February 10, 2005

Chili Verde Recipe

As many of you are aware, I lost my mom to cancer in late January 2005. This is one of my favorite recipes of Momma's that I had the priviledge to learn prior to her passing. Here's to you, Momma! Ingredients: oil (such as canola, vegetable or corn oil) to cover bottom of large pot 1.5 pounds of good steak (the kind you'd grill, so it can get tender), cut into 1" pieces kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 jalepeno, ribs & seeds removed, chopped (or more to suit the "burn factor") 2 small cans of diced green chiles 36-oz of diced tomatoes (however many cans this takes - I get to used home canned...YUM!) 6-7 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

Instructions:
Heat large pot over medium high heat. Once hot, pour in oil. Add batches of cubed steak, seasoning with salt and pepper, cooking each batch until browned (you want to cook in batches, or you won't get decent browning - I usually break it into thirds, reserving the cooked meat on a plate). Once all batches are cooked and removed from the pot, add the garlic, onion and jalepeno, cooking until the onions are tender (this also allows you to get those yummy "bits" from the bottom of the pan). Once the vegetables are tender, add the meat back to the pan, stirring. At this point, add the diced green chiles and tomatoes, juice included. Bring the mixture up to a bowl, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. After this, add the diced potatoes and a little more salt and pepper to taste. Bring back up to a boil, cover and simmer another 30-40 minutes, removing the lid the last 10 or so minutes of cooking. Serve with warm tortillas for dipping (or for making "burritos").

My two cents: My mother grew up in New Mexico and lived in Texas many years. This dish was one of her best, and even though it seems like it might take awhile, it is worth the wait. This is a recipe I will pass down to my children. It is just that wonderful!