Green Chili {Chili Verde} with Hatch Green Chile and Pork Ribs
This Green Chili recipe 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?
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 Chile, 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 chiles. 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 Chile 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.
Yes. There’s some enchilada sauce in this recipe. What kind should you use?
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 chiles 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 a big pan of enchiladas, 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: 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 Green Chile to use in Pork Green Chili?
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 chiles, 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?
A handful of delicious recipes that go perfectly with a big pot of Pork Green Chili.
Easy Crispy Chile 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.
Soft Homemade Flour Tortillas {Butter Recipe}
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.
Freshly Squeezed Orange Margarita
While every good margarita should include a splash of orange liquor, this orange margarita includes the addition of freshly squeezed orange juice, brightening the flavors and creating a fresh tropical cocktail.
Slow Cooker Carnitas
Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, these Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos are richly flavorful, simple to make, and absolutly delicious in a burrito smothered with Green Chili.
The BEST Green Chili with Hatch Chile and Pork Ribs
This Green Chili recipe 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
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs boneless country-style pork ribs
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and stem removed and diced
- 1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
- 3 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 14 ounces enchilada sauce
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 32 (2 lbs) ounces Hatch green chilies, roasted, peeled, and diced (mild, medium, or hot) *See notes below
- 2 tbsp diced chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2-4 tbsp lime juice (to taste)
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the pork ribs into large bite-size chunks - about 1-inch cubes. Spread them out over a couple of paper towels and pat dry.
- Add the oil to a large stockpot or dutch oven and set it over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot and shimmering, add enough pork to cover the bottom of the pan without any of the pieces overlapping. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Let cook, undisturbed, for 2 or 3 minutes, until brown on the bottom. Use metal tongs to flip the pieces over and allow them to brown on the other side. Remove the pork from the pan to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of pork.
- Turn the heat under the pan down to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, jalepeno, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and 2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes longer.
- Add the butter to the pan and stir it around until it's melted. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Pour in the broth, scrapping at the bottom of the pan to loosen any little brown bits of flavor that might be stuck there.
- Add the enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chipotle peppers, Worcestershire, sugar and the pork. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover partially so that the lid is set slightly askew to allow steam to escape. Let the green chili simmer over low heat for 2 hours, lifting the lid and stirring every once in a while.
- Remove the lid and let the chili simmer for another 30-60 minutes, stirring often, until it's thickened slightly. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 tbsp lime juice. Taste and add as much more lime juice and salt as you like.
- Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
Storing this Green Chili:
- Store this Green Chili in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- Store this Green Chili in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months
The brand of Green Chili I recommend:
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. For this recipe, I used two bags (2 lbs) of their medium Green Chilies.
The enchilada sauce I recommend for Green Chili:
When possible, my first choice is this super simple homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe. If using a brand of prepared enchilada sauce, try to find one that lists "chilies" as an ingredient. This might sound strange, but many brands of enchilada sauce are little more than watered down tomato paste with some chili flavoring.
The kind of pork I recommend for Green Chili:
My favorite kind of meat to use in Green Chili is boneless country-style pork ribs. The cut has good marbling, great flavor, and is perfect for low and slow cooking.
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.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 377Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 785mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 17g
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