Pork Green Chile Stew

Pork Green Chile Stew

Slightly adapted from Platter of Figs

Ingredients

5 pounds well-marbled boneless pork butt
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
2 large onions, finely diced
4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons. cumin seeds, toasted and finely ground
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
6 large carrots, peeled and cubed
1 cup (or more) roasted green chiles (see Note below re: roasting)
2 Tablespoons. all-purpose flour
7 cups water or chicken broth
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice
chopped cilantro (garnish)

Instructions

Rub each side of the pork with salt and pepper. Cut into 2-inch cubes. Begin heating the oil or lard in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pan. Add the meat in small batches, without crowding, and brown lightly. Transfer to a platter.

Add the onions to the pot and sautee until brown, 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, tomatoes, carrots, and green chiles, then sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir together. Add salt to taste (start with 1/8 tsp.), then return the browned meat to the pot and stir well. Cover with the water or broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, turn the flame to low, and simmer gently for an hour.

Taste the broth and more salt or green chile if necessary. The broth should be well seasoned and fairly spicy. Add the potatoes and continue cooking for 30 minutes or until until they’re soft and the meat is tender. Skim any fat from surface of the broth and let stew rest for an hour or more. Refrigerate overnight if desired. To serve, reheat the stew and ladle into warmed bowls. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and accompany with warm tortillas.

Note: Fresh green chiles (New Mexico or Anaheim) must be roasted over an open flame on a barbecue grill, gas burned or under the broiler till blackened. Then rub off the skins, remove the stems and seeds, and coarsely chop the chiles. Twelve large fresh chiles will yield about 1 cup of chopped. Lacking these, a pretty fair approximation can be made with a combination of fresh poblanos and roasted jalapenos. Frozen green chiles are an acceptable substitute for fresh; use canned chiles only as a last resort.