About this time we usually throw a chile cook-off and I usually throw people out of my house if I don't win...Just joking or am I:-)
Chile is one of favorite meals to cook & eat because there are so many variations and ingredients you can use in chiles. I've made so many different kinds of chile in my life, but I must say my absolute favorite is my pork green chile. If you have the time I recommend slow cooking a 4-5 lb pork shoulder (aka bone-in butt) until is is fall off the bone tender, but today I didn't have the time so I used pork stew meat instead. Pork stew meat is usually meat from the shoulder already cut up into pieces so it doesn't take as long to cook.
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 lbs Pork Stew Meet
- Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Chile Powder, Smoked Paprika, Dash of Nutmeg
- Cooking Fat: Coconut Oil, Ghee or Bacon Fat
- 1 Onion, Chopped
- 4 Pablanos Peppers, seeded & chopped
- 6 Anaheim Peppers, seeded & chopped
- 4 Jalapeños, seeded (only if you don't like it hot) & chopped
- 12 Fresh Tomatillos or 1 12 oz can, drained
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 qt Beef Stock (homemade or low sodium organic from the store)
Homemade beef stock, how can I make that and why would I want to?
- 1 (25 oz) can Hominy, drained and rinsed
What's hominy and where can I get that?
Hominy is a dried corn that has been soaked in minerals which loosens the hulls, softens the kernels and causes the kernels to double in size and sprout making it more digestive then regular corn. Bottom line, if we didn't have hominy, you wouldn't have corn tortillas.
- 1 Celery Root, peeled & chopped
What's Celery Root, how do you chop it and why use it in this recipe...???!!!
To keep this recipe paleo and gluten-free, I'm using celery root to help thicken the chile while giving it a slightly tangy flavor.
- OPTIONAL 1 Butternut Squash, Baked and chopped
How do you bake and chop a butternut squash...???!!!
Garnish Options:
- Avocado, seeded & chopped
- Cojito Cheese
- Cilantro, crumbled
- Fresno Peppers, thinly sliced
- Chips
1. Put the stew meat in a bowl, pat dry and break apart if stuck together.
2. Place seasonings in a container and season the meat thoroughly. The seasoning will turn into fond which will be the foundation of flavor for your chile...So season well!
3. Heat a large pot on high on the stove (I'm using my wonderful dutch oven.) Coat bottom of pot generously with cooking fat. Make sure oil is hot enough before adding meat by testing a piece of meat, if it sizzles you know it's hot enough, if it doesn't you need to wait. Add the rest of the meat to the pot and brown by stirring occasionally.
4. Take meat out of pot and reserve. (I use the lid of my dutch oven to reserve the meat.) Tent with foil to keep juices inside (this is important if you want to keep the meat juicy and tender)
5. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and coat with reserved leftovers from browning the meat. Add more fat to pot and stir until onions are translucent. Mix in peppers and add a little salt, cook for another 2 minutes until the peppers start wilting a little. Add in tomatillos, tomatoes, and celery root and sauté. If it appears dry, add more cooking fat, veggies should be well coated.
6. Scrape the bottom of the pot as you sauté the veggies...Remember, that's where the flavorful fond is...
7. Gradually add stock and whisk to incorporate all the brown bits (fond) into the liquid which will eventually dissolve creating great flavors.
8. Add enough water to cover the veggies. They should be floating at the top. Bring to boil, turn down and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the tomatoes burst their juices and the celery root is tender.
9. Puree in a blender or food processor. (I'm soooooo exited, I just got my very own Vitamix!!!)
10. Place the pureed green chile back into the pot, add hominy and reserved pork. Bring back up to a boil and then back down to a simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
11. If serving with butternut squash and needs reheating, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Chop squash into 1/4 in pieces and remove the skin. Place a baking dish and reheat for 10 minutes.
12. Place in a separate bowl.
13. To plate, spoon a ladle of chile in a bowl, add some butternut squash. Add another ladle or two chile. Put an assembling line the above mentioned garnishes and go to town.
Any garnishes I'm missing...
Eat is for breakfast with a fried egg on top...
Or for lunch on top of a bed of spinach...
Or as a snack with a sprinkling of bacon bits for cruch...
