Pork Green Chili - revised recipe

Last December I shared my most requested recipe in a newsletter so people could make it over the holidays as I do. Oops! I need to make some changes!

Recently I made this dish and decided to really check on the directions. Every time I make it someone asks for the recipe and I've shared it many times over the years. It's one of those dishes that I call a "concoction" - my favorite way to cook because you just kind of throw in a little of this and some of that until it tastes just way you want it  - delicious. I've definitely zeroed in on the way I make it - decided to see if it's anywhere near what I have in my recipe that was written probably 15+ years ago.

Yikes!! Either my taste buds have changed or I wrote Tbl instead of tsp for the chili powder or ??? I heard from many friends who said they were making my Pork Green Chili over the holidays -  hope it tasted okay! And I hope they like spicy food. Luckily when I was trying out the recipe I decided to measure spices as I added them a little at a time, taste the chili and then add more if needed. I'm so glad! The basic recipe is the same but I've refined the amounts of the ingredients and I'm sharing with you here.

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Pork Green Chili
Makes 10 - 12 servings
 
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 (1-pound) pork center cut loin, cut into ¾-inch cubes
2 large onions, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 (4-ounce) cans diced green chilies, mild
1 (15-ounce) can golden hominy, drained
2  (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, original (See note below)
6 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chili powder 
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried ground thyme 
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
 
DIRECTIONS
Warm oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat on stovetop.  Working in batches, brown pork on all sides and remove to a platter lined with paper toweling.
 
When finished with pork, add onion to pan and sauté until soft and translucent. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, but do not burn. 
 
Drain and discard oil from pan and return pork to pan. Stir in chilies, hominy, tomatoes and chicken stock. Season with bay leaf, chili powder, cumin, thyme, cinnamon, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.
 
Bring to boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 1hour or more. Before serving, skim excess oil off top and remove bay leaf.
 
Ladle chili into bowls and garnish with optional chopped onion, cilantro, lime wedges, grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, and flour tortillas, hard rolls or tortilla chips.
 
Note: I use Rotel brand tomatoes with chilies and Gebhardt's chili powder. Use 2 cans Rotel for "hot," 1 can Rotel and 1 can diced tomatoes for "medium," and all regular diced tomatoes for "mild - i.e. boring."

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This recipe was included in my very first art and food calendar, called The Art of Cooking calendar in 2009. The above painting was inspired by the recipe. I can just envision this being cooked in a rustic and wonky kitchen in Mexico! I'd love to be there!!

So if you cooked this recipe and thought it was a little heavy on the spices, you might try it again. Who knew I'd think that a chili should be a bit subtle! If I'm still cooking this in 5 years, I'll test the recipe to see if my tastes have changed again . . . . 

NOTE: This chili was made in preparation for an article in the Kansas City Star on Wednesday, January 25. Here's a link to that article about this chili and my art! http://www.kansascity.com/living/food-drink/come-into-my-kitchen/article128181954.html