Finally! I do love summer food. Grilling and smoking meats is one of my most favorite things to do, but i must admit when the farm stands in Palisade start roasting those big jims i get stoked. Every fall i pick up a half bushel of freshly roasted chilis and get to work peeling and freezing. And every year i say to myself next year i need a full bushel. This will never be enough. Anyway, a friend of mine several years ago taught me the art of making a tasty green chili. I took his recipe and over the years made a few adjustments and now i think i have delicious and easy recipe that tastes amazing. Now i must admit, my secret weapon is smoked pork. When i find a sweet deal on pork butts i buy up several and then smoke them all for four hours. I then keep out what i am using and freeze the others for green chili all winter long. It is not necessary, but i tell you if you have a smoker it is totally worth the time. So anyway without further ado….I give you….

Mary’s Amazing Green Chili Recipe

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion

24 big jim chilis that have been roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic

5 Tablespoons flour

10 Cups chicken stock

salt

pepper

2 Tablespoons cumin

1 Tablespoon coriander

pork butt roast about 3 lbs will do ya

4 roasted and peeled jalapenos or serrano chilis (optional)

First up, get a large dutch oven and heat olive oil till shimmering, then add the onion and sweat for a couple of minutes. next add the garlic and cook till just fragrant. At that point, add the green chilis and if you are feeling adventurous the jalapenos or serranos and cook together for just couple of minutes. At this point it is time too add the cumin and coriander. You will find by adding these guys early, their flavor will “bloom” and be more presents in the chili. After a couple of minutes, add the flour and cook stirring for a couple of minutes to cook off the flour flavor. It will be pasty and gross, but get after it. I do recommend the chicken stock be hot when adding to the chili mixture otherwise you will be dealing with lumps and bumps. Add the chicken stock slowly while stirring and then bring to a boil to thicken. Now you are going to want to taste the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to do this before adding the pork because eating raw pork broth is no way to go thru life. You may need to thicken a bit more with a mixture of 1 Tablespoon flour to 2 tablespoons water. It all depends on how thick or thin you like your chili. You can even do 1 tablespoon corn starch to 2 tablespoons of water at the end to thicken. It is now time for the pork that has been cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Now at this point you bring it back to a low boil, turn down to a low simmer and cook. And cook. If you plan on eating it that day, you really should let this bad boy cook for a couple of hours. Your pork will be super tender and the flavors will be melded perfectly. I like to at the end use an immersion blender just to break down the pork just a bit. Not too much though because you will want some of those big tender chunks of pork. Serve with some shredded sharp cheddar, a dollup of daisy and some fresh chopped onions and be sure to have plenty of warm flour tortillas nearby!

Enjoy

Mary