flour to rimmed plate. (like a pie plate). Season with 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Roll pork cubes in flour mixture until all sides are coated. Heat large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and pork shaking off excess flour before adding to pan. (Note: do not crowd meat. Cubes should not be touching so do this in batches if necessary.) Saute the meat until golden brown on all sides. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and place in rimmed plate. Set aside
2. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to skillet along with the white and green onion. Saute over medium high heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 4 minutes). Add garlic and coriander and saute an additional minute.
3. Add chicken broth, potatoes, 1 tsp each salt & pepper and the pork (including any accumulated juice in the plate). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 11/2 hours or until meat is very tender and potatoes can be pierced easily with a knife. Add the green chiles and 1/8 cup cilantro and simmer for 25 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve with cilantro and chives sprinkled over top. Stew can be served as a main dish with hot corn or flour tortillas and a green salad or spooned over any of the dishes mentioned in the first paragraph.
4. If fresh chiles are out of season you can use frozen roasted chiles. Defrost and drain liquids (discard) before adding to stew. Suggested brands are located in the Resources section.
