Excellent Green Chili

          

  Colorado is Green Chili country.  Each September Chili sellers come up from Hatch, New Mexico with truckloads of Chilies.  You can buy a bushel for about $15.oo and they roast them for you right there in a special roaster.  I am a Green Chili aficionado, but I could never make it as good as what I got in restaurants.  It was always too thin and lacked flavor.  I finally found the secret which is using cream of chicken soup instead of chicken broth.  This recipe is quick and easy to make using canned chilies and it tastes as good as any I have had.  The Pork Tenderloin has a nice grain to it and it melts in your mouth.  You can roast your own Chilies but it’s a bit more work.   This recipe is very mild with just a hint of heat.  You won’t need to make a rue to thicken this recipe.  The cream of chicken soup and the chili puree act as thickeners.

2 lbs. Pork Tenderloin roast cut into 1 inch pieces.

1 27 oz. can whole Green Chilies.  These are the long Anaheim chilies, not                    Jalapenos.

1 28 oz. can of Cream of Chicken soup.

1 medium white Onion, chopped medium fine.

¼ Teaspoon ground Cumin

½ Tablespoon Oregano.

4 cloves of Garlic, roasted.

Black Pepper to taste.

For hot chili add 1 or 2 Jalapeno or Serrano chilies, roasted.

Brown the Pork pieces in some oil.  While they are browning put your Garlic and Jalapeno or Serrano chilies into a dry skillet over medium heat and roast them turning often until they are blackened in places and soft,  about 10-15 min.  Your chilies should be blackened and blistered.  After the meat is browned remove it, add more oil and sauté the Onions.  While they are cooking open the canned chillies, pour out the liquid and rinse them in cold water.  Save out 5 or six and put the rest in a blender and add in the Garlic.  Cut your roasted Jalapeños, if you’re using them, in half longwise and scrape out the seed pods and the light colored ribs unless you like your chili really hot.  Add them in the blender as well as your Oregano and Cumin and enough water to purée. Cut the remaining chilies into small pieces.  Add the Cream of Chicken soup and 1 can of water to the Onions.  Add the purée and the cut up chilies and the Pork.  Add fresh ground pepper to taste.  I usually do all this in a Dutch oven, bring it all to a boil and then put it into a 275 degree oven for about 2-3 hrs.  Or you can bring it to a boil and put it in a crock pot for several hours.  Or simmer it for a couple hours on low on the stove, stirring often.  The longer it cooks the more tender the pork will be.  I like to serve with shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese sprinkled on the top and a little sour cream and some fresh chives from my herb garden.

Variations: 

For a great Smokey flavor soak a dried Chipotle Chili in hot water for 30 min. and add to the blender when you purée.

Add in 2 cups cooked Posole or hominy.  Here in Colorado it comes frozen and needs to be boiled for 3 hours before adding to the Chili.  I have tried the canned kind and it is not as good.  Too mushy,