Pressure Cooker Pork Chili Verde

My pressure cooker is seriously underutilized, a handy, timesaving device that stores out of sight and evidently out of mind. It proved its usefulness again recently when I wanted a quick, tasty bowl of chili in under an hour, not several hours from now. Too many of my chili recipes call for browning the meat, then cooking slowly for 2 to 3 hours on the stovetop (or 6 to 8 hours in a slow cooker). Not so this pressure cooker version; after browning the meat, it took just 20 minutes under high pressure to develop both taste and texture. 

RL noted the chili heat needed taming on day one, and unusual response from him, but the bite had mellowed significantly by day two. It took a few tablespoons of sour cream to tame the chile bite for me on both days, but I am an admitted chili heat wimp.

A recipe for Abilene Beef and Bean Chili from a Rick Rodgers cookbook, Pressure Cooking for Everyone, provided guidance as I changed up the ingredients. I substituted pork shoulder for the specified beef bottom round, used 2 Hatch chiles instead of 1 jalapeno and a single tablespoon of Penzeys' awesome Chili 3000 blend rather than 2 tablespoons of anyone else's chili powder, then added tomatillos and fresh orange quarters for a hint more flavor.

The results? Mmmm, that was some tasty peppy chili. The Rogers cookbook is noted for requiring multiple steps, pre-browning or adding ingredients requiring additional after-pressure cooking, but if this chili is any guide then a few extra steps are worth it. Now it's time to try a few more quick pressure cooker recipes. 

  

Pressure Cooker Peppy Pork Chili Verde

Adapted from Pressure Cooking for Everyone by Rick Rodgers

2 TBS olive oil, divided (more as needed)

2 LBS pork shoulder, cut into 2” chunks

3 cups yellow onion, chopped (roughly 1 large yellow onion)

1 cup sweet bell peppers (not green), seeded & chopped
6 large tomatillos, quartered

2 Hatch chiles, roasted, skinned, deseeded, chopped (or 1 jalapeno)

1 TBS minced garlic

1 TBS Penzeys 3000 chili mix (or ½ TBS ancho chili powder plus 1 tsp each cumin, smoky paprika, dried Mexican oregano, cilantro and lemon peel)

½ tsp salt, more according to taste

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 orange, unpeeled and quartered (or 4 mini oranges, halved)

¼ cup masa or yellow cornmeal

2 cans (15-oz each) black beans, rinsed & drained

Suggested optional toppings: fresh tomatilla salsa, sour cream, lime wedges, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, red onion, avocado…

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat and brown the pork chunks in several batches. Don’t crowd the meat or it will stew instead of searing. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add more oil as needed for subsequent batches.

Discard the excess fat, but leave the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil and add the onion, peppers, tomatillos, chiles, and garlic. Cook to soften, stirring often.

Return the pork to the pot along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Sprinkle with the spices and salt; stir and toss to mix well. Add in the stock; stir and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the oranges.

Cover, lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain high pressure and cook for 20 minutes (I used a flame tamer under the pot on my electric element). Do a quick-release, open the lid and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the orange halves; skim excess fat.

Note: I often use some bone-in pieces and pull the meat out at this point to debone, defat and shred.

Use a small bowl and make a masa slurry, whisking the masa into a generous cup of the cooking liquid. Stir this slurry into the pot and add the beans. Cook over medium heat until the juices thicken a bit; stir frequently to prevent scorching the bottom of the pot. Return the meat chunks or shreds to the cooker; taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve in bowls with optional toppings alongside, or use to fill tortillas.

Beef Enchiladas Verde with Peppers, Corn & Beans

Powered devices rudely announced that our power went out at 4:41 a.m. After that annoying chorus of beeps, clicks, chirps and alarms woke us up, we wandered through the house to address their status with taps and resets. Then we tried to ignore the rattling screens and gusting winds and fall back asleep. Hah! good luck with that. Power was restored about four hours later, but the winds continued to howl mightily. The lights flickered intermittently all day; it was going to be one of those days. Hello, Fall.


I turned to enchiladas, a favorite Tex-Mex comfort food, to help improve my outlook and attitude later in the day. Enchiladas are always welcome lunch fare, so I rummaged through fridge and cabinets to concoct this version of rolled enchiladas. With beef, beans, corn, peppers, and a peppy melting cheese rolled inside a tortilla, what's not to love?! My beef enchiladas typically feature a homemade red sauce, but substituting an available can of green sauce proved to be a successful swap. 

A more traditional recipe would call for 1) dipping a fresh tortilla in sauce and frying it before filling, or 2) frying a fresh tortilla in hot oil for a few seconds to soften it, then dipping it in sauce before filling. This isn't that. My naked flour tortillas were rolled around a loose filling, placed atop a bed of sauce, and topped with more sauce. Covering the dish with foil kept the tortillas soft while they baked; then an uncovered finish crisped them up just enough. Less mess, slightly faster preparation, but still delicious. Win! 

