Colorado style green chile (Denver, Pueblo: house, buy, suite)

[livecontent]

The Colorado Green or Red Chile is one of the worse preparation of food that I have ever seen, considering its popularity. When, I came to Colorado and saw this used on food, I could not believe it. It was watery or thick with pieces of bland, pale pork, tomatoes and chiles floating around with no balance of flavor, and with a lack of proper seasoning. I have no intentions of insulting your ethnic traditions of your family or some odd Colorado pride. If you like what you like, then do it that way. I am just giving my ideas and comments. Also do not bother me with the differences between the word chile or chili—I know all that and I choose to use to use whatever suites me, at the moment.

I do not do recipes because I think it takes away the creativity of the cook and does not allow for the variability of ingredients and environment. If you are real cook or want to be, then learn to work with the ingredients.

The preparation should expand the flavor of the pork and other ingredients. The first principle should be that the pork should be brown, that is caramelized to expand the flavor. I noticed most of these recipes just throw the pork into a pot. Additionally, onions should be sauteed to bring out the flavor. Flour should not be just added--it should be incorporated as a cooked roux with the fat.

First pick the pork. The pork should come from the toughest cuts, such as the shoulder or butt (which is a cut from the forequarter). Using a more tender cut, such as a loin, is just not economical and does not develop a good expanded flavor in a braised or stew preparation. Meat, that is toughest, has muscles that have worked more and develop a stronger flavor when cooked and tenderized.

Trim excess fat but a pork fat is necessary for flavor and dice pork to small or medium dice. Season Pork with salt and black pepper. Brown Pork in fat, that is vegetable oil. Olive oil, at this point is a waste of a more expensive ingredients in a basic peasant dish. If you want olive oil flavor, add it at the end. Rendered lard would be a good fat, and better for flavor, to use.

Remove Pork and add onions (diced to size of pork). Saute onions until they are transparent. Add Pork back to pot. Now we are at a point in preparation with a heating and a light saute, in the fat, expands flavors of additional ingredients. Ad additional fat as needed.

Add diced garlic. Ad flour to create a light cooked roux with the fat—it does not need much cooking as the hot fat will quickly cook in the fat. We do not need a brown roux but some find it preferable for a nuttier flavor but the more it browns the less it will thicken. At this point, add seasoning that would benefit from a light saute which would be cumin and chili powders. The Chile powder can be a commercial mix, a ground mix of your own of specific chilies or a Chipolte Powder (Smoked Jalapeno). Use your creativity and add and mix that which you desire. You may want it hot or not; a little smoky (from the chipolte) or more.

Ad a stock. It can be chicken or some beef. It is very acceptable to mix stocks. Preferably the stock should be hot but you can work with cold stock. Making stock is not necessary, you can use powdered or paste bases but adjust salt as these products are salty. This with the roux will thicken. Add diced tomatoes. The liquid should be loose and over time that is needed to stew and tenderize the pork the liquid will evaporate and it will thicken. I add dried oregano at this point.

Cover the stew and simmer. It will take hours to tenderize the meat. Ad more liquid as needed. Stir occasionally. When meat is near tender, this it is time to prepare any chilies that will be added to the stew. They could be fresh, peeled and diced, or dried and needing soaking, or canned or a mix of your choosing. Adding them too early will just make a mess and break them down too much. Add them near the end of the cooking, so that they will have some time to blend into the stew but will still have a distinctive appearance.

When the meat is tenderized, the stew is ready but we need to adjust seasonings. A good cook will know what to add. I would add some vinegar, nothing fancy just cider to bring out the flavor and brighten the palate. A little sugar for balance (brown or white as per your preference). I sometimes add molasses or Mexican coarse sugar. More salt if needed needed. Perhaps a little more liquid to thin to desire consistency. If you find your preparation a little too loose, the best way would be to drop and whisk in cooked roux. It you do not have it then a cornstarch mixed with water will thicken. Adding flour and water (a white wash) would not be wise as you would have taste of uncooked flour. A little more cumin, oregano added to bring out a fresher herb scent and taste. A little course ground pepper would be nice, per your preferences. If you need more onion or garlic flavor, then expand with a little dried onion and garlic. Perhaps a little of the many varied Mexican Hot Sauces can be added at this time and it will bring out the flavor of the dish.

So that is my take on making this dish, my way, and I think it improves the preparation. It does not have to be your way. There is no defined way to make this dish. It does vary from place to place and a time to time, from different cooks with different experiences and traditions. My experiences and culinary training are mine, and I am sharing with you. Take some of my ideas or ignore that you what you wish.

Livecontent

[DenverLawGal]

I'll give you all a secret tip - most don't know this but if you skip browning the pork and simmer in broth and spices, you'll get a MUCH more tender pork. Here's my recipe, and keep in mind I don't have an exact recipe, I just throw stuff together.

