Pork With Green Chile

Category: Main Dishes | Blog URL: http://anythinggoesgourmet.com/571/pork-with-green-chile-in-the-le-creuset/

This recipe was entered in The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest, a compilation of the world’s best food blogs which was published in Fall 2010.

Photo: flickr user FotoosVanRobin

Ingredients

pound Pork spareribs, about 1.5 (can easily adjust for larger pieces of meat or more ribs

One large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 can tomatoes w/jalapeno chiles (I like Rotelle hot, but

3 roasted Hatch green chiles, diced (can substitute Anaheims or canned 1/2 can chicken broth (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (not Greek oregano!)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Olive oil (use can use corn or vegetable oil, but

Fresh lime, quartered, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Heat the Le Creuset over medium high heat. Season the meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, and sear the meat on all sides. Remove the meat, lower the heat to medium and add onions. Fry the onions until transluscent and a bit soft, reduce heat to low. Add garlic, cook one minute, then add tomatoes and green chile. Cook 5 minutes. Add coriander, oregano and cumin along with 1/4 cup of cilantro. Add chicken broth if the sauce is very thick, but remember it should NOT be soupy. Return the meat to the pan, spoon sauce over the meat, cover and put in the oven. Reduce heat to 250 degrees

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About

We’re still enjoying our batch of Hatch green chiles, which don’t seem as hot this year as they usually are. Maybe it was the unusually dry season last year. But while I was trying to research why they were so mild, I found some interesting facts about chiles:

* One fresh medium-sized green chile pod has as much Vitamin C as six oranges.
* One teaspoon of dried red chile powder has the daily requirements of Vitamin A.
* Hot chile peppers speed up your metabolism and burn calories.
* Capsaicin, the chemical that make chile peppers hot, are used in muscle creams for sore and aching muscles.
* Chile peppers are relatives of tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants
* Red chile pepper pods hs been used as a coloring for everything from lipstick to processed meats.
* There are 26 known species of chile pepper.

Anyway, last night, Jay asked that I make him one of his favorites, Pork with Green Chile. I’ve made this with red chile, too, but we’ve found that red chile works better with pork butt, while the green chile works beautifully with spare ribs, country ribs and pork butt. He pulled out ‘da ribs’ from the freezer while I pulled out the Le Crueset Dutch Oven.

I have two sizes of these things – the 5.5 quart round Le Creuset Dutch Oven and the super-sized 9.5 quart oval Le Crueuet Dutch Oven. While I use the 5.5 size more often, the 9.5 size is simply irreplaceable for dinners for six or more or for parties. Even when full of stew meat or an entire pork butt, the food cooks evenly because the cast iron core keeps the heat distributed consistently. No burnt edges or uncooked spots around the edges, and the heavy, well-fitting lids stop the food from dryng out on top.

Unlike my Corn and Green Chile Chowder, Pork with Green Chille is not a dish that requires measurements. It is, however, another one-pot meal (which Jay appreciates, since he usually does the dishes. I’m lazy that way.) You can use pork but, but be prepared to allow about 4 hours for a larger piece of meat to cook. But I guarantee that if you let it cook slowly, at a low temperature, in a dutch oven that disburses heat evenly like a Le Creuset, the meat will turn out tender, flavorful and melt in your mouth.