Beef Enchiladas Verde with Peppers, Corn & Beans

yields 8 enchiladas.

Ingredients:
1 can (15+ oz) mild green enchilada sauce, divided (Hatch, Old El Paso, Las Palmas, etc.)
1 scant Tablespoon canola oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 large poblano pepper, diced  (or 1 can diced Anaheim chiles)
1 Tablespoon chile powder (I used Penzey's Chili 3000)
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups mixed corn, red peppers, black beans & onions (I used 1/2  package of frozen SW mix)
2 cups shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
8 medium-size soft flour tortillas

Optional toppings:
additional shredded cheese, diced tomato, diced avocado,  fresh cilantro, sliced radish... and your favorite hot sauce (Green Tabasco here)

Directions:

1. Spread a scant cup of enchilada sauce across the bottom of a 9x11 baking dish. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 f.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Brown the beef, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan. Add onion and poblano to the heated oil and cook until softened. Spoon off the accumulated oils. 
3. Add the seasonings, chile powder to paprika, and cook for a minute or two until fragrant; stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cooked beef and mixed SW vegetables to the pan; toss and stir to combine.
4. Place a flour tortilla on a flat plate; spread a generous 1/4 cup of the filling and 1/4 cup of cheese in a line across the bottom third of the tortilla. Roll to enclose and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
5. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas, scatter and extra filling and some cheese over everything. Cover with foil and bake for at least 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 or 20 minutes until the cheese melts and the tortillas just begin to crisp and brown.
6. Remove, top with desired items and serve, or plate individually and offer toppings separately.

Note: leftovers covered with plasticwrap and reheated the next day in the microwave were soft, moist, and still darned good!

White Bean Chicken Chili - a quick version

This recipe is a speedier chicken version of Chile Verde, a boat or shoreside favorite when I have time to cook from scratch. However roasting chiles and tomatillos, slowly simmering chicken pieces, soaking and cooking dried beans and grilling fresh corn doesn't work when you want dinner soon... like right now... "is dinner ready yet?" soon. This week I pulled a container of White Bean Chicken Chili out of the freezer and looked like a hero when a quick meal was in order. 

I've found that the flavors mellow and deepen when the chili is cooled and reheated, a tasty bonus when making a double batch to freeze. You might want to add additional chicken broth or maybe some green taco or enchilada sauce if the chili thickens too much after a day or two in the fridge, or decide to use the thicker chili as a terrific taco and enchilada filling. Fill some crispy, store-bought tortilla chip scoops with thick chili for an easy appetizer, or griddle some cheese and chili-filled quesadillas for lunch. Yummy! 

Photo: White Bean Chicken Chili topped with a dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of green enchilada sauce.

What's your favorite chili recipe? I have too many favorites to pick just one, but this recipe certainly rates two thumbs up for Quick and Tasty.

White Bean Chicken Chili

based on a recipe at epicurious (link)

4 servings, but you will want to double the recipe for tasty leftovers, or to have some to freeze.

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon chili powder (Penzey's Chili 3000 preferred)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 Poblano chiles, roasted, deseeded & chopped (or canned chiles)
6 chicken thighs, cooked & shredded (or use rotisserie chicken) 
1 cup frozen corn kernels
3 cans (15-oz) cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
2+ cups low-salt chicken broth
salt and white pepper, to taste (optional)
1/4 cup Mexican crema (optional)

Topping suggestions:
fresh salsa:tomato/cilantro/green onion/lime
fresh cilantro
grated pepper jack or cheddar cheese
avocado chunks
sour cream
lime wedges
hot sauce (green Tabasco preferred) 
corn tortilla strips 

Directions:

1. Use a medium pot and heat the olive oil. Cook the onion until softened. 
2. Add the next 6 ingredients, garlic through smoked paprika, and heat until fragrant. 
3. Toss in the chopped chiles and shredded chicken, turning to coat all with the spice mixture. Cook for a few minutes, adding more olive oil if the pot begin to dry out.
4. Add the corn, beans, and 2 cups of chicken broth to the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste, adding salt and white pepper if desired.
5. Mash some of the beans to thicken the chili somewhat. Stir in the crema, if using, and add more chicken broth if you want a soupier chili.
6. Let the chili sit to blend the flavors, reheating gently to serve with a variety of toppings.

Notes: 

• Like so many other soups and chilis, this chili will thicken and develop a deeper, more mellow flavor after an overnight rest in the fridge.
• Adding a few Tablespoons of lime juice or green enchilada sauce to the pot offers a popular flavor adjustment.
• Add more broth for a looser mix to create a delicious southwestern soup.
• Serve the chili over cooked rice or potatoes for a heartier dish. 

