This green chile stew with pork is a hearty, warming stew brimming with Chile Peppers, cubed pork loin roast, potatoes and hominy. Slightly spicy, slightly tangy and mostly mouthwateringly delicious.
Is there anything better than having a huge pot of stew on the stove top? Simmering, steeping, and filling the house with the aromas of comfort? And especially if those aromas include chile peppers and warming Southwestern spices.
This Green Chile Stew is always a perfect project for a Sunday afternoon …not to mention the rewards of leftovers to start the week or stew-filled containers in the freezer for quick weeknight dinners.
Chunks of pork loin roast become tender in a tomato-y broth and roasted chile peppers bring an earthy spicy note. Potatoes and hominy join forces to make this a hearty bowl of unforgettable Southwestern stew.
Let’s take a look:
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pork Loin Roast
- Green Chile Sauce
- Canned Hominy
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Neutral Oil, such as canola or vegetable oil.
- Sweet Onion, or yellow onions.
- Roasted Chile Peppers: I keep a stockpile of fresh roasted Hatch chile peppers and Pueblo chile peppers in the freezer. They freeze like a charm and can be used all Winter long to keep you warm and cozy.
- Chicken Broth
- Canned Tomatoes: Either crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
- 1 small can Cream of Chicken Soup
- Spices: New Mexico Red Chile Powder, Cumin, Mexico Oregano
Mexican Oregano is preferred for this recipe. It’s peppery, grassy, earthy flavor is a good compliment for Mexican Food. If you don’t have Mexican Oregano, substitute Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Potatoes: I recommend using small Yukon Gold potatoes. They’re a waxy potato, and carry less starch than a russet potato. Therefore they’ll hold up better and their skin is tender which means you don’t have to peel them.
- Tomatoes: If you’re lucky enough to have a bounty of fresh tomatoes, by all means use them. Peel them and then dice. You’ll need about 6 large tomatoes.
- Green Chile Sauce: For this recipe I use my homemade Green Chile Sauce. Please feel free to use a canned or jarred variety from the Mexican food aisle.
- Chile Powder: New Mexico Chimayo Chile Powder is preferred for this green chile stew. It’s an absolute necessity is a well stocked Southwestern kitchen. Chimayo chile powder is a very special single blend powder, ground from chile peppers grown in the Chimayo, New Mexico area. Any New Mexican chile powder will work well here. Don’t use chili seasoning (spelled with an “i”) as it’s a blend of seasonings used to season chili soups.
Chile Peppers To Use For Green Chile Stew
For this recipe I’ve used local Colorado produce, the Pueblo Chile which is grown in the Southern part of Colorado. Its pungency ranges between 5,000 and 20,000 Scoville Heat Units, the measurement method used to rank chile heat. Pueblo chilies are comparable to moderate jalapeno peppers, and are usually a little warmer than cayenne peppers.
If you’re new to cooking with chile peppers, and concerned about heat, start with a milder variety, like mild New Mexican Hatch Chile, Anaheim or even Poblano Peppers. You can roast fresh chiles over the open flame your gas stove top, or broiled in the oven. Turn peppers frequently for both methods in order to create charred skin on all sides.
Or you can purchase cooked roasted chile peppers in the grocery store either in the freezer section or canned on the Mexican food aisle.
Step by Step Instructions, How To Make Green Chile Stew
- Step 1: In a large fry pan, add a third of the oil and brown the pork pieces in three batches, adding more oil as needed. Remove the pork pieces to a large plate as you brown each batch.
- Step 2: Saute the onions until tender. This will bring out the sweetness of the chopped onions and more desirable than dropping raw onion into the stew. Be sure to scrape up all of that flavor left from those pork pieces.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it’s responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or seared burger taste charred. It’s a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
- Step 3: Add seared pork and onions into a 6 – 7 quart Dutch.
- Step 4: Add chicken broth, canned tomatoes, chopped chile peppers, and spices. Simmer on low partially covered for two hours.
- Step 5: Add potatoes, which have been cut into bite-sized pieces, hominy, cream of chicken soup, and the last can of Chicken Stock. Cook until potatoes are tender. About twenty to thirty minutes.
Green Chile Stew, Common Questions
I’ve used a lean pork loin roast for this recipe. Its boneless and has much less fat and connective tissue than a pork shoulder butt roast. It’s evenly shaped which means that it’s easier to cut into bite sized pieces. A pork shoulder Butt roast can weigh up to eight pounds and is usually sold bone in. It’s a much fattier cut of pork, and usually required a lengthy long roasting time for it to become tender. Traditionally a pork shoulder roast is shredded for pulled pork sandwiches. Once roasted, shredded and fat removed, it can most certainly be added to soups and stews. If you want to use a pork shoulder roast, allow extra time to roast it in the oven. Once cooled enough to handle, shred the meat, separate the fat and then continue with this recipe. Since you’re adding already cooked pork to the ingredients, you’ll only need enough cooking time for the potatoes to become tender.
Sure. Choose a large top-sirloin steak or even a chuck roast, fat trimmed. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces with no other changes to the recipe necessary.
You can. I’d suggest using boneless skinless chicken thighs. They have a higher fat content and won’t dry out like chicken breast. Reduce cooking time to one hour before adding the final ingredients.
