Chili Verde

I have no problem with the hearty and beefy red chilis of south Texas. But there is something to be said for the green chilis of New Mexico...fresh, lively, delicious.

This is just your basic, no-nonsense green chili: no tomatoes, no cans, no beans, no wierdness.

TRAV'S GREEN CHILI

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless pork chops, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 Tbsp. masa flour
2 Tbsp. corn oil
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 large onion, diced
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 C. cooking sherry
1 lb. roasted green chilis, thawed
Broth (about 4 cups, more or less)

Put the onion and garlic into a bowl. Add the flour, sugar, salt, lime juice, and spices, and toss to coat. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy stock pot. Add the pork, and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with the cooking sherry. Stir in the onion-flour mixture and the green chilis, and add enough broth to cover everything. Turn the heat up to "high," and bring to a boil.

The chili will thicken quickly, so add more broth (a half-cup at a time) until it is as thick as you like it. Taste the chili, and adjust the salt/spice levels. Turn down the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender...about an hour.

Serve over rice, with a giant pile of fresh corn tortillias.

NOTES:

Chilis: Use fresh ones if you can find them. You can use canned ones, but your chili will taste like it came out of a can.

I use a one-pound block of frozen green chilis from the supermarket. The best ones, IMO, come from Hatch, New Mexico. Be warned: if the package says "HOT," it means business. Best to start with "MILD," because you can always add heat later.

Broth: use whatever kind of broth you have handy...chicken, vegetable, and beef are all good. Mix and match, if you like. One time, I used the liquid from a batch of pinto beans that I had cooked the night before. It was freaking *amazing.*