Colorado Green Chili With Pork

Colorado green chili with pork shoulder, roasted Hatch green chiles, tomatoes and warming spices is a recipe that eats like a thick stew and is very popular for smothering.

Course Soup, Stews and Chilis

Cuisine Southwestern

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5 30

Servings

Calories 243kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons neutral oil Such as vegetable or canola oil.
1 pork shoulder BUTT roast, Bone in These are usually sold weighing about 7 pounds.
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon bacon drippings
1 large onion chopped, about 1 ½ cups
5 cloves garlic peeled and minced
14.5 ounces can chopped tomato undrained. Or 5 - 6 medium fresh tomatoes.
32 ounces chicken broth
1 teaspoon Kosher alt
1 Tablespoon coriander dried, ground, or seeds that have been slightly crushed.
1 teaspoon cumin ground
1 teaspoon Chimayo Chile Powder or good quality red chile powder
1 teaspoon Chili Seasoning your favorite brand
2 Teaspoons Mexican Oregano
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 - 1 ¼ pounds Prepared Hatch Chile Peppers roasted, skinned and chopped. Depending on the size of the peppers, this could range from 8 - 15 roasted peppers.
juice of ½ lime
½ cup water
¼ cup cornstarch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat pork roast dry with a paper towel and season both sides with Kosher salt.
Sear The Pork: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the neutral oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the pork roast and sear about 5 minutes on each side. Or until well browned.
Oven Roast: Place the pork roast in a 7 quart Dutch oven and cover. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes per pound. Plan on about 4 hours. Use a digital read meat thermometer to determine an internal temperature of 195 degrees. The meat should be fall apart and easily shreddable at this temperature.
Shred Meat: Use a large sheet pan, platter, or disposable foil roasting pan to shred pork. Use hands or forks and discard any pieces of fat and bone. When it's all said and done, You'll have about 3 pounds of shredded pork. Reserve two pounds for the Green Chili. And use any pork juices in the chili for more flavor.
Make The Green Chili: Heat the bacon drippings in the same Dutch oven. (or use butter or oil) Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes . Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add salt, coriander, cumin, oregano, chile powder, chili seasoning and smoked paprika. Stir just long enough to warm spices until fragrant. About 30 seconds.
Add 2 pounds of the shredded pork, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and chopped chiles. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low, partially covered, for at least 1 hour. Up to 2 hours is even better.
If you want to thicken the Hatch Green Chili, In a bowl combine water and cornstarch and stir until combined. At the end of cooking add this mix and simmer for a few minutes or until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Serve with warmed flour or corn tortillas and a wedge of lime.

Video

Notes

Tips For Success:

Over Seasoning: Resist the urge to over season this Chili. You want the Hatch chile peppers to be the star of the show.
Make Ahead: If roasting the pork shoulder a day or two in advance, go ahead and shred the meat before refrigerating. It's much easier to shred while the meat is still warm.
Purchase Roasted Chile Peppers: Chile roasting events where chile roasting barrels are fired up and roasting chile peppers are common in our area. Purchasing these peppers are a true convenience if not a luxury.
Purchase Quality Products: If you're looking to make an award winning pork green chili recipe, I urge you to always buy quality Chile Seasoning for the single blend of Chile Powder. I used New Mexico Chimayo Red Chile powder or simply powder labeled as New Mexico Red Chile Powder. Ancho chile powder, or cayenne pepper will also work for this recipe. If you use Chipotle Chile Powder, you’ll get a smokier flavor.
Yield: Pork roasts vary. Some may be fattier. In the end, after cooked and once the bone is removed and fat has rendered, a 7 pound pork roast will yield about 3 pounds of shredded meat.
Chile Pepper Prep: DO NOT rinse the chiles under water to clean. You rinse away that roasted flavor. Simply use your hands to slide away the charred roasted skin of the chiles and the back of a knife to remove seeds from the inside of the chile peppers.

Nutrition