I'm not a measurement fan with my green chili stew, but here goes.
Green Chili Stew
5-6 Pablano Chilis
2-3 Jalapeno or serrano chilis
6-8 Tomatillos depending on size, husks removed
Large onion, peeled, ends trimmed and quartered
5-6 lb Boston Butt
2-3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Whole Cumin seeds
Chicken stock
Salt and Pepper
Options
carrots
potatoes
whole canned homeny
Preheat oven to broil (you can also do this on a grill). Place the chilis, tomatillos, onion and garlic in a single layer on an aluminun foil lined sheet pan. Broil, turning as needed to char all vegis. Remove chilis to a bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap and set aside. Transfer tomatillos to a blender along with the onions. Peel the garlic and add it to the blender.
Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet until they start "hopping" in the pan, while stirring often. Remove to cool. After they cool slightly, grind in a spice grinder. Nothing quite smells as great as freshly toasted and ground cumin!
Peel and seed the pablonos and add them to the blender. Peel and seed the jalapenos/serranos and add them to the blender. Chilis tend to very in heat. Sometimes the pablanos can be pretty spicy and/or the jalapenos/serranos can be mild. Taste is your best friend to determine the heat level. Try a taste of both the chilis before you add them to the blender.
Adjust to your taste! Pulse blend to a smooth consistency, add cumin, salt and pepper to taste. You may have to add chicken stock to loosen up the sauce.
You now have a version of raw Chili Verde. I use this as is to braze the butt. If you want to use as a sauce, heat a large saute pan over medium high and add some Spanish olive oil to coat the pan bottom.
CAUTION! You are going to add the sauce to hot oil, be prepared, it is going to spatter! Once the commotion is over, you will need to stir often. The sauce will slightly darken when it's ready. Let cool and use in recipes that call for chili verde. It will freeze well.
THE STEW
Heat a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven to medium high heat. Trim the fat cap from the butt. Coat liberally with salt, pepper and cumin. Add canola oil to coat pan bottom. Brown on all sides and remove to a plate. Remove pot from heat and add raw chili verde. Place back over heat, add butt and any juices. Add chicken stock to bring liquid level about 3/4 way up the sides of the butt. Bring to a boil, cover reduce heat to low simmer and cook, rotating butt and adding stock as needed, until meat begins to "pull" off the bone. You can also do this in a 350 F oven. Remove from heat. Remove butt to cutting board and allow to cool enough to handle. Once cool pull the meat from the bone. Cut it into bite size pieces or shredd it, removing any fat. Reheat pot on medium high and skim fat. Add meat back to pot. You can eat it as is or add carrots, potatos or homeny in any combination you like, just mind the cooking times required i.e. carrots longest, potatos second and homeny last. Serve with warm tortillas!
Craig