Waffles: a Savory SouthWest Sourdough Version

Today, August 24, is National Waffle Day! Waffle on!

Not that I ever need a special reason to enjoy waffles, two waffle posts in a row might be a clue to that enthusiasm. Here is my latest waffle recipe, a Savory Southwest Sourdough Waffle. 

Some waffle factoids:

• This US holiday marks the day the first US patent for a waffle iron was issued. Instructions for waffles using irons exist from around the 14th century.
• General Electric offered the first electric waffle iron in 1911.
• Eggo frozen waffles were first sold in supermarkets in 1953.
• Belgian waffles made their US debut in 1964 at the New York World's Fair.  

We shared the first waffle hot off the iron. RL opted for butter and a drizzle of honey on his half, while I separated top from bottom and slathered my wedges with whipped honey butter. Mmmmmmm, bliss! 

Don't bother to make a half batch, you will want some to enjoy warm or cold another time. Warmed leftover waffles pair well with a bowl of your favorite chili or bean soup. Or enjoy them cold as sandwiches filled with cheese, salsa, avocado, corn salad, taco filling of any kind, etc. Leftover waffles freeze well and reheat easily in the oven or in a toaster (split in half if you make Belgian waffles). Homemade waffles have more flavor than Eggos and can be just as easy to reheat when you are in a hurry.

Waffles are more versatile than just a breakfast food. They make any meal, any day, a celebration. What's your favorite waffle?

Savory SouthWest Sourdough Waffles

Ingredients:

1 cup Sourdough Starter, recently fed and rested

1 Tablespoon sugar (helps to brown the crust)

1 egg

1/8 tsp salt

2 Tablespoons oil (canola oil or melted bacon grease)

optional seasonings: pinch of chile powder or splash of hot sauce    

1 cup total, mix of corn kernels, cooked black beans and diced sweet red peppers

scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Put the starter in mixing bowl; add sugar, egg and oil. Mix well with wood spoon. Thin with water as needed (starters vary in consistency).
2. Stir in the corn mix and optional seasonings (if you choose to use any).
3. Dilute the soda in a tablespoon of warm water. Add the baking soda at the last minute, when you’re ready for the batter to hit the iron. Fold the soda water gently into the sourdough batter. Do not beat it in heavily, you want to encourage the bubble formation, not defeat it. Bubbles will form as the batter lightens (increases in bulk).
4. Bake in a preheated, well-oiled (Belgian*) waffle iron until done. 
5. Serve on hot plates accompanied with flavored butter and/or warmed syrup.

*These will be tasty in any waffle iron, but Belgian waffles have extra deep holes to better hold any toppings.

Cinco de Mayo Collection

Ole! Are you looking for some Cinco de Mayo recipe suggestions? Here are some of the dishes we enjoy that are currently listed in My Recipe Index. Many other Mexican (Tex-Mex, Southwestern, Border State) recipes are coming, still waiting to be repeated, photographed and posted. Check back again and see how much the collection has grown, but don't wait for Cinco de Mayo to enjoy these flavorful dishes. 

Appetizers, Breads, Salsa &Sauces... & one Dessert

Chile Cheese Bean Dip

Gazpacho

Gazpacho Shooters with Spicy Shrimp

Halibut Ceviche

Chile Cheese Cornbread in a Skillet

Chipotle Cheese Bread & Spread

Jalapeno Three-Cheese Swirls

Sweet Southwest Cornbread - with a little kick

Southwest Sourdough Popovers

Tex-Mex Beer Bicuits

Chile Lime Sauce

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

Green Chile Tartar Sauce

Roasted Pepper & Tomatillo Sauce

Simple Salsa Cruda

Sweet Pepper Salsa

Mexican Chocolate Brownies (sourdough optional)

 

Chilis, Soups, Small Plates and Mains

Ad-Lib Posole

Arroz con Pollo

Black Bean Soup with Mexican Chorizo

Carnitas Tacos with Spicy Coleslaw

Ceviche Tacos

Chicken Taco Soup

Chili Verde

Chili Verde Tamale Pie with SouthWest Grits

Chorizo Poblano Qusadillas

Corn Chowder with Shrimp

Crabby Cruising Enchiladas

Dragon's Breath Chili

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Stacks

Green Chile, Chicken and Cheese Tamales

Green Chile Crab Cakes

Green Pozole with Chicken (Pozole Verde)

Grilled Vegetable Tacos

Lamb Chili with Lentils

Mexican Pork with Poblano Peppers

Migaquiles???

