Chili Verde

Chili Verde Recipe

Ingredients

2 medium-size pasilla negro chiles (dried chilaca chiles), stemmed
2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed (about 22 medium tomatillos)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large sweet onion, chopped (2 cups)
2 medium-size poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (7/8 cup)
2 medium-size fresh Anaheim chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (3/4 cup)
2 medium-size jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced (1/3 cup)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 -inch cubes
2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons white vinegar
4 cups lower-sodium chicken stock
2 cups water
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/3 cup masa harina
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)

Garnishes: Crispy Tortilla Strips (see tip below), chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, shredded jalapeño Jack cheese, sliced scallions

What Is Masa Harina?

Not to be confused with masa dough, masa harina literally translates to "dough flour." It is a type of flour made from dried corn kernels that are cooked and soaked in a lime solution (calcium hydroxide, not the fruit) to make hominy — this is what gives corn tortillas their recognizable sour flavor. After it has finished soaking, the kernels are rinsed, dried, and ground into a fine powder resembling flour.

Directions

Step 1: Make the Chile Verde: Place pasilla chiles in a medium-size heatproof bowl, and cover with hot water (chiles should be fully submerged). Cover and soak until softened, about 20 minutes.

Step 2: Preheat oven to broil with rack about 3 inches from heat source. Arrange tomatillos in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until lightly charred all over, 5 to 10 minutes. (This will give finished chili a rich, smoky flavor.) (Alternatively, grill tomatillos on a gas grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until charred, 5 to 10 minutes). Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add onion, poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, jalapeños chiles, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent but not brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer chili mixture to a medium bowl. Increase heat in Dutch oven to high, and heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Step 4: Sprinkle pork with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of the pepper and working in 3 batches, add pork to Dutch oven in a single layer (do not overcrowd), and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned pork to a medium bowl.

Step 5: Return browned pork and juices and chili mixture to Dutch oven, stirring to combine; add white wine and vinegar, scraping browned bits from bottom of Dutch oven using a wooden spoon. Cook until liquid is reduced to about three-fourths, about 5 minutes.

Step 6: Add chicken stock, water, oregano, cumin, and remaining 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Bring to a boil over high.

Step 7: While mixture in Dutch oven comes to a boil, drain and roughly chop rehydrated pasilla chiles. Chop charred tomatillos. Add pasilla chiles and tomatillos to Dutch oven. Cover; reduce heat to low, and simmer, undisturbed, for 30 minutes.

Step 8: Whisk in masa harina; simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

Step 9: Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice. Divide evenly among 10 bowls, and garnish to preference with Crispy Tortilla Strips, cilantro, cheese, and scallions.

For tortilla strips: My chef friend told me how to easily make fresh tortilla strips. In his restaurant he uses a paper shredder (GENIOUS!) and runs multi-colored corn tortillas through it and fries them in the fryer for about 30-45 seconds until crispy. Then remove and let cool on a paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain! Yum!