Quick Green Chile Stew with Ground Pork and Tomatoes
Sneak Preview: This Ground Pork and Green Chile Stew with tomatoes is a quick-to-fix pot of spicy comfort for a chilly, damp day. Serve with flour tortillas.
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One Christmas, a partially frozen bag of roasted green chiles arrived at my doorstep. My sister sent them from Colorado. She also included a recipe for “Christmas Chile.” Do you know it?
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 excellent 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 challenging to find in the grocery store. However, it’s not complicated and sometimes even cheaper to grind the meat at home.
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 to grind up the pork for a stand mixer. 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.
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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 remarkable when you can get them.
Although they don’t make a good first impression (especially after being frozen), fresh roasted green chiles are more flavorful than canned ones.
Tomatoes:
There’s no reason to use fresh tomatoes because you’re going to cook them anyway. However, 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 Chile Stew:
This stew is good with fresh flour tortillas. They are tasty dipped into the stew juices. 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. So in a moment of veggie craving, I combined them. Voila! –a new favorite comfort food.
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately to Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon! Paula
Ground Pork Green Chile Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork - not sausage
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin - ground
- 2 tablespoons flour
- salt and pepper
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
- 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 chiles to the meat. Stir in water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 to 60 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness.
- Serve with warm tortillas.
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.