Chili Verde

Chili verde, also known as cerdo en salsa verde, is an authentic Mexican stew made with pork shoulder, tomatillos and chili peppers. The tomatillo, a close cousin of the tomato, has a tangy, citrus flavor that is refreshing and distinct. When shopping, choose small, bright green tomatillos that are firm and free of defects. Roasting the tomatillos before adding to the stew gives them a rich, earthy flavor that is worth the extra effort.

This is a delicious dish that freezes well and can easily be made in large batches. It also great for small budgets as pork shoulder and tomatillos are usually very inexpensive (I picked up 4 pounds of pork shoulder for $5.00 and tomatillos at $0.99 per pound).

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 to 4 pounds pork shoulder (also called pork butt), cubed
• 3 lbs fresh tomatillos
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, not peeled
• 2 jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
• 2 Poblano chilis
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves, washed and chopped
• 2 Tbsp of chopped fresh oregano or 1 Tbsp of dried oregano
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Pinch of ground cloves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Canola oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down, along with unpeeled garlic cloves, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place 2 lbs of tomatillos under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to roast and lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven, let cool enough to handle. Coarsely chop remaining raw tomatillos and set aside.
2. Roast poblanos and jalapeños over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened all around. Let cool in a bag, remove the skin, seeds, and stem and chop coarsely.
3. Place roasted tomatillos, skins included, into blender. Remove the now roasted garlic cloves from their skins, add them to the blender. Add chopped poblanos, jalapeños and cilantro to the blender. DO NOT add the raw tomatillos to the blender. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
4. Season the pork cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat and sear pork cubes. Work in batches so that the pork is not crowded in the pan and has a better chance to brown well. Using a slotted spoon, remove pork from pan and set aside.
5. Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent.
6. Place all ingredients into a slow cooker and simmer on high for 2-3 hours uncovered until pork is tender.
7. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with warmed corn tortillas.

Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatora)

Cacciatore translates in Italian to "in the style of the hunter". When the hunt was over for the day, men would gather wild mushrooms, onions and herbs from the forest to stew with their catch for dinner. In those times it would have been more likely to find cacciatoras made with rabbit, but the substitution of chicken for rabbit is a delicious adaptation in this robust, hunter-style dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb of chicken thighs, bone-in
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 2 cups peeled and chopped, firm ripe tomatoes or 16 oz. of canned, stewed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups of cremini mushrooms, cleaned and halved
• 2 Tbsp of fresh, chopped oregano or 2 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Push the onions to the side and add garlic and chicken thighs, skin-side down. Cook until the chicken skin is golden brown and somewhat crispy, then turn pieces over and brown the other side.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, oregano and bay leaf. Lower the heat and cover the skillet with the lid slightly ajar.
3. Cook the chicken in the simmering liquid, turning and basting from time to time. Cook until the thighs are very tender and the meat is almost falling off the bones, about 40 minutes. If the stew ever starts to dry out, add a couple tablespoons of water.

Introduction to Cooking Delicious

This blog is intended to provide dozens of delicious recipes that are fun, simple and sometimes healthy. Also, I hope we all learn a thing or two from these recipes about the rich history of food and cooking, the plentiful and diverse selection of ingredients available worldwide, and the many methods used to transform those ingredients into divine dishes.

Hello, my name is Jessica and I am a foodie.