The first time I made it (following the recipe), it was a bit spicy for me. It tasted fabulous, and not a drop went to waste, but I had to add a lot of sour cream to make my way through it. Perhaps moving to Minnesota has turned me into a spice weenie. Perhaps I was never as tough as I imagined.
This chili is so good. Do yourself a favor and make it soon! Here is what you will need:
- 3 pounds boneless pork butt, trimmed into 1-inch pieces, or 3 pounds of pork stew meat
- 3/4 cup flour, for dredging
- Olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 bell peppers (I like to use red ones)
- 2 poblano chiles
- 2 Anaheim chiles
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 quart turkey stock (I use homemade)
- 1 bottle of beer
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Arizona Dreaming (available through Penzeys--just substitute extra chili powder and a dash of lime juice if you want)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Salt, if desired
- garnish (I use sour cream and corn chips)
Step one is to roast your chiles. This is not optional. There is a world of difference between raw chiles and roasted. All you need to do is wash the peppers and slap them down on a hot grill. If you don't feel like standing outside in the sleet to roast your chiles (like I did), you can do this under the broiler, or if you have a gas range, right on the burner.
Stay nearby, and keep your ears open for pops and sizzles. You will need to turn the peppers every few minutes. This smells like heaven, assuming of course that heaven smells like roasting peppers, and I don't see why it shouldn't. You want the skin to turn black and blister. It's a good thing.
Once the peppers are nice and roasted, pop them into a plastic bag to steam.
How long you let the peppers steam depends on how big a hurry you're in (and how immune your hands are to burns--these suckers are hot). When I make this chili, I try to roast the peppers early in the day so they are nice and cool when I'm ready to use them.
After the chiles have steamed (and hopefully cooled), peel and seed them. The skin comes right off. I like to do this step over the sink with cool water running.
I also tear the ribs off the flesh of the peppers at this point. This is what you'll have when you're done:
You will also be left with this:
Dice the chiles and your onion.
And now for the pork! If your roast is packaged in a salt syrup (most are), be sure to rinse it. I don't mind the salt; I do mind the slimy nature of the meat when it's packed that way.
Trim your pork butt and cut it into small (1-inch-ish) chunks. If you were clever and bought pork stew meat, skip this step! You're ahead of the game.
Put the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the meat. This helps to thicken the chili. If you or those you are cooking for are gluten intolerant, skip this (obviously). You can thicken the chili at the end using masa or a slurry of corn starch, if desired.
Get your soup pot out and drizzle some olive oil in it. Turn the heat on medium-high, and sear the meat. You will need to work in batches. Do not crowd the pan, or you will braise the meat, not sear it. Add more olive oil as needed. You aren't cooking the pork all the way through at this point, only browning it.
Once the meat is all seared, add a little more oil to the pot and sweat the onions.
Once the onions are translucent, add the chiles. Cook for a few minutes.
Then add the pork,
and add the liquids.
Stir in the spices.
Cover, and simmer for an hour. Check on it periodically and give it a stir. Before serving, taste and add salt, if needed. Top your chili with sour cream, cheese, corn chips, diced onions, or leave it plain.
Even the kiddo loves it!
I hope you give this a try. It is a little time consuming to make, but believe me, it's worth it!
I need to come visit for supper. :)
ReplyDeleteI've got leftovers! You might need to fight Damian and Julian for them, though.
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