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Carl Davaz

One of my sisters who lived in New Mexico and Colorado gave me a recipe for Chile Verde that I have made for years. It has evolved, as recipes do, and no disrespect is meant to anyone from New Mexico or Colorado if it seems to have strayed from what you were expecting.

As with most regional recipes I’ve come across, almost everyone makes their own version, all insisting it’s the true recipe. I like to keep an appreciative, open mind, because good cooking is good cooking and authenticity is in the eye (or taste buds) of the beholder.

Chile Verde usually is made with a not-too-lean cut of pork, such as a shoulder roast. But beef could do, again using a cut, say a chuck roast, that has adequate marbling.

Chicken thighs, with or without the bone, are another nontraditional option. Peel off the skin before browning, leaving bone-in thighs whole or chopping the boneless thighs into chunks. Continue with the recipe but only cook about an hour. Pull out the bones and cut the meat coarsely with a spoon before serving.

This stew benefits from being made ahead of time and can be frozen. If you do make it ahead, the time in the refrigerator allows extra fat to rise to the top and solidify for easy removal.

I like to serve the stew over rice with warmed flour or corn tortillas, or with cornbread. At times, I’ve added a drained can of hominy, which moves it toward a posole. A cup of thawed corn wouldn’t be amiss here, either.

This recipe makes a mild- to medium-heated stew, depending on the heat of your chilies. I don’t like to make food that is painful to eat: Offer chopped, fresh, hot chilies on the side for those with asbestos mouths.

Chile Verde

• 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, plus more as needed
• 3 pounds boned pork shoulder or boneless, country-style pork ribs, cubed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon ground chiles
• 2 teaspoons whole cumin seed or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 28-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 can low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 2 4-ounce cans diced, roasted green chilies or two roasted, peeled and chopped mild chilies, such as Anaheim or poblano

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until it shimmers. Season pork lightly with salt and pepper then put in pot in batches, making one layer at a time with space between pieces, and brown on all sides. Remove to a bowl as it browns, adding more oil as needed.

When all the pork is browned, add oil to pan as needed. Then add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add ground chilies and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two, until fragrant and the entire mixture is evenly colored by chilies. Add garlic; cook a minute more.

Add tomatoes and broth, then stir and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Add the pork and accumulated juices, oregano and green chilies.

Stir well. Reduce heat, then cover and allow to cook slowly for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.

The mixture also may be put in a 300 degree oven for the same amount of time, stirring occasionally.

The stew keeps well in the refrigerator for several days or may be frozen.

Serve in soup bowls and pass garnishes.

Garnishes:

• Coarsely chopped cilantro
• Sour cream
• Diced avocados
• Shredded cheese
• Finely chopped hot chilies, such as jalapeño or serrano

Variations:

• Add more chicken broth to make it more of a soup.
• Let it cook down for a thicker consistency.
• Use to top burritos.
• Substitute beer for all or part of the chicken broth.

Kim Davaz of Eugene writes the biweekly Eating In column.

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