Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles: Serious Comfort Food
Sneak Preview: This Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles and Tomatoes is a quick-to-fix pot of spicy comfort for a chilly, damp day. Serve with cilantro and flour tortillas.
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Have you ever received a gift of food that you were uncertain what to do with it? One Christmas, a partially frozen bag of roasted Hatch green chiles arrived at my doorstep.
My sister sent them from Colorado. She also included a recipe for “Christmas Chile.” Do you know it? I had never heard of it. However, it was the beginning of my love affair with Southwestern flavors.
What is Christmas Chile?
Why the nickname Christmas Chile? Is it like “Funeral Potato Salad” or “Fourth of July Cake?” Ground Pork 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.
Happy Cooks Speak Up
“I made this over the weekend and it was very yummy. I roasted my own green chili’s and it had much more flavor than the canned ones. … Thanks for a great recipe!”— SONYA
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, grinding meat at home is not complicated and usually cheaper.
- How to make 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. (Don’t miss the video attached to this post. I will show you exactly how I grind the pork.)
- TOMATOES: There’s no reason to use fresh tomatoes because you’ll cook them anyway. Canned, diced tomatoes, as well as fire-roasted tomatoes, are good. Some people prefer to buy whole tomatoes and crush them by hand.
- 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.
Variation
Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles and Green Beans
I had some Ground Pork and 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.
FAQ
Yes. They will keep for 2-3 months when double-wrapped.
Breakfast sausage and Italian sausage have many added spices that will detract from the Southwestern flavor. But who knows? You might love it.
Yes. This recipe tastes better the next day after the flavors have time to hang out and get used to each other.
Warm, fresh flour tortillas are so tasty when dipped into the stew juices. Corn tortillas are another option.
How To Make Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles
Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.
Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles and Tomatoes
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Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) ground pork not sausage
- ½ cup (80 g) chopped onions
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon table or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 14.5-ounce (439 g) can diced tomatoes
- 1 4-oz. (141 g) can chopped green chiles
- 3-4 cups (700-946 g) water
Instructions
- Brown 1 pound (454 g) ground pork in a Dutch oven along with 1/2 cup (80 g) chopped onions, 1-2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin, if using. Drain grease. I like to leave a teaspoon or two behind for flavor.
- Sprinkle meat with 2 tablespoons flour and stir until it browns. Season with 1 teaspoon table or sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Add 1 14.5-ounce (439 g) can diced tomatoes and 1 4-oz. (141 g) can chopped green chiles to the meat. Stir in 3-4 cups (700-946 g) 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.
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
If You Like Southwestern Food…
- Green Chile and Squash Dressing
- Cilantro and Green Chile Pesto
- Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers Without Rice
- Green Chile Enchiladas
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.