Ken and I are green chile fanatics. What is better than a bowl of New Mexican green chile with fresh tortillas? Okay, well maybe a bowl of red! Although we are fanatics, we do not adhere religiously to the same recipe every time we make chile. It turns out a little different every time, depending on a number of factors, including who is making it. The following recipe describes how Ken made it this time. It was fantastic, although not a “traditional” New Mexican recipe because he added sun-dried tomatoes. The most critical piece of making any chile, of course, is the chile. We think New Mexican varieties are the best, but you can get great results from well roasted chiles of many types.
Ingredients:
3 bacon strips chopped into ¼ inch pieces
1 1/4 lb Pork tenderloin cut into 1 inch cubes
1 c. flour
1 medium onion (diced)
3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1/4 c. fresh oregano
3-4 c. beef broth.
2-3 poblanos roasted, peeled, chopped
12 – 14 roasted, peeled, chopped green chiles (about ~1.5 cups chopped)
½ – 1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
Olive oil as needed
Course ground garlic salt & ground pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Salt and pepper cubed pork. Set aside ~20-30 minutes (or more)
Brown bacon in two tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron or oven-proof heavy pot or dutch oven. Drain, and set aside bacon, leaving bacon fat and oil in pot for later.
Dredge pork lightly in flour. Heat up reserved fat, and brown pork in a single layer in batches. Set aside with bacon.
Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook until translucent scraping up bits from the bottom (~5 minutes). Add oregano.
Add poblanos, pork, and bacon. Mix into onion/garlic mixture. Add broth a little at a time until the consistency is a little thicker than cream but the pork and veggies are covered (may not take the full 3 cups, maybe more)
Let cook in oven uncovered for at least an hour. Longer is better.
30 minutes before serving, add the chopped green chilies and sundried tomatoes.
Finished sauce should be “sauce” more than watery/soupy. Serve with hot tortillas, and optionally garnish with lime, cilantro, sour cream or yogurt.
