Pork and Hatch Chili Stew Tweetcipe

It would be hard to miss the long green chilies in the produce section that go on sale at the grocery stores in my part of world around this time each year.  They are chilies that are named for the little New Mexico town where they are grown: Hatch, New Mexico. Often you can buy the green chiles, already roasted, at the grocery store during Hatch chili season, starting in August.  The chilies freeze well, so I buy enough to make this stew throughout the winter.  This is an easy, quick recipe that results in really tender pork and flavorful broth.  If you like thick broth, stir in a cornstarch slurry towards the end of cooking.

You can make the stew ahead of time and freeze it or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Pork and Hatch Chili Stew

adapted from Food and Wine Magazine, Sept. 2012

1/4 cup grapeseed or safflower oil

2 pounds trimmed pork shoulder, cut into 3/4-inch cubes plus the bone

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 pound roasted hatch green chilies, a mixture of mild and hot according to your taste *

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

Lime wedges, warm corn tortillas and rice, to serve with the stew

Scrape the blackened skin from the peppers and remove most of the seeds. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole. Cook the pork over high heat, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes.

Add the onion, green chilies, and garlic. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Cover partially and simmer the stew over moderately low heat until the pork is just tender and the broth is reduced by about half, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the chopped cilantro and season with salt and black pepper. Garnish the stew with more cilantro and serve with lime wedges, corn tortillas and rice.

*the original recipe calls for a mixture of Anaheim, Serrano and Poblano peppers