Chili Verde
(Green Chili)
Use large crock pot for cooking, 3 - 4 qt. (Serves a bunch!)
3 lbs. Meat (Pork and/or Beef, whatever is on sale and is a decent cut)
3 cans Ortega diced green chilis
3 – 5 Jalapenos, diced (Your tolerance for heat dictates the actual number)
5 Anaheim chilis ½ cut in strips, ½ cut in rings(set aside rings)
1 large yellow onion, diced in 1 inch chunks
1 large potato, diced in 1 inch chunks
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
1 Cup Flour
1 Tblspn Chili power
Garlic powder, salt and pepper (If you can find it, get Adobo seasoning, in the Mexican aisle at the supermarket)
2 Tblspn Dry Mexican oregano
Chopped Cilantro
Flour tortillas
Mexican White or Jack cheese
Sour Cream
Open a beer and taste. Set aside….for now.
Cut meat into 1.5 inch cubes and season with salt, pepper, Adobo and garlic powder. Flour meat and sear in hot oil until brown on all sides. Add to crock.
In the leftover oil from meat, wilt yellow onion. Add to crock.
In same pan, over high heat, brown potatoes. Add to crock.
Deglaze pan with a bit of that beer from before. Add liquid and brown bits to crock
Add to crock, strip cut Anaheims and ½ diced Jalapenos, diced tomatoes, beef broth, 1 can of Ortegas, chili powder.
Cover and cook on low for at least 5 – 6 hours, stirring occasionally. (The longer and slower you cook this, the better the outcome!) Finish that beer from earlier.
Go watch the game/movie, do yard work, go shopping whatever, you got time to kill.
1/2 hour prior to serving, add remaining Ortega, jalapeno (remember, these are the HOT ones!) and Anaheim chili rings. At serving time, add oregano and cilantro to taste.
Serving suggestions;
- Over white rice – Place 1 cup white rice in bowl. Ladle chili over rice and top with cheese, diced white onion and dollop sour cream. Tortillas on the side.
- In a burrito – In a large flour tortilla, place chili, white rice, cheese and sour cream. Roll up loosely. Serve with refried beans.
- In a mini-crock – In an oven proof soup bowl or mini-crock, place 1 - 1.5 cup chili. Cover with cheese and top with diced white onion. Place under broiler until cheese and onion brown. Tortillas or corn chips on the side.
All 3 serving suggestions should be served with ice cold Mexican beer. I recommend Modelo Especial (The MGD of Mexico, light and tasty), Pacifico (The more flavorful, under-appreciated sibling of Corona), Cerveza Victoria (if you can find it, this is my favorite Cerveza Mexicana!)
