Time for pork green chili

Fall is one of my favorite times of year, the crisp mornings, cooler days, the wonderful smells and the garden bounty that is coming in. One of the smells that really bring out that happy feeling is roasting green chilis. Today we are going to break from our sauce class and are going to do soup school and learn to make a local favorite, pork green chili! This is an opportunity to shop at the local produce stands or farmers markets for the freshest ingredients possible.

The recipe:

One pound of ground pork- breakfast sausage

One medium white onion-diced

2 medium tomatoes-diced

10/12 mild green chilis (roasted, peeled and seeded) diced

2 cloves garlic-minced

4 cups chicken stock

One teaspoon cumin powder

One tablespoon smoked paprika

One tablespoon salt

one tablespoon chili powder

one tablespoon onion powder

¼ cup flour

In a medium stock pot, brown the pork, breaking it up with a spatula. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook until the onion just starts to brown up. At this point you are going to add the flour and make a roux using the oils from the pork. You want to stir this until the roux browns up. Now start adding the stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Once the stock in integrated, add the diced green chilis and the tomatoes.

Whisk in the seasoning and let simmer for 15 or 20 minutes-stirring occasionally. You will want to adjust the seasoning to get the heat you desire, more chili powder and even a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce. This is best served with homemade tortillas, so we better learn how to make those as well! In Montrose, nearly everyone has a recipe for tortillas, so if you have a better recipe, by all means use the one you prefer.

Tortillas:

3 cups flour

One tablespoon salt

¼ cup oil

Water to the desired consistency

Mix well, adding water a little at a time.

You want your dough to be fairly firm, not sticky, so if you add too much water, just add a little flour until it is right. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes or so, then roll into balls about the size of a golf ball. You can buy a tortilla press at the local shops, and I really do recommend them. Press the dough into as flat a disk as you can then press in the tortilla press until flat. A quick tip is to put plastic wrap on the press, so your tortilla doesn’t stick. Now cook on a flat pan, flipping to keep from scorching. If you have a cast iron griddle, that works best. Now ladle up a generous bowl of green chili, top with a little cheese and sour cream if you like, serve with a piping hot tortilla and a cold beer and enjoy!

Until next time,

Disfrute de su comida