OMG! Two-Beef Chili with Beans

Red Posole (Pozole Rojo)

Southwest Stuffed Peppers with Chorizo

Tacodillas

Tangy Tomatillo Pork

Tomatillo Pork Tinga (and Pork Tinga Tacos)

Triple-Pork Chili Colorado

Triple-Pork Sort-of Posole Soup

Turkey and Cheese Enchiladas Verde

Two-Pork Chili with Stout

Salads and Sides

Almost Spanish Rice

Guacamole Salad

Lime Sriracha Slaw

Mexi Mac 'n Cheese (aka Southwest Pasta)

Poblano Cabbage Slaw

Poblano Potato Salad

Southwest Corn Salad

Taco Salad revisited

Red Posole (Pozole Rojo)

Even before opening my eyes I knew, it was going to be one of those days weatherwise. The wind howled outside, rattling the glass and shaking the screens on the sliding glass doors. Rain pelted the windows with a rhythmic rat-a-tat-tat fury. Finally awake and out of bed, I marveled at the three-foot surf racing across the lake to pound against our rock breakwater and roll up onto the small gravel beach. This was a perfect excuse to stay warm and dry inside and make one of our favorite comfort-food soups, pork posole (pozole). 

The recipe may look lengthy, but it is a shortcut version with remarkably little hands-on time for the cook. While the meat simmers low and slow in the oven the kitchen smells heavenly, perfumed with Southwest aromas. The aroma alone recalls fond memories of flavorful bowls of posole in New Mexico during SW road trips. More "authentic traditional" posole recipes call for (1) reconstituting and cooking hominy - field corn boiled with slaked lime and dried  - and (2) building an ancho chile puree from dried peppers  that have been toasted, deseeded, soaked and pureed. Not necessary, in my opinion, this quicker version is plenty tasty without requiring a full day of cooking.   

Posole, likened to a soupy stew, is often a celebratory dish in northern New Mexico, offered red, green or Christmas-style during the holidays.

 New Mexico is the only state with an official question—"Red or green?"—referring to the choice of red or green chile. Combining both red and green chile is often referred to as "Christmas". Wikipedia

We don't need a holiday or special occasion to enjoy posole at home. Red/rojo or green/verde, served with an array of garnishes, this soup can make any meal seem like a celebration. Not fond of pork? Try this delicious Green Posole with Chicken recipe instead. Or get creative and develop your own version.

Red Posole (Pozole Rojo)

adapted from a recipe in Cook's Illustrated, Soups and Stews, 2001

6 servings (depending on bowl size and appetites)

1 (3-pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast (or the equivalent in thick cut steaks or meaty neck bones)

Salt and coarse-ground black pepper

2-3 Tablespoons Canola oil

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 poblano chiles, deseeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (low-sodium)

1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon dried cilantro

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1+ Tablespoons Chipotle Tabasco or homemade ancho chile slurry

2 15-ounce cans white or yellow hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnish options:

1 lime, cut into wedges

3 radishes, sliced thin

2 green onions, green and white portions, sliced thin

1 avocado, diced

fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

6 jalapeño and sweet mini peppers seeded, sliced thin into rounds

Romaine or iceberg lettuce or cabbage shreds

Pepper jack cheese, shredded

Lime-flavored tortilla chips or fresh tortillas, warmed

Hot sauce or homemade ancho chile slurry

Directions:

1. Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees F. Trim any thick skin and excess chunks of fat from the meat; cut the pork into large pieces of varying sizes along the lines of the muscles. Cut away the bones if using shoulder roast or steaks, but reserve and set aside. Generously season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onions and poblanos until softened, but not browned, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onion/poblano mix and set aside in a bowl.
3. Add a single layer of meat and bones to the pot and cook until the pork is no longer pink on the outside surfaces but not crisp and browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a bowl and repeat with the remaining meat in several batches as needed.
4. Return the meat and bones to the pan; add tomatoes and their juices, oregano, cilantro, chicken broth, green Tabasco and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and skim off any ugly gray scum (while it doesn’t affect the taste much, it looks unsavory). Add the softened onion/poblano mix to the pot; cover and cook in the preheated 300 degree F oven until the meat is tender, typically 90-120 minutes.
5. When the meat is cooked tender enough to shred with two forks, remove the pot from the oven and remove the meat and bones from the pot. Add the drained and rinsed hominy to the broth; cover and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until hominy heats through and the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.  
6. While the hominy cooks, use two forks or your fingers to shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones and any large strands or chunks of fat. Return the shredded meat to the pot and simmer until heated, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings (usually salt and hot sauce in my kitchen).
7. Spoon off any excess fat that arises to the top if you are serving the posole immediately. Or refrigerate and remove congealed fat before reheating at a later time.
8. Ladle the soup into individual warmed bowls and serve immediately with a variety of garnishes.