1/2 lb. pork, diced
2 cups green chile, Hatch or other, diced
1 med. onion, diced
several cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 can petite diced, no salt added, tomatoes
1/2 cup green salsa
Broth, chicken or vegetable
2 or 3 Tblsp. flour
2 or 3 Tblsp. olive oil
oregano
thyme
cumin
pepper
salt

1. Simmer pork for about 35-45 min in broth and a couple tablespoons each of seasonings.
2. Towards the end time for simmering pork, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.
3. Then add green chili. Saute for 1 or 2 min.
4. Then add green salsa, tomatoes. Saute for another few min.
5. Toss all into simmering pork mixture.
6. Continue simmering green chili for another 20 min or so.
7. Salt to taste.

[robertzimmerman]

Am I the only person who uses tomatillos instead of tomatoes?

[DenverLawGal]

robert: Nope, you aren't the only one. Notice I use green salsa in mine...sometimes (and if I have the time) I pick up tomatillos and roast them in the oven, then chop and use instead of tomatoes. The tartness of the green salsa and/or tomatillos really rounds out the heat.

[suzco]

That's it.

Green chile is truly a Colorado food; we argue about it, we each have our favorite way to prepare it, we have our favorite places to eat it when we go out.

It's not the same as it is in New Mexico, California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, or your grandmother's home (unless of course, your grandma's from Colorado).

It's what each of us makes of it, or, how we make it.

[slipknotic82]

rayzadag,
Thank you for your post I have actually tried that recipe lol I have tried almost all the recipes on Denver green chili and other sites around the net. When Davidv below said
"I like the Tamale Kitchen and Chubby's version, but that type of chile (very little pork and thicker consistency) is best for smothering things" that hits the nail on the head I should of worded my topic title different. It is called green chile like at Chubby's but it is more like a sauce for smothering fries, burritos....

[slipknotic82]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

So many chili's are green that some of us don't know which variety to get, i.e., the fresh Anaheim or Poblano types in the produce section (not to mention all the hotter varieties like the Jalapeno) or the diced green Hatch chili's in the can in the ethnic food aisle.

Can the recipe be made without meat?

Mike,
From my trials I have noticed Anaheims are the most chosen chiles but there are many types Big Jim's seem to be very popular. The can chiles are not as good as getting fresh roasted chiles also I see alot of company's like Santiago's use jalapeños for there heat source which I thought it was the other way around. I can't seem to find jalapeños that hot but maybe roasting them first would help but may change the flavor.

[slipknotic82]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

I found this recipe in the Pittsburgh news paper. I thought you might like it so I decided to post it here.

Dan's Gourmet Pueblo Green Chile

This recipe won second place (non-commercial recipe) in the 2011 chile contest at Pueblo's Chile & Frijoles Festival.

• 1 pound sirloin pork cubed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 11 1/2 cups water
• 8 Pueblo chiles (roasted, peeled and diced)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 1 14-ounce can chopped and peeled tomatoes
• 1 can (16 ounces) chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon chicken base

Lightly brown pork in oil until glazed. Add 1/4 cup water, chiles, garlic, salt, garlic salt and pepper and heat through. In a blender combine 1 1/2 cups of water with flour blending until smooth. In 8-quart saucepan add pork mixture, tomatoes, 10 cups of water, chicken broth, and chicken base (for a less watery consistency, cut the water to 8 cups). Bring to a boil. Slowly add flour mixture until desired consistency. Let simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Read more: Hot in Pueblo: Mirasol green chiles give this Pittsburgh-like town its flavor

Josseppie,
Thank you for this! This seems like a interesting recipe the amount of water compared to the amount of chiles is different from most recipes but I know Pueblo has thick chile out there like the kind I am talking about will definitely be giving this a try thanks again.

[slipknotic82]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

pork -> pork shoulder or butt (the cheaper the cut, the more flavor)

3 tbsp. flour -> masa harina

2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (you can substitute 1 14 oz can) -> 1 can of Rotel

2 ½ cups diced green chiles (about 20 chiles)
The traditional chile is the Big Jim from Hatch, NM (aka Anaheim)
You can also substitute some Pasiilas (aka Poblanos) for some of the Anaheims.

Overall, a very good recipe. Me now hungry. Thanks rayzadag.

Davebarnes,
I have tried masa harina thinking that was the thickening secret so I made a roux with it and it just tasted funny to me is there a certain way you add it or cook it first? Also lard is better but hard to find good lard anymore the buckets seem to give a weird flavor unless again I am not cooking long enough or something

[slipknotic82]

[quote=davidv;22035499]I like the Tamale Kitchen and Chubby's version, but that type of chile (very little pork and thicker consistency) is best for smothering things. I am more of a Green Chile stew sort of person which is basically what the first recipe is.

davidd,
Thank you for your post, that is exactly what I am trying to make the more thicker smothering type sauce. I anyone has been to anyone of those places they know what I am talking about. Do you know a recipe more like those places?