by James Hills for Club LT
Chili is a legendary man food and I think that’s because men like to tinker. There’s no one “right way” to make chili and while some enjoy beans – others say beans should never be in the chili. For me, I personally love the fact that various regions around the country have their own interpretation of chili that ranges from the meat to the toppings. Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite chili styles: Denver Pork Green Chili!
This particular recipe is about as far away from what most of you think of chili as you can get. However, I personally like it and it makes a great food for tailgating and house parties. Let’s take a look!
Denver Pork Green Chili Recipe
This recipe is based on the famous green chili found at Chopper’s Sports Grill in Denver but like all recipes, I like to change things up and make things different. Most notably, their recipe does not contain tomatoes and calls for smaller chunks of pork and a darker roux.
Denver Pork Green Chili Ingredients
• 2 lbs cubed pork (you can buy this pre chopped in the meat section of your grocery store!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 cups water
• ½ lb butter
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, medium dice
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp fresh minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups diced hot green chiles
• 2 cups diced mild green chiles
• 1 can of Rotel
• 3 tbsp green hot sauce
Denver Pork Green Chili Recipe Preparation
- Place the pork, salt, and water in a large pot and simmer for about 1 to 1.5 hours until tender and make sure to have the lid on since you’ll be using that water for the chili shortly.
- In another pan, melt the butter and caramelize the onions, then add garlic and oregano, and slowly stir in the flower to start the roux.
- Once mixed with no lumps, take the pan and place it in the oven to brown at 350 degrees. Make sure to stir it every 15-20 minutes until the desired color is met. I tend to like something that is blonde to light brown but you can take it all the way to chocolate if you want a more nutty flavor.
- When the roux is your desired color, add in the chicken stock and mix it together till smooth and add it into the pot where the pork has been simmering along with the chilis, chili powder, green hot sauce, and Rotel.
- Continue to simmer the chili for at least another 30 minutes to let the flavors combine but make sure to stir occasionally to prevent burning.
When finished, I personally love to put this over a heaping pile of crispy fries but it is good in a bowl on its own too.
Just remember to make enough for everyone!
And also remember to freshen up after hovering over those hot chili pots and pan with Lucky Tiger Face Wash and Lucky Tiger After Shave and Face Tonic. It’s a refreshing way to chill after some great, spicy chili.
