Pork Chile Verde

So I know I claim to be a Texas girl through and through, which I am not denying. I already posted a southern favorite of mine with my San Antonio Stew. But, I also can't deny the Arizona spark that is growing in my heart after years of living here. Sure, I cried when we first drove out here right after college thinking this was the ugliest place on earth. Dessert landscape??? Wait, you call that landscape? I'm still not a huge fan of the Arizona "look", but I am becoming converted to the Arizona "flavor".

I was able to teach high school for the first four and a half years that we lived here to challenged inner city kids. Our principal, who is one amazing lady, really knew how to get our kids motivated and inspire them. I can't tell you how many field trips we went on, dance parties we had and impromptu "teacher vs. student" kickball matches we played just to keep these kids coming to school. One of my favorite activities we had were our potluck parties. Most of our kids were Hispanic, and man could their families cook! They would bring fresh tamales, ceviche and homemade mole. If was so fun to see how proud these kids were to show off their culinary masterpieces.

So, this post is dedicated to each and every student that passed through my classroom doors and made a difference in my life, to each coworker that I had the pleasure of working with and most of all to my dear principal that gave me the opportunity to teach, and is now one of my biggest foodie fans.

This Pork Chile Verde is filled with so much flavor and spice that is sends you straight to Mexico. With the flavors of lime, cilantro and green chilies you might just find yourself throwing a little fiesta!

 

Pork Chile Verde

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno

1/2 onion, skin removed and cut into four wedges

2 cloves of garlic

2 tomatillos, stems and papery skin removed

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 lb. pork stew meat

1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

2 cups chicken broth
1 small can diced green chilies (4 oz.)

1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained

1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 teaspoons honey

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange jalapeno, onion wedges, garlic cloves and tomatillos on foil and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven on top rack for 25 minutes, turning vegetables halfway through, until tender and slightly charred. Remove from oven.

 

 

2. Once vegetables can be handled, remove skins from garlic and stem from jalapeno. Slice open jalapeno and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Discard seeds. Roughly chop the vegetables.

 

3. Add vegetables to a food processor along with cilantro and lime juice. Finely puree the mixture.

 

4. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium high heat and add pork meat. Cook until outside is no longer pink.

 

 

5. Reduce heat to low and add chicken broth, vegetable puree, green chilies, navy beans, great northern beans, cumin, salt, cinnamon, oregano and honey. Stir to combine.

 

 

6. Bring pot to boiling. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove lid and raise heat to keep a low simmer. Simmer an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness is reached.

 

 

7. Serve warm with toppings such as sour cream, cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, avocado, lime juice, cornbread (recipe to come), tortilla chips, etc. Enjoy the fiesta!

 

Serves 4