Colorado style green chile (Pueblo: live, store, moving)

[slipknotic82]

Hi, my name is Jasmine and I am looking for a green chile recipe like the chile at Chubbys on 38th (Santiagos or Tamale kitchen are close too) if anybody can help it would be greatly appreciated. My grandma made chile just like it but I never thought to get the recipe before she passed. I have tried many recipes but none compare.
Thanks,
Jasmine

[rayzadag]

Old Fashioned Colorado Green Chili This is a flavorful, simple recipe that can easily be modified to suit your taste.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. cubed pork
1 tbsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (you can substitute 1 14 oz can)
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 cup water
2 ½ cups diced green chiles (about 20 chiles)
2 cups diced onion.
Salt & pepper to taste.

Instructions:
Brown pork in skillet with garlic and pepper. Add flour and brown as well.

In crock pot, mix pork, garlic, tomatoes, water, green chiles and onion. Simmer for at least 2 hours. Water can be added to thin down and flour can be added to thicken.

(You can also cook it in a large pot on the stove at low heat.)

Hint: Let simmer at least an hour before tasting and modifying by adding chiles, more tomatoes, garlic, etc.

This is a very meaty, very slightly thickened chili – thin for Colorado style chili. If you like really thick chili, use 4-5 tbsp. flour rather than 3 and/or reduce the water.

Makes approximately 3 quarts. Serves 8-10.

Prep time: 1 hour (includes dicing pork, garlic tomatoes, and chiles)
Cooking time: 2 hours
Total time: 3 hours

[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.

[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?

[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

[bongo]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Can the recipe be made without meat?

You can leave out the meat & use vegetable broth instead.

[psulions2007]

Originally Posted by bongo

You can leave out the meat & use vegetable broth instead.

That seems to be pretty safe, though I'd consider adding some tempeh to it for the protein and texture.

[davidv]

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.

One tip:

I second the use of olive oil to brown the pork (2nd recipe). You'll need 2-3 tablespoons. Pour it in the pan and add the pork. Coat the pork with the oil. Once the pork is nearly browned, add the flour or masa and coat the pork and brown them both together. The flour will soak up the oil and thicken the mixture.

More variation:

You can add posole (a type of Mexican hominy that is basically a type of large white Mexican corn kernels soaked in lime) and/or potatoes as well. My family has been making green chile stew like that for a long time. For the vegetarians, this adds more texture and flavor.

Also:
Fresh roasted chiles are preferable, but frozen chiles work fine. If you bought roasted chiles on the street this fall and froze them, it is actually easier to peel them once they have been frozen and defrosted. If you decide to roast your own chiles, make sure the chiles have been peeled (the glossy part of the skin should come off after it is roasted). There are some good whole frozen green chiles in the grocery store (I get mine at King Soopers) which are better than canned green chiles, as well as frozen posole (also at King Soopers)

[davidv]

One more tip:

You can make the chile milder (if that is what you want) by removing some or all of the chile pepper's seeds before you add them into the pot.

[davebarnes]

I almost forgot.

olive oil -> lard (I love lard)