Foodstuff: Slow cooker season

It’s that time of year when the nights are longer, the gatherings move indoors and I’m looking for recipes that will satisfy a crowd and warm me up, literally and figuratively. I also start to bust out the ol’ slow cooker with some regularity, so I can have delicious aromas filling the house when guests arrive (or, let’s be honest, when I get out of the shower to put on pajamas at 4:30 p.m. and watch The Real Housewives). 

Enter pork green chili. A bit of a twist on your traditional red chili recipes, this takes some degree of time and effort but has a high yield and freezes beautifully for future reheat and eat nights in the dead of winter when you’ve lost the will to cook.  

I found this recipe online on the website House of Nash Eats, adapted from another website, A Beautiful Plate (food bloggers, unite!) and only made a couple of optional additions to fortify it (see Cook’s Notes) which are totally up to you but won’t make or break the dish.  

Pork green chili stew

Serves six to eight

• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into one-inch cubes 
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• One medium onion, chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, then chopped 
• 28 ounces can whole fire-roasted green chilies, drained and chopped 
• ½ bunch of cilantro, chopped 
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
• Jalapeno, de-seeded and chopped 
• 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes 
• 1 tablespoon chili powder 
• 1 tablespoon cumin 
• 1 teaspoon oregano 
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• 1 tablespoon cold water 

For the garnish:

• Lime wedges 
• Cilantro leaves 
• Chopped green onions 
• Sour cream 
• Sharp cheddar cheese, grated 
• Tortilla chips or flour tortillas 

Cut the pork shoulder into one-inch cubes, trimming any excess fat, then toss with flour, salt and pepper. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a skillet and, working in batches, brown the pork on all sides, then transfer to a slow cooker. 

In the same skillet, sauté onion and garlic, adding a little more oil if the pan is dry, for three to five minutes. Add half a cup of broth, and scrape up any fond (the browned bits on the bottom of the pot). Transfer everything to the slow cooker with the pork. 

In a blender, combine half the chopped tomatillos with half of the diced green chilies and the cilantro, then process until smooth. Add half a cup of the chicken broth if it needs thinning. 

Pour the blended tomatillo mixture into the slow cooker, and add all remaining ingredients except for the cornstarch and water.* Cook on high for three to four hours or on low for six to eight hours, until the pork is tender. 

At this point, you can serve as is or thicken it by making a slurry with the cornstarch and water**. Stir the slurry into the stew and cover again for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Serve in bowls, garnished with lime wedges, cilantro leaves, green onions, sour cream, grated cheese and tortilla chips or warm tortillas.*** 

Cook’s notes

*At this point, I also added a can of pinto beans and a pound of potatoes, cut into one-inch dice. 

**I did not bother with this step, it was great as is. 

***I also added a few radishes, sliced into matchsticks, as an additional garnish. Crunchy and beautiful! 

This recipe is pretty forgiving, so a good place to add leftovers or remnants from the last dregs of your fall CSA. It was a hit at my most recent potluck; at least three people asked for the recipe, so here you go, green chili fans — enjoy, and invite me over for the next bash! 

Katherine Roberts is a mid-Valley based writer and marketing professional who has, so far, been unsuccessful at transitioning to her autumnal wardrobe. She can be reached via her marketing and communications firm, Carington Creative, at katherine@caringtoncreative.com.