Stuffed Poblanos with Chipotle Pork

Last night I decided it was time to try out a new recipe. I needed to step away from writing and working on my exams and do something with my hands and be creative. So I decided to make stuffed chiles. I needed something spicy and comforting and I couldn't think of anything more delicious to make. We had roasted corn the night before and had leftovers and I thought they would give a nice texture and flavor to the spicy pork filling I planned on making.

I love stuffed bell peppers, but these are out of this world. They are smokey and spicy with deep flavors that will heat your taste buds up!

This recipe is actually really easy to make. If you've never roasted chiles before don't be intimidated. It's easy and really transforms the flavor of the chile. All you have to do is place the chiles on a pan and broil them on all sides until the skin begins to blister and pop. Then place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. Let them sit for about 10 minutes like that and then peel off the burnt skin. And there you have it. Roasted chiles. Ready to be stuffed!

Stuffed Poblanos with Chipotle Pork
3-4 poblanos, roasted
1 lb ground pork
2 ears of roasted corn (canned or frozen will also work)
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

For the sauce click here

1) Preheat oven to 400 F, prepare poblanos (see above), and make sauce (see link)
2) Heat a large pan with oil and saute onion until translucent then add pork and brown, season with cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper then add the corn and most of the sauce, reserving some to top the chiles, and let cook until flavors are combined and pork is cooked, about 5 minutes

3) Slice open peeled chiles and remove seeds. Then stuff with poblanos with the pork mixture and top with remaining sauce and cheese and place in oven to cook for 25 minutes

4) Once chiles are cooked and cheese is brown and melted remove from oven and let cook slightly
5) Serve and enjoy!

Green Pork Chili (Chile Verde) with Homemade Tortillas

In the spirit of Autumn and college football we decided to have a Chili-Cook-Off party over the weekend. We share a duplex with fellow graduate students, which is great because otherwise I don't know how we could have packed 20 people inside. Not to mention the 5 things of chili we needed to keep warm. It was a lot of fun and people made some really great chili, all which were really different from the others. Just going to show how diverse chili recipes are and how everyone prefers them a different way.

I decided to make something a little different than traditional chili and went with a Chile Verde recipe I found originally by Bobby Flay. My boyfriend would be making the more traditional ground beef and bean chili since we decided to go against each other to see whose was better. I'd say they both won. I was actually looking forward to eating chili for lunch this week, but to our surprise every last bit of chili had been eaten long before the party was over.

I made the chili with pork tenderloin instead of pork shoulder, mainly because it was all the store had that morning, but it produced a perfectly tender chili. This recipe is really simple and the flavors blend perfectly. It was really good served with fresh tortillas. In fact, I'll be making it again this week.

Green Pork Chili (Chile Verde)
2 red onions, chopped
1 lb. tomatillos, halved
3 jalapenos, halved
Oil to coat veggies
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 lbs. pork tenderloin or shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
5 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 400 F
2) Toss veggies with oil and roast in oven for 24 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes

3) In a dutch oven heat oil and begin browning pork, working in batches

4) Add browned pork back into dutch oven then cover with chicken stock and add the veggies and seasonings

5) Place dutch oven in oven and cook, uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, until pork is very tender
6) Serve with warm tortillas and enjoy!

Corn Tortillas
Follow instructions on bag of masa harina
Here are some pictures of the process

Make the dough

Roll dough into balls

Flatten in tortilla press

Cook on skillet

 Set aside to cool