The BEST Green Chili with Pork Ribs and Hatch Chile

This Green Chili Recipe (Chili Verde) is the result of years of tweaking and testing (and eating!), until it was packed with as much rich, meaty chili flavor as I could cram in there.

The recipe makes a giant pot of Chili - enough for a crowd or for dividing up and freezing into smaller portions. 

Eat this Pork Green Chili on its own, in big bowls, with warm flour tortillas for dipping. Or, use it to smother burritos, enchiladas, or Chili Rellenos. Or, spooned over eggs, or veggies, or rice and beans, or anything that strikes your fancy.

What is Green Chili {Chili Verde}? 

Growing up in Colorado, I was a little surprised as an adult to realize that "Green Chili" did not mean what I thought it meant all across the country.

In fact, outside of much of the west, if you say "Green Chili" many people will simply think you are talking about an actual Green Chili, not a delicious pork and chili stew. 

Green Chili is a stew that's traditionally made with a meat base and plenty of, you guessed it... green chilies. After that, anything goes.

The Green Chili you find at one restaurant is not the Green Chili you'll find in another. This is also true from state to state, from household to household, and from recipe to recipe.

Even though Green Chili recipes date all the way back to the 1600's, when someone says "traditional" Green Chili, really just mean traditional to them, or their family, or their local community. Which brings us to the next question...

Why is this Green Chili Red?

It's true. My Green Chili recipe is kinda red. That's because it contains chipotle chili powder, enchilada sauce, and tomatoes.

Why does it include those ingredients? Because they add FLAVOR. Big heaping loads of delicious chili flavor. 

There are also plenty of green chilies in there. This stew is still appropriately named. It just also includes some red chili. Because, YUM.

What kind of enchilada sauce should you use in this recipe?

Years ago, I dared to look at the ingredient list on a jar of prepared enchilada sauce only to discover that it contained exactly zero red chilies. It was really watered down tomato paste with some flavorings. 

So, I decided to make my own. I bought a bunch of dried red chilies and went through the process of toasting and soaking and pureeing them. The sauce was delicious. I mean... it blew our minds. BUT... 

Toasting the chilies was kind of a pain in the you-know-what. Also, it filled the air with eye-stinging chili oil. Halfway through the toasting process, my son appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing his red eyes, seeking out a reason for why his eyes were suddenly on fire. 

So, even though the end result was fantastic, it didn't seem like the kind of thing I was likely to do very often.

Then I discovered frozen red chili puree. Red chili puree is simply red chilies that have been toasted, soaked, pureed and frozen. It's genius. It's also the reason I happily make red enchilada sauce ALL. THE. TIME. 

This is the super simple Enchilada Sauce Recipe I use.

The recipe makes enough for a pan of enchiladas with some left over which I use later in the week to make things like Stuffed Poblano Peppers and Tortilla Soup.

Or, I'll freeze it for later, like those times when I want to make a big pot of Green Chili. If you are so inclined to make your own enchilada sauce, it's 100% worth it.

Make it earlier in the week, use some of it to make the best Cheese Enchilada Casserole, and save the leftover for this Green Chili. 

Having said all that, using a jar of enchilada sauce is perfectly fine. As much as I love the homemade version, I usually have a jar of prepared enchilada sauce in the cupboard just for those times when I don't have any in the refrigerator or freezer.

If that's what you'd rather use, go for it. Your Green Chili will still be absolutely delicious. 

What's the Best Kind of Pork to Use in Green Chili?

My favorite kind of meat to use in Green Chili is boneless country-style pork ribs.

Funny fact that has nothing to do with this recipe: boneless country-style pork rib meat comes from the shoulder or the blade end of the shoulder of a pig, not from the actual ribs.

Why is this cut called ribs when it doesn't even come from the ribs? I have no idea. And honestly, it's not important. What's important is that the cut has good marbling, great flavor, and is perfect for low and slow cooking. 

Unlike leaner cuts, like pork tenderloin, boneless country-style ribs have enough fat to keep the meat moist and tender during a longer cook time. Not having to deal with bones is also a plus, in my book. 

If you can't find country-style boneless pork ribs, you can use pork shoulder roast (also called Boston butt pork roast), pork tenderloin, or boneless pork chops. 

What is the Best Kind of Chili to Use In this Recipe?

I love, love, LOVE the green chiles from the Hatch Green Chili Store. They can be ordered in 5 lb boxes and will show up to your door frozen in 1-lb vacuum sealed bags, already roasted and chopped, and ready to use.

Just like frozen red chili puree, frozen green chilies that are already roasted and that I do not have to peel or chop are genius. 

Also, and even more importantly, the flavor you'll get from these green chilies is a remarkable improvement from the canned green chilies found on most supermarket shelves. Like, night and day better. Like, keep a few bags in your freezer at all times better.

For this recipe, I used two bags (2 lbs) of their medium Green Chilies. In combination with the other chili ingredients - chipotle chili powder, chipotle chilies, and enchilada sauce - medium heat chilies creates the right amount of "hot" for us.

If you prefer your food to be mildly spicy, use milk chilies. If you like a lot of heat, get the hot chilies. Or, use a combination.

What to Serve with Green Chili?

• Super Easy, Crispy Chili Rellenos. There are few things better in life than a Crispy Chile Relleno, fried to golden perfection, stuffed with a roasted chile and plenty of melted cheese. This simple recipe uses egg roll wrappers to make homemade Chile Rellenos so easy you just might be tempted to make them every week.
• Homemade Flour Tortillas. Homemade tortillas, soft and warm, are one of the best things in the whole wide world. Combine that with how easy they are to make and flour tortillas from scratch becomes one of the few life decisions for which there can be no regrets.
• Pork Carnitas. I have made this Carnitas Recipe more times than I could possibly count for more occasions than I could possibly remember. The meat is crispy on the outside, super flavorful, fall-off-the bone tender, and couldn’t be easier to prepare in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
• Homemade Black Beans. Homemade black beans is a simple fix-it-and-forget-it dish when simmered slowly with garlic and spices in your slow cooker, on the stovetop, or in the Instant Pot.
• Jicama Salad with Apples and Honey Lime Dressing. This jicama salad is light, crisp, tart, and refreshing. It's quick and easy to make, packed with nutrition, and the perfect side dish for anything smothered in Green Chili.
• Pomegranate Margaritas. Pomegranate Margaritas are the Little Black Dress of cocktail hour: simple, easy, dangerously delicious, and exactly right for nearly any situation.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.

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