Colorado. Land of history, heritage, amazing mountain views, world-class skiing and much, much more. And, evidently, really good pork chili. Who knew? Well, lots of people – except me. Recently, I was watching a PBS cooking show that featured Colorado Green Chili and while I didn’t catch the exact recipe featured on the show, I got the basic idea. And after playing around with the main ingredients, I managed to achieve something really sublime.
Now, remember, I’m a native Texan and chili is sacred in Texas. It’s the state dish after all. (And in case you didn’t know, there’s a bit of a rivalry between Texans and Coloradans.) But major kudos to Colorado for their pork chili verde! If you are familiar with Texas chili you will know it does not (traditionally) contain beans and neither does Colorado Green Chili. Southern Colorado is green chili country and it is the roasted green chilis that make this pork chili special. I used Anaheim peppers because that was what was available in my local store. But you can use Pueblos, Poblanos, hatch chilis and others.
As you can see, the finished product chili verde is actually red in color – thanks to tomatoes and chili powder. But it’s those roasted green chilis that impart the intense chili-infused flavor and heat that permeates every molecule of the dish. The chili is a cross between what I would think of as a thick chili and a soupy stew. It’s perfect for these frigid winter days we are having right now. And your home will have the most amazing aroma while it cooks.
I used a Dutch Oven because it is great for braising meats in a relatively short period of time compared to a slow-cooker. But you can easily convert this recipe – just check out this article for tips: Five Tips for Converting Dutch Oven Recipes to a Slow-Cooker
If you are from Colorado or familiar with Colorado Green Chili I’d especially love to hear from you in the comments. What do you think? Did I get it right? What type of green chilis do you like to use? Do Coloradans really hate Texans?
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PrintColorado Pork Green Chili (Chili Verde)
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 mins
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: Serves 8-10 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1–2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 large Anaheim peppers
- 1 fresh jalapeño pepper
- 2 teaspoons bacon drippings (or other fat of choice), divided
- 2 to 2 1/2 pound organic pork shoulder or roast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups beef stock
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cover a large sheet pan with foil.
- Wash and dry the peppers, coat them evenly with a layer of olive oil and place them on the pan.
- Roast the peppers in the oven for 20-30 minutes until soft and the skin is somewhat blistered. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.
- Remove and discard the stems, peels and seeds. Mince the jalapeño pepper and roughly chop the Anaheims and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected.
- Reduce the heat of the oven to 275 degrees F.
- Cut the pork roast into 1 inch cubes and coat evenly with the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and the 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
- Heat a medium/large Dutch oven on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
- Melt 1 teaspoon bacon drippings in the pan and sear the cubed, seasoned pork in the pan in batches. Remove to a separate dish.
- Add a second teaspoon of bacon drippings to the pan (if needed) and saute’ the diced onions on medium-high until softened – about 3 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic to the pan and continue to cook for another minute.
- To the pan, add the seared pork cubes, stock, diced tomatoes, cumin, ancho chili, chili powder and roasted peppers.
- Slowly bring to a simmer on medium-high heat.
- Cover and place into the pre-heated oven and cook for 3 hours.
- Remove from the oven, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Nice recipe – and you’re right, I think the tomatoes might make it more Texan. 😉 I used to live in Colorado… before moving to Wyoming. My Colorado Chili Verde recipe calls for roasting the peppers with the onion, garlic and tomatillos, thus giving the final blend a green color. In Wyoming, we used to call folks in Colorado “greenies” because of the color of the license plates. But seems like it’s fitting for green (verde) chili, too. Now I am transplanted in North Carolina where pulled pork is done with a rub. Crazy to have all these versions, right? But helps one to know where they are! 🙂 No matter what the color or the method, this time of year is sure perfect for chili.
Hi Cat,
Thanks for the feedback. I saw several recipes that included tomatillos but I couldn’t find any when I made this. I make a salsa that roasts peppers and tomatillos and they are wonderful like that. So I’d agree it would make a great addition here. I didn’t realize folks from Colorado were known as “greenies”. I’m not sure I want to know what they call interloping Texas skiers! I used to live in South Carolina and I do love Carolina pulled pork! Pigs are just all-around-delicious aren’t they?!
Best, Lea
I am learning to *love* the southern white sauce for pulled pork… but I think that started in Georgia. Maybe other folks could clue us in on other variations. Someone needs to write a book on just that! 😉
Now I’m going to have to Google “white sauce for pulled pork” because I’ve never heard of it!
Sorry… I just saw it somewhere – it originates in Alabama. It is awesome! Kind of like soupy, spicy mayo! 😉 I think you’d like it…
Yes, I think you’re right. I read about it and now I want to make some!
