Status: ROGUE

It is cold outside! Mind you, the cold of the DMV is nothing compared to the realness of New England - but my Cali blood is not having it no matter how mild. Regardless, I’m here and intend to make sure I eat with the seasons. Thus, this is a soup/stew/chili time in my home, and I enjoy it all! I decided to explore the various types of chilies and really dive into making them my own. So you will find three different types: a green pork and potato, a white bean and chicken, and red beef.

I have a soft spot for green chilies: I had no idea it was a thing until a year or two ago. I found this recipe and quickly fell in love. It is so different from the red chilies I grew up with, but it did the same thing to my body so I kept the recipe. Then I came across this recipe and fell in a deeper love! The folks at the Hispanic Kitchen are cooking up some amazing things, and I am sure you will see a few recipes on the blog that have been inspired by them. I honestly did not go too hard on the rogueness, but it is there in smallways. Check out, and per usual, let me know what you think...or how you did it.

Money Matters
This meal was fairly inexpensive for the amount of food it produced. I paid $30 for the full meal, which includes about 6 servings ($5 a bowl), extra limes, pepper jack cheese, sour cream, flour tortillas-- and these extras can all be used for the other chilies!

#ROGUElyfe

I used pork loin instead of the butt. I haven’t looked for a butcher yet, so I will continue to improvise on the meats.
I used serrano peppers, which are a little milder than the New Mexico peppers of the original recipe.
I used way more seasoning, like double the amount the recipe asked for.
I used Russet potatoes.

My Take
3 pounds boneless pork butt
1 large white onion
1 head of garlic
8 Serrano chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 1/2 poblanos peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into rajas (strips), reserved
8 tomatillos, husks removed and washed
4 jalapeño peppers, roasted, seeded and diced
Handful of chopped cilantro, plus more to add before serving
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp granulated garlic
Salt and pepper
Pork broth (4.5 cups)
1/3 cup of masa harina (mixed with water to make a slurry), set aside
Vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes, washed, cubed and fried until crispy

Directions:

In a large dutch oven pot, combine the pork, with half of the onion (roughly chopped), half of the head of garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt and enough water to cover pork. Cover and cook at a low simmer for 2 hours, until pork is tender. At this time, you can fry the potatoes and reserve them until you get to the end of the recipe.

While the pork is cooking, preheat your oven to 400ºF. To roast, on a shallow baking sheet, combine tomatillos, all peppers, the last of the onion and remaining garlic (with skins on). Roast for 15 minutes on one side, turn and roast for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Here is a tip on how to peel the peppers. Once peeled, slice the serrano peppers and poblano peppers into strips (set the poblanos aside). In the blender, combine serrano peppers, jalapeños, onion, garlic (peeled), tomatillos, cilantro and about 1 cup of broth (once pork is done). Blend until smooth, taste for salt.

In another large pot, preheat 2 tablespoons of oil to medium heat. Add the sauce from the blender, stir well, cover and keep at a low heat while you chop pork into larger chunks. Add the pork, stir well to combine, add another 3 cups of pork broth, taste for salt. Add the cumin, smoked paprika and granulated garlic, bring to a boil, lower heat and slowly add the masa harina slurry. Cook, stirring often for another hour.

Ten minutes before serving, fold in the cooked potatoes, poblanos and cilantro. Serve with grilled/charred tortillas, if you please. You can also add the pepper jack cheese, sour cream, lime juice and/or cilantro on top!

Happy Cooking Y’all :)