I don’t know why this never occurred to me before. I have a fantastic beef stew that I make in the oven, but a batch of chili?
The idea started with a package of pork chops from the freezer. When we got our pig from the butcher last fall, I had him package all the chops in packages of four. With four family members, one chop each when I make them, I thought 4 was the ideal package. Except that more than once, I’ve made a pork dish, and Andy was quite vocal about one pork chop not being enough. So the next batch of chops I made I pulled out two packages so he could have his fill. And then he only ate the one chop, so I had four leftover…
Anyway, I pulled out that package of pork chops from the freezer and then thought about what I would do with them that would make four pork chops enough to satisfy us all for dinner. I had garlic and onions, and a quick search of the pantry revealed one quart of home-canned tomatillos left on the shelf. I put some dried pinto beans on to cook up, and an idea came to fruition.
What I especially loved about this chili verde was that it was thick and full of flavor. The pork chops, being braised, were not dry in the least, and when I served it up I pulled the bones out and broke up the pork with a fork so it was evenly distributed throughout the chili. The tomatillos are so good in green chili. They add a delighful tang and contribute to the texture. I’m sad that I’ve now used up all of my home-canned tomatillos. Fortunately, they can be found in the Hispanic section of most grocery stores, so I can but them when the mood strikes to make this again. This recipe as written makes about 6 servings of green chili. Most of the cook time was inactive on my part, as it braised away in the oven while I did other things. I’m sure this could have been done in a crock pot as well, but you still would have to do the browning steps on the stove.
Next time I’ll share about the amazing cornbread waffles I made to accompany this delicious pork chili.
Oven Roasted Chili Verde
4 bone-in pork chops 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups beef broth 1 (28 ounce) can tomatillos, drained 1 jalapeno, diced (or 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper sauce) 1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed Sour cream, hot sauce, shredded cheese for servingPreheat the oven to 350ºF.
Sprinkle the pork chops liberally with the seasoning salt and pepper. In a large, oven-safe saute pan, heat the two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and brown on both sides. They will not be cooked through- just browned. Remove them to a pie plate and set aside.
Add the diced onion to the pan, and stir well to scrape up the browned bits left behind by the pork chops. Cook and stir for about two minutes, then add the garlic. Cook for another minute, and then add the beef broth. Stir well to make sure you have all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan- this contributes a lot of flavor to the dish.
Next, add the tomatillos, and press each one with the back of a spoon to kind of mush them into the broth. As they cook they will completely break up and kind of melt into the broth. Add the jalapeno, tomatoes, cumin and oregano. Bring to a boil, and then slide the pork chops back in, making sure they are completely covered. If they are not covered, add extra beef broth until they are.
Put the lid on the pan and slide into the preheated oven. Bake for one hour. At the one hour mark, carefully remove from the oven and give it a stir- the pork chops should be starting to loosen. Add the pinto beans and stir them in. Again, make sure the pork is completely submerged in the chili, cover, and slide back into the oven for another 30-45 minutes. Check the pork chops at 30 minutes. You should be able to remove the bones completely. Break up the chops with a fork into bite sized bits. If you cannot do this yet, put it back into the oven, fifteen minutes at a time until tender. This may vary depending on how thick your chops are.
Serve the chili when the pork is tender. Top it with your choice of chili toppings.