I’m a Colorado transplant in Texas and I love Green Chile pork. I think I’m going to have to give this recipe a go this weekend (will adapt for crock pot since I am Dutchovenless. )
I live in CO and have never seen a red green chile, I guess theres generally less tomato in it (tomatillos instead), this recipe looks delicious though. Hatch chiles are definitely the gold standard out here, at the farmers market there is always at least one stand roasting them right there (smells so good!).
Do you think this would work with beef? Maybe chuck roast? It looks so good! I am going to try your avocado frosting soon!
I think would probably work fine with chuck roast. Good luck!
also, is this dish pretty spicy?
When I made the recipe it was pretty spicy but it really depends on how hot the peppers are that you are using.
I’m a Colorado native. NO red tomatoes and chicken stock, not beef. If you must add beans, pinto or black but drain them first!. Better yet, cook Anasazi beans and add them as a garnish on top of a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese and serve with fresh tortillas.
OMG, what a beautiful pictures. I can imagine the tastes right. The recipe is cooked immediately!!! Thank you for your inspiration. Greetings from Berlin, Torsten
I am a native Coloradan and live near New Mexico. This is closer to a red chile than a green chile. You do not have any hatch or pueblo roasted green chile in the recipe. How can you think this is green chile? So, to that end, use chicken broth. Lose the chili powder (it is junk anyway. Order some good stuff from New Mexico or the guys in Pueblo). You need to add two or three cups of roasted green chile. Preferrably hatch or Pueblo HOT. You can use Anaheim or Big JIms too. I hope that helps.
Thanks for the advice, Doug. You’re right this recipe doesn’t use hatch or pueblo green chiles. It does use Anaheims as you suggested for an alternative. This is based on what was available in my local store at the time. I’d love to try it with Hatch chiles sometime.
Definitely not green enough for green chili. I’ve always used hatch green chile’s, and that’s is what is common in my area of Colorado. I’ve added some royal diced tomatoes but that’s it. Also pretty sure it was mentioned above, but chicken stock is key. Need to try this out still, if flavor is right the color can maybe be forgiven .
Also I love Texas, not hate but Texas chili and green chili are just too different to even try and compare.
Hi Abbey,
I agree about the color. But this recipe is still very different from Texas style chili. Maybe it’s a new invention!
Lea-
I’m from Colorado and New Mexico and am a bit of a green chili snob. Chilies are an important crop in many Hispanic communities, there are often fiestas and Roasting Days just for the chilies in both Southern Colorado and in New Mexico (Taos, Santa Fe, and others. Arizona may do it too, but I never saw one).
Since coming to So. California, the Mexican food here is more Baja and Tiajuana or other styles from various Hispanic regions/countries (Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Sonora, Jalisco, etc) so if one gets green chili here, it is in my opinion, not the same or sub-par to what one might get in NM or CO. With that said, I learned a bit different method and ingredients. We also make the green chile with pork to have the first night as a stew over rice or with warm tortillas. Then it is burrito city, with the wonderful green gravy smothering the pork burrito and lots of cheese. Yay Queso!
One point I learned, is to NEVER use Tomatillos for pork green chili. For one, they lend an odd texture not the same as tomatoes and add more acid. Use it for other stews, or salsas. And don’t use too many tomatoes either or red pepper. Some people put cayenne in their chili. Nope. The sauce/gravy should be golden-green with flecks of the tomatoes and chilies amid the chunks of diced pork. Also NEVER use olive oil, use the fat from the pork or a touch of butter. Olive oil changes the taste and is NOT something the old Mexican/Indians would use. If anything, they used Lard or the pork fat from the meat. Even using bacon drippings isn’t good because most bacon is smoked, which adds another taste. Although olive oil is supposed to be healthy, try using the Ghee or butter or the pork fat, or even coconut oil for healthier versions of this very old and dear dish. The Coconut oil (just 1 TB to cook everything) blends well with this dish. Also, I Never use onions, you can use the seasoning but not the onions. They soak up the fats from the dish and are slimy and greasy to eat, and can impart a bitter taste when combined with the various chile powders you use.
But your dish is a great hearty pork meal and is delicious.
BTW, I am highly allergic to olive oil and this most recent craze of using olive oil to replace every kind of fat in traditional dishes drives me crazy. Not to mention that the taste of food dramatically changes when using it. I’ve seen Chinese food prepared with olive oil and got sick!
In answer to your question about why Coloradoans and Texans are rivals? Look at your history books. Plus those Denver Broncos and Cowboys & Texans just are natural rivals as are CU and UTEP!
The foodies will argue about who makes the best chili, Texas or Colorado, and it is like asking which is the best fruit, a lime or a tangerine? They are similar, both delicious. But each region has a unique taste and style that is delicious! I like both, and yet I make my own style a bit from NM, AZ, TX, and CO–the best of all chilies! Love it. Keep up the fun work Lea!
Great recipe, thanks!