Most likely, if you traveled in Colorado or New Mexico, you have had the opportunity to taste green chili or chili verde. It is usually made as an accompaniment to other dishes, but it is hearty enough to be a meal in itself. It is delicious on burritos, fried eggs, and over enchiladas. Here in North Country, we can make fresh chili verde too. There’s nothing stopping us from getting a bit of those southern flavors into our kitchens.

Traditionally, chili verde is made with pork. You could also substitute chicken or ground turkey or even ground beef. However, it is also delicious without the meat if you prefer a meatless version. Also, you can make a choice in which green pepper you would like to use depending on your proclivity to spicy food. There are habaneros (extremely spicy – you may start speaking in tongues), jalapenos (very spicy), or Hungarian wax (medium spicy). These are just a few examples. There are many more.  

It is best to get the peppers you want to use (or a combination of peppers) and roast them under the broiler turning them when the skin starts to bubble and brown. Once they come out from underneath the broiler, let them cool in a plastic baggy. Once cooled, peal the skin off the pepper and chop off the stem. Next, you chop them up and they are ready to be made into green chili.

Chili Verde

• 2 lbs pork, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 C. Vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 ½ C. green pepper, chopped and roasted
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• ¼ tsp. celery salt
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ C. cilantro, chopped
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp. green Tabasco sauce
• 1 Tbsp. flour, mixed with water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the pork in a skillet. Add the onions and sauté with the meat. Add the broth, green chili, garlic, tomatoes, celery salt, cumin, chili powder and Tabasco sauce. Let this cook for an hour. You could also make all of this in the crock pot and leave it to slowly cook for the day. Then, add the water and flower mixture, slowly spooning it in. This will thicken up the sauce. Add salt and pepper. Just before serving, sprinkle the fresh cilantro.