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Green Chile Pork Stew
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Caldillo: Green Chile Pork Stew

Green Chile Pork Stew is a hearty meal with roots in Mexican cuisine and the regional food of Sante Fe, New Mexico. It's a great stew to make 1-2 days in advance, since the flavors marry and deepen as the stew sits.
Course Entree
Cuisine Mexican/New Mexican
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6 -8
Author Michelle

Ingredients

FOR THE STEW

  • 2 tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 ~3 lb. boneless pork shoulder butt roast, trimmed and cut into ~1" cubes
  • 2 roasted poblano peppers,* peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 1 roasted jalapeño pepper,* peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 1 large Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, coarsely minced
  • 1 cup baby carrots, sliced ~1/4" thick on the bias
  • 1/2 cup baby potatoes, quartered**
  • 1/2 cup yuca,*** peeled and diced into ~1/2" cubes**
  • 4 cups beef or chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 2 tbsp. dried Mexican oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

FOR SERVING

  • warm tortillas
  • chopped cilantro
  • thinly sliced jalapeño
  • sliced avocado
  • sour cream
  • grated cheese

Instructions

  • Dry the pork with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Set a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add ¼ of the pork cubes. Brown on all sides, then remove to a bowl and add the next small batch of meat cubes. Repeat until all meat cubes have been browned, adding more oil as necessary.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are slightly translucent and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
  • Turn the heat to high and add the cumin seeds. Stir for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the beef broth, scraping to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
  • Add the browned pork, onion and broth mixture, remaining broth, water, salt and pepper, and bay leaves to the crock of a slow-cooker. Cover and set on low for 7 hours.
  • Prep and cook the carrots, potatoes, and yuca, either steaming or parboiling until easily pierced with a paring knife (or see work-ahead in the notes). Add to the slow-cooker along with the roasted peppers and Mexican oregano. Turn slow-cooker to high for 15-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Check seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Serve.

Notes

*You can substitute 1-2 small cans of roasted green chiles.
**Yuca root has a fibrous cord at the very center that can be tough to eat (see this nice prepping tutorial at Food52). Be sure to remove it.
Work-ahead: you can roast and peel the peppers, steam the potatoes, carrots, and yuca, and prepare the stew through step 4 one day in advance. Store the meat, onion, garlic, and broth in a container in the refrigerator. Store the roasted peppers and steamed/parboiled vegetables in a separate, airtight container in the refrigerator.