Chili Verde 2 Competition Recipes

TOP SECRET AWARD-WINNING CHILI VERDE

Steps:

• Fire-roast the peppers and tomatillos. You can do this on the grill, over a gas burner, or under your broiler turned on high. The goal is to char the skin of the vegetable. ROASTING THE PEPPERS AND TOMATILLOS ADDS TONS OF FLAVOR TO THEM! IT IS WORK BUT DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
• Place the charred vegetables in a large heat proof bowl or pan and cover with foil. The steam from the vegetables will help the charred skin come off easily. Let sit covered 15-20 minutes and then the charred skin will easily peel off the peppers and tomatillos.
• In a large (6 to 8 quart) stock pot, over high heat, brown the bacon reserving the bacon drippings.
• Next, trim off any excess fat from the pork and cut into 1 inch squares. Liberally season the pork with salt and pepper and toss with flour to coat evenly.
• DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! THIS IS WHAT ADDS THE MOST FLAVOR TO THE CHILI VERDE! Brown the seasoned pork in small batches, in the bacon drippings, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Remove the pork from the pot and pour off the fat drippings, leaving two tablespoons of fat. Caramelizing the meat to a rich golden-brown is a key flavor step!
• In the same pot, over a medium heat, add the chopped onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté until transparent, scraping up any browned bits. Add the cumin, pork, and chicken stock, and cook simmering over medium-low heat for 1 hour.
• Place half of the peppers, one bunch of cilantro, and half of the tomatillos in to a blender or the bowl of a food processor and pulse for a chunky puree. Add the puree to the pot with the pork and stir to combine, cooking on medium-low for an additional 30 minutes.
• Roughly chop the remaining tomatillos, peppers, and cilantro. Add them to the pot, stir, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, for a total cooking time of two hours.
• Add the lime juice and adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

CHILI VERDE #2-COMPETITION

Steps:

• Rub meat with meat rub spices, roast chilis for 10 minutes, place in sealed paper bag while browning the pork in bacon drippings and drain, add onions and saute until wilted.
• Add poblanos, cubanelles, diced serranos, pepperoncinis, garlic, 1/2 of liquids and 1/2 of spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a "6 bubbles" medium simmer for 45 minutes.
• Add whole jalapeno (with 2 slits in sides), balance of liquids and spices, simmer, 5 to 6 bubble simmer for 1 hour.
• Add green chiles, sauce and salsa, continue simmer for 1/2 hour.
• "Taste test", add juice of lemon and any additional desired spice, remove whole jalapenos-if need more heat, squeeze seeds and juices from jalapenos into stock pot. If heat not neeeded-remove jalapenos squeeze all seeds and juices from jalapenos, fine dice and add back into chili pot.
• Simmer 15 to 30 minutes to blend.
• Consider all the following taste characteristics, as suggested by ICS, as you serve. Serve with garnishments of: mild cheese, sour cream, oyster crackers, tortilla chips, chopped onions, and hot sauces.
• TASTE, above all else is the most important factor. The taste should consist of the combination of the meat, peppers, spices, etc, with no particular ingredient being dominant, but rather a blend of the flavors.
• CONSISTENCY of chili must have a good ratio between sauce and meat. It should not be dry, watery, grainy, lumpy, or greasy.
• AROMA of chili should smell good. This also indicates what is in store when you taste it.
• COLOR of chili should look appetizing. Reddish brown is generally accepted as good. Chili is not yellow or green.
• BITE or after taste is the heat created by the various type of chili peppers and chili spices.