Navajo Green Pork Chili Recipes

PORK CHILI VERDE (GREEN PORK CHILI)

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a pot over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Add pork shoulder cubes in a single layer. Let sear until brown on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix and turn pieces over and brown on the other side, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring until onions turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir and cook until seasonings get fragrant, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• Remove paper husk from tomatillos and rinse. Cut into quarters. Place in blender with garlic, jalapeno pepper, poblano, cilantro, and chicken broth. Pulse on and off until pieces start to break down. Then blend until mixture has liquefied, about 30 seconds. Stir sauce into the meat mixture. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low to maintain a slow but steady simmer for about 1 hour. Add potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper. If mixture has reduced to where potatoes are not immersed, add more broth to cover. Simmer until meat and potatoes are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Garnish individual servings with a dollop of sour cream, some pickled red onions (if desired), and cilantro leaves.

COLORADO GREEN CHILI (CHILE VERDE)

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper to taste, then place into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Once browned, remove the pork and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in the onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Return the pork to the pot, and stir in the green chiles, diced tomatoes with juice, tomatillo salsa, and chicken broth. Season with oregano and clove. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, remove 2 cups of the soup (ensure there are no pork cubes in it), and pour into a blender. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree until smooth, then pour back into the cooking pot. This will create a thicker texture for your chili and will eliminate some of the chunky bits of chiles. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until the pork is very tender, at least 35 minutes more.

NAVAJO GREEN PORK CHILI

Steps:

• Melt bacon grease in a skillet over med-high heat. Put flour into a paper bag and shake the meat with the flour to coat meat. Add the meat to the bacon grease a little at a time and brown well & evenly.
• Remove the meat to a 5 quart Dutch oven. Add the onions & garlic to the skillet and sauté until translucent. Add these to the pork in the pot. Stir in the remaining ingredients, bring pot to a boil, and keep stirring every 2-3 minutes.
• When boiling lower heat to low & simmer for 45 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings as per personal taste, & cook for 30 minutes or more.
• A Di-neh recipe.

GREEN PORK CHILI

Steps:

• In a blender, puree tomatillos until smooth; set aside.
• In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season pork with salt and pepper. Working in batches and transferring to a plate as you go, brown pork, 6 to 8 minutes per batch (lower heat if bottom of pot begins to darken).
• Return pork (with any juices) to pot. Add tomatillos, green chiles, oregano, onion, garlic, jalapenos, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper, and stir. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, about 2 hours. (To store, refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.).
• Just before serving, stir in chopped cilantro; serve chili with cheddar and lime wedges, and garnish with cilantro leaves.