Its the ultimate New Mexico question? Green or Red?  Its all about the colors in  NM and we take our chile very seriously . I now live in Colorado and still take my chile seriously  I can actually find really great chile grown locally here in Western Colorado that is packed with flavor and heat. I prefer my chile on the mild to medium side but you can make this as hot as you prefer. I have to admit I am partial to bringing back a bushel of  chile from NM over the late summer months and stocking up my freezer for the winter!

Green Chile Stew is my go to winter stew…especially after the last leaves drop from the trees. Time to warm up under my blanket and get the comfort food going.  My friend Jayme prefers my Red Pork Posole, but I have to say this delicious stew is warm and filling with a dollop of sourcream and cilantro on top!

Here is my favorite recipe for New Mexico green chile stew adapted from the folks at Kitchn.com  and Williams Sonoma. I have  added a few of my own additions from other recipes I have  experimented with….this seems to be the  winner!  I personally really enjoy the addition of the baby brown bella mushrooms which give it a nice flavor and texture .  You can purchase fresh or frozen green chile at your local grocer. Fresh will need to be roasted at home and seeded and peeled. More work for those who like to do it themselves.  If you are in a hurry the frozen chile works great too!  Buen Appetito@

For those who prefer a Red Chile Posole    check out my next post later this week!

GREEN CHILE STEW  (Chile Verde with pork)

• 3 Tbs canola oil
• 2 lb. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz. baby bella or brown mushrooms, quartered
• 3-4 yukon gold or white potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• 12 to 16 New Mexico green chilies, about 2 lb. total, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 6 Tbs. sour cream
• Cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions:

In a large, heavy pot over high heat, warm oil. Pat the pork dry and season with salt and pepper and  dip into flour . Working in batches, add the pork to the pot and brown well on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the onion to the oil remaining in the pot and sauté until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until the edges are browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the, coriander, oregano, cumin and bay leaves and return the meat to the pot and stir the spices for a few minutes until fragrant.  Pour the sherry into the pan  and add heat to pan to deglaze scraping up all the little brown bits, then add  the broth and add 1 tsp. of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the meat is just tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the chopped chilies and  the cut potatoes, simmer, uncovered, until the meat and potatoes are very tender, about  30-40 more  minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tsp. salt, then taste and adjust with more salt if needed. Remove the bay leaves and discard. This recipe gets better after one, two, and three days, so make in advance if possible. If you can wait a day to eat!   Serve , garnished with the sour cream and cilantro. Serves 6.