Preview: This simple Green Chili Stew with Ground Pork and Tomatoes (or is it “Chile” with an “e”?) is a quick-to-put-together pot of spicy comfort for a cool damp day. Serve with flour tortillas.
A partially-frozen bag of roasted green chiles arrived at my doorstep one Christmas. My sister sent them from Colorado. She also sent some favorite recipes that included this one for “Christmas Chile.”
Keep reading to find out how this delicious soup got such a festive name…
What is Christmas Chile?
Why the name Christmas Chile? Is it like “Funeral Potato Salad” or “Fourth of July Cake?” It turns out the chile derives its name from the red and green colors. Most certainly it IS NOT limited to the holiday season. It tastes especially good served with flour tortillas on a blustery day.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ground Pork:
Substitute ground turkey or ground beef if you like.
Sometimes ground pork can be difficult to find in the grocery store. It’s not hard and sometimes even cheaper to grind your own meat.
How to make your own ground pork:
Buy pork loin in bulk and freeze it in 1-pound portions. Partially thaw a 1-lb. package. Use a food processor or a food-grinder attachment for a stand mixer to grind up the pork. Don’t trim any of the fat off. It adds flavor.
Cut the pork into 1-1/2-inch cubes. Add them to your food processor. Be careful not to load the meat above the level of the top blade. Pulse repeatedly to chop.
Don’t miss the video attached to this post. I show you exactly how I grind the pork.
Green Chiles:
Chopped and canned green chiles are the most convenient choice.
Smoked hatch chiles, as seen below, are special when you can get them.
Although they don’t make a good first impression visually (especially after being frozen), fresh roasted green chiles are more flavorful compared to the canned ones.
Tomatoes:
No reason to use fresh tomatoes because you’re going to cook them anyway. Diced tomatoes, as well as fire-roasted tomatoes, are good.
Some people prefer to buy whole tomatoes and crush them by hand. Go ahead. I’ll watch.
What to serve with Green Chili Stew:
This stew is good with fresh flour tortillas. They are tasty dipped into the juices of the stew. Corn tortillas are another option.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. This recipe tastes better the next day after the flavors have time to hang out and get used to each other.
This stew freezes well.
Variation
Green Chile Stew with Green Beans
I had some Green Chile Stew left over a few months ago and some leftover green beans from a different meal. In a moment of veggie craving, I combined them. Voila! –a new favorite comfort food.
Use fresh green beans and add them at the same time as the tomatoes. Or use canned green beans. Add canned beans 5 minutes before serving.
If you like Southwestern Food…
Green Chili and Squash Dressing
Spicy mixture of yellow squash, corn, green chilies and cornbread. Southern cuisine mixes with Tex-Mex flavors.
Cilantro and Green Chili Pesto
Cilantro lovers will appreciate the ease of adding this to many recipes that call for fresh cilantro.
Green Chili Enchiladas
Green Chili Enchiladas are corn tortillas stuffed with ground beef, onions and Monterrey Jack cheese, then smothered in green chili sauce.
Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers Without Rice
Bell peppers of many colors are filled with a Southwestern-style filling. Works great to make ahead and freeze.
Did you enjoy this recipe? You can help others (and me) by leaving a rating on the recipe card itself underneath the picture. No comment required. Thank you.
Hope to see you again soon!
Paula
p.s. Questions? Email me: paula at saladinajar.com.
Ground Pork Green Chili
This simple Green Chile Stew with ground pork and tomatoes spiced with cumin is best served with tortillas.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork (not sausage)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- salt and pepper
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Brown pork in a Dutch oven along with onions, garlic, and cumin, if using. Drain grease. I like to leave a teaspoon or two behind for flavor.
- Sprinkle meat with flour and stir until it browns. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add tomatoes and chilies to meat. Stir in water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 to 60 minutes or until thickness desired.
- Serve with warm tortillas.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 397Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 296mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 32g
Joy
Thursday 10th of January 2013
I make a stew/soup (stewup) very much like this one only I use pork shoulder or butt brown it really well and then use chicken or vegetable stock and simmer until tender and I also add a couple potatoes and a can of pinto beans.y family really loves it and it is great on these frigid winter days.
Paula
Thursday 10th of January 2013
Joy, Your version sounds fabulous! Thanks for sharing.
Mary
Monday 26th of December 2011
I've also made this for a long time, and we love it! Wish I had those fresh green chiles! We only get them once a year...around Labor Day weekend. Never thought about freezing it, since it seems to all go away pretty quickly, no matter how large a pot I make. In fact, we had this for Christmas Eve this year. mmmm!
Kelly
Friday 21st of October 2011
I have made this stew for years, but instead of ground pork, I use the pork stew meat. Simmer for a few hrs and reap the rewards with warm flour tortillas. This has been one of my families favorite fall and winter dishes since my boys were just wee tots...
Bethany
Saturday 8th of October 2011
Hi Paula! Yeah I definitely love my foodsaver. As far as the tortillas, I'd love to show you! Truth be told though it's more about the technique than the recipe. They are pretty simple to make and don't need any fancy ingredients. I was actually talking to my husband about the tortillas because most people who make homemade tortillas, make the smaller thicker ones because the big thin wrapping ones are too hard to make - the gluten wants to spring back and they get wrinkled, messy, etc. I figured out how to make them perfectly but it's nearly impossible to describe. I've had a lot of people ask me, especially lately for some reason, so I think we're going to put together a video here pretty soon showing how I do them. I can definitely shoot you an email when I've got it done!
Bethany
Friday 7th of October 2011
Wow that looks awesome! I just made a big batch of homemade tortillas yesterday and my husband and I were discussing the wonderful green chili of the man who taught me to make the tortillas and how I need to get a good recipe. Your photos look so good... I am definitely trying this one out next week.
Paula
Saturday 8th of October 2011
Hi Bethany, I visited your website. Very interesting. I would love for you to post about the homemade tortillas. I used to make my own before I discovered the raw ones at Costco. Enjoyed your post about the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer too.