Rich was reading a series of cozy mysteries – this about a woman from Austin, Texas who moves to Maine, written by a woman from Maine who moved to Austin – and came across a recipe for Hatch Chile Stew that caught his interest.
I did some research on da Google, took a bit of recipe A and combined it with some of recipe B, then added a few things just ’cause they sounded right to me, and, know what?
It isn’t half bad!
INGREDIENTS
•2 tbsp oil
•3 lb pork stew meat
•2 strips bacon
•1 tsp seasoned salt
•1 sweet onion, diced
•1 shallot, diced
•1 red pepper, diced
•1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
•4 cloves garlic, minced
•4 scallions, sliced
•2 cans diced green chiles, drained
•1 can sliced black olives, drained
•2 cups stock (I used beef)
•1 bay leaf
•1/2 tsp dried rosemary
•1/2 tsp dried oregano
•1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
•1 (15 oz) can hominy, drained and rinsed
•1 tsp seasoned salt
•1 tsp black pepper
•1 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1 tsp chili powder (I used Cajun Seasoning)
•1/2 cup apple cider
•12/ cup chopped fresh parsley
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce
•2 tbsp ‘sup! (or spicy ketchup)
•2 tbsp corn starch
•1/4 cup water
Warm the oil over medium high heat, then add the bacon, pork, and one teaspoon of seasoned salt and cook, stirring often, for ten minutes, until the pork is no longer pink. turn out into a colander to drain.
Heat another teaspoon oil in the pot and add chopped onion, peppers, garlic, shallot, and white and light green parts of the scallions (save the dark green to sprinkle over the bowls of finished stew).
Cook until the veggies are tender, about seven minutes.
Return the pork and bacon to the pot along with two cups of stock, the drained chilies, black olives, bay leaf, rosemary, and oregano.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the pork is tender.
Increase the heat to medium high and bring the stew to a low boil. Add the black and Aleppo pepper, and chili powder or Cajun seasoning, sweet potato, hominy, apple cider, and enough water to cover the pork and potatoes.
Stir in the parsley, then cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the stew is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, then (optional) stash in the fridge overnight. You can serve the stew now, but I always find dishes like this taste so much better the next day.
The next day, slowly rewarm the stew over moderate heat. Taste it – GOOD! But…
I though it needed just a hint of something else, so stirred in one tablespoon of my own ‘sup! And allowed it to cook slowly for another 30 minutes.
Optional: if your stew looks as tho’ it could do with a bit of thickening, whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into the stew along with the remaining fresh parsley and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens, about 5 more minutes.
Serve with toasted corn tortillas, grated cheese, sour cream, and those dark green bits of the scallions you’ve saved.
To toast tortillas:
Heat your oven to 350º and arrange corn tortillas on a rack fitted into a baking pan.
Brush with safflower oil, then season with salt and Aleppo pepper.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, flipping once, or until golden brown and crispity.
Crumble roughly and serve with the stew, or, use as a munchie.