Green Chile Stew

I found this recipe searching for New Mexican style green chile recipes. Now, I didn't use lard to brown the pork, and I couldn't get Hatch chiles which really are the best, but even with those limitations this was a damn good stew. My wife, who is from New Mexico, said it wasn't like home because it lacked the lard, but she loved it anyway. That's a high compliment indeed.

I just realized I made a mistake with this recipe. I admit that I was a bit confused while cooking because I treated the tomatillos the same as the peppers and tried to peel and de-seed them which did not work very well. Do not do this. Peel and de-seed the peppers but NOT the tomatillos. D'oh!

Serves 8

1 - 1 1/2 pounds fresh green chile peppers
8 ounces tomatillos, husks removed
2 tablespoons bacon grease, lard, or canola oil, for browning
3 1/2 - 4 pounds pork shoulder, excess fat removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped
5 - 6 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
4 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
3/4 pound russet, yukon gold, or white potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cooked white rice or warm tortillas, for serving
Fresh cilantro sprigs, for serving

Place an oven rack a few inches from the broiler. Arrange the peppers on a sheet pan and cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides,15 to 20 minutes. Wrap the peppers tightly with aluminum foil in three to four bundles to steam.

While the peppers are steaming, arrange the tomatillos on the sheet pan and broil until charred, flipping once, 5 to 10 minutes. Peel and remove the skins, stems, and seeds from the peppers. Chop the peppers and tomatillos and set aside. (Do not peel and de-seed the tomatillos.)

Heat a few tablespoons of bacon grease in a large Dutch oven over high heat until sizzling. Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Working in three to four batches (do not crowd the pan) cook pork until browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl. Continue browning the remaining pork.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves and stir to incorporate, about 1 minute. Add cider vinegar to the pot and increase heat to high to deglaze the pan; scrape up any leftover browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Pour in the chicken stock and reserved peppers and tomatillos. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the pork is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (It can also be cooked in an 325°F oven.)

Peel and dice the potatoes. Add to the stew and cook until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Season stew with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cooked white rice (my preference) or warm tortillas. This recipe gets better after one, two, and three days, so make in advance if possible.

Recipe Notes

I used a mix of long hots, chilacas, and poblano peppers, which together pack a lot of (good) heat. You could also use milder peppers such as New Mexico (Hatch) chiles and Anaheims or hotter peppers such as anchos.

Dried Mexican oregano can be found in Latin markets and well stocked grocery stores. It has a smoky flavor that dried Mediterranean oregano doesn't have.