That’s the beauty of green chile peppers. You can purchase mild, medium or hot chile peppers to suit your heat tolerance.
Yes. Brown the pork and cook onions and then place them in a slow cooker. Add broth and seasonings and cook on low for 6 hours. Add potatoes and additional ingredients and cook for an additional 2 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Leftovers and Storage
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat stovetop, or reheat individual servings in the microwave.
- Can you freeze green chile stew? Yes. Divide leftovers in quart or gallon sized freezer safe zip-loc style baggies. Squeeze the air out once the stew has been placed inside and store laying flat to save freezer safe. This stew will keep in the freezer for three months. Let the stew thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat.
Tips For Success:
- When browning the pork, don’t over crowd the meat. Doing so will create moisture between the pieces which will compromise the browning process. Be patient and sear the pork in three separate batches.
- This recipe calls for 8 cups chicken broth. A small can, 14.5 ounces, is just shy of two cups. Rather than open and using a partial additional can, I always make up the difference by adding water.
- Purchase small Yukon Gold potatoes for easier cubing.
- If you’d like to use dried hominy, rinse the hominy and let it soak covered in water overnight. Drain and add the dried hominy at the same time you start cooking the pork.
- Vinegar: Once the stew is cooked, add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavors.
Chef-Tip: Vinegar is an MVP pantry workhorse that I use almost as much as salt and pepper. Vinegar is an acid. Adding just a small amount will brighten and balance flavors.
How To Serve Green Chile Stew
- Our favorite way is to serve it with warmed flour tortillas.
- Provide additional toppings such as chopped cilantro, sliced radishes, chopped avocado and even a dollop of Mexican Crema or sour cream. Chopped raw onions are also a traditional topping for Mexican soups.
- Substituting Homemade Cornbread for the tortillas is a very popular way to serve this stew.
Recipe for Pork Green Chile Stew
Take advantage of the earthy flavors of roasted green chile peppers by making this hearty Green Chile Stew. It’s an easy stew to make and it feeds a crowd. Perfect for those Football party weekends.
This is a much heartier version of my Hatch Green Chili Colorado Style recipe brimming with Hatch Chile Peppers. And I’ve used a different variety of chile pepper.
Looking for more hearty stew recipes? You won’t want to miss:
I consider soups and stews to be my specialty, so don’t miss my Soup Category. You’ll find lots of comfort food recipes including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chile, Colorado Style.
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Pork Green Chile Stew
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 large sweet onion diced. About 1 1/2 cups
- 3 pounds pork loin roast cut into large bite sized pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt divided
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper divided
- 1 pint green chile peppers roasted, stem removed, skin removed, seeds removed. I use about 10 large chile peppers.
- 8 cups chicken broth or more, if more liquid needed. Divided
- 2 14 1/2 ounce canned crushed tomatoes or canned chopped tomatoes. Undrained
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano or Marjoram
- 2 teaspoons New Mexico Red Chile Powder
- 1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
- 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 24 ounce can hominy drained
- 1/2 cup homemade roasted tomatillo salsa or your favorite jarred salsa verde
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar optional (see notes)
Instructions
- Cut pork roast into large bite-sized chunks.
- In a large skillet, heat part of the oil. When oil is hot, add pieces of pork. Do not crowd the meat. You will need to brown in 2 – 3 batches. Sear pork until browned, salt and peppering each batch as you sear and adding more oil as needed. Remove seared pork to a plate.
- Add diced onion to the skillet and cook until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape up that pork flavor from the bottom of the skillet.
- Transfer onions and pork to a 7-quart Dutch Oven. Pour in 3 cans (or about 6 cups) chicken broth, canned tomatoes, chopped chile peppers, cumin, oregano, and chile powder.
- Cover partially and let simmer on low for two hours.
- Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. If using Yukon Gold potatoes, you don't need to peel them. This skin is tender.
- Add potatoes, hominy, cream of chicken soup, green chile salsa to the pork mixture. Add the additional 2 cups of chicken broth. Cook for 30 minutes to allow the potatoes to become tender and flavors to blend.
- Stir in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Serve with corn chips, or flour tortillas.
Notes
-
- When browning the pork, don’t crowd the meat. Doing so will create moisture between the pieces which will compromise the browning process. Be patient and sear the pork in three separate batches.
-
- This recipe calls for 8 cups chicken broth. A small can, 14.5 ounces, is just shy of two cups. Rather than open and using a partial additional can, I always make up the difference by adding water.
-
- Purchase small Yukon Gold potatoes for easier cubing.
- If you’d like to use dried hominy, rinse the hominy and let it soak covered in water overnight. Drain and add the dried hominy at the same time you start cooking the pork.
-
- Vinegar: Once the stew is cooked, add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavors.
Pork Green Chile Stew … Its Whats For Dinner
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
‘October is usually when the weather in Florida starts to cool off and this stew sounds perfect…maybe for Halloween night. 😊
There is absolutely nothing better than a pot of stew on the stove! This looks fabulous. It’s fall, no doubt the weather is growing cooler in your neck of the woods. Me? I am pretending its cooler (laugh).
LOVE green chilies. Red ones, too. 🙂 And we’re definitely entering stew weather. Terrific recipe — thanks!