Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles: Serious Comfort Food

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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.

two bowls of green chili stew served with flour tortillas on the sidePin

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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

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  • 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.
pealing smoked hatch chilesPin
Peel off the charred skin. Split and clean out the seeds.

Variation

Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles and Green Beans

Green Chile stew with added green beansPin

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

Can I freeze the cooked stew?

Yes. They will keep for 2-3 months when double-wrapped.

Can I use breakfast sausage instead of ground pork?

Breakfast sausage and Italian sausage have many added spices that will detract from the Southwestern flavor. But who knows? You might love it.

Can I make this stew ahead of time?

Yes. This recipe tastes better the next day after the flavors have time to hang out and get used to each other.

What can I serve with Ground Pork Stew?

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

Browning the ground pork, onions, garlic clove, and cumin.Pin
Combine the ground pork, chopped onions, garlic, and cumin in a large pot or Dutch oven. Brown over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and the meat is cooked.
Adding flour to the ground pork and vegetablesPin
Add flour to the ground pork mixture. Stir to combine. Cook on medium to brown the flour. Scrape the flavorful brown bits up from the bottom.
Adding salt and pepper to the meat mixtuerPin
Add salt and pepper. Continue to brown.
Adding tomatoes, green chiles, and water to make the stew.Pin
Add tomatoes, green chiles, and 3-4 cups of water. Cook for 30-60 minutes until the stew thickens to your liking. You can hold it, covered, on warm for 3-4 hours before serving.
bowl of green chile stew with soft flour tortilla on the side.Pin
Garnish with cilantro to serve.

 

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.

Green chili stew in a bowl with cilantro garnishPin
Yield: 4 servings

Ground Pork Stew with Green Chiles and Tomatoes

This Ground Pork Stew contains flavorful green chiles and tomatoes in a cumin-spiced broth. It’s best served with flour tortillas. Comes together in a hurry.

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Video

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

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

Serving: 1 | Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 660mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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18 Comments

  1. I make a stew/soup (stewup) very much like this one only I use pork shoulder or butt brown it really well and then use chicken or vegetable stock and simmer until tender and I also add a couple potatoes and a can of pinto beans.y family really loves it and it is great on these frigid winter days.

    1. Joy,
      Your version sounds fabulous! Thanks for sharing.

  2. I’ve also made this for a long time, and we love it! Wish I had those fresh green chiles! We only get them once a year…around Labor Day weekend. Never thought about freezing it, since it seems to all go away pretty quickly, no matter how large a pot I make.
    In fact, we had this for Christmas Eve this year. mmmm!

  3. I have made this stew for years, but instead of ground pork, I use the pork stew meat. Simmer for a few hrs and reap the rewards with warm flour tortillas. This has been one of my families favorite fall and winter dishes since my boys were just wee tots…

  4. Hi Paula! Yeah I definitely love my foodsaver. As far as the tortillas, I’d love to show you! Truth be told though it’s more about the technique than the recipe. They are pretty simple to make and don’t need any fancy ingredients. I was actually talking to my husband about the tortillas because most people who make homemade tortillas, make the smaller thicker ones because the big thin wrapping ones are too hard to make – the gluten wants to spring back and they get wrinkled, messy, etc. I figured out how to make them perfectly but it’s nearly impossible to describe. I’ve had a lot of people ask me, especially lately for some reason, so I think we’re going to put together a video here pretty soon showing how I do them. I can definitely shoot you an email when I’ve got it done!

  5. Wow that looks awesome! I just made a big batch of homemade tortillas yesterday and my husband and I were discussing the wonderful green chili of the man who taught me to make the tortillas and how I need to get a good recipe. Your photos look so good… I am definitely trying this one out next week.

    1. Hi Bethany, I visited your website. Very interesting. I would love for you to post about the homemade tortillas. I used to make my own before I discovered the raw ones at Costco. Enjoyed your post about the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer too.

  6. Hi Paula,
    This recipe looks great. Just some little factoids for accuracy’s sake.
    1) The peppers are actually spelled green chiles in New Mexico, where they are grown. There are a number of different heats you can buy, but the most common is Hatch Green Chile. If you like more heat go for Sandia or Big Jim.
    2) In New Mexico, if you mention that you want something Christmas you are telling the server that you want both green chile and red chile! Red chile is the same plant as green chile, just more mature. It is a fantastic flavor combo, though.

    I love your blog and look forward to reading more!

  7. This looks really good. I think I am going to make it tonight! Do the carbs in the nutritional analysis include tortillas?

  8. 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. I didn’t blacken my chili’s enough so some of the outer layer didn’t come off all the way. I will make sure to really char those suckers next time. Thanks for a great recipe!

    1. So glad you enjoyed it Sonya. Although I have roasted red and green bell peppers, I’ve never tried roasting the hatch peppers myself. The ones my sister sent were fabulous.

  9. Looks delicious. I like the nutritional analysis.
    Mimi

  10. Congratulations Julie! And what a perfect dish for this cold, wet weather we’re having. I’ve roasted red peppers, but these looks wonderful…. I’ll take 2 pots please!

  11. This is one of my favorite green chili recipes from my mom. We made it for Christmas Eve this year. I just buy the green chilis in a can, but I think they are a lot better roasted.

  12. mmmmmmmmm….this recipe looks great to a cold Buckeye!

  13. Davon Jacobson, M.d. says:

    This is a really good soup to make. I have had a sample from someone who has made it before, and it was wonderful. This weekend I hope to make some for the family. Thanks for the recipe.

  14. I never thought of roasting green chilis myself. I always see them in the grocery store and go right to the canned isle and buy them in a can. I roast bell peppers all the time, but never thought outside the can for chili. Thanks.

  15. Christine @ Fresh Local and Best says:

    I’m just imagining the flavorful nibbles of pork and smoky green chili in this stew! Mouthwatering!