Green Hell Chili Verde With White Beans and Pork

E. J. Hilden's Note:

Another long prep recipe, this hearty and spicy stew is an excellent part of a harvest meal or just perfect for colder days. All of my recipes take a while and produce copious amounts of leftovers, and lend themselves to quick meals later. Green Hell Chili Verde with White Beans and Pork is no exception. Everything from scratch, whenever possible. Adjust the heat by either adding or subtracting fresh jalapeno peppers. Green tomatoes can substitute for tomatillos, or use both if you want. The beans need to be white, but Great Northern beans work really well. Corn flour or wheat flour are important - using cornstarch makes it slimy. Better Than Bouillon makes an excellent Ham Stock concentrate (FYI).

• Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 3 lbs tomatillos
• 2 bunches fresh green onions
• 3 large yellow onions
• 6 large fresh jalapeno peppers , split and seeded
• 15 -20 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ¼-1⁄3; cup fine cornflour or ¼-1⁄3; cup wheat flour
• 1 flexible measure cold water (as needed)
• 4 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans (up to 6 cans) or 4 (15 ounce) cans navy beans (up to 6 cans)
• 4 cups ham stock
• 4 lbs trimmed fresh boneless pork chops
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 3 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• sour cream
• shredded monterey jack pepper cheese (or both) or cheddar cheese (or both)
• salt

Directions:

1. Trim excess fat off of pork chops and cut into cubes or chunks.
2. Heat oil in the bottom of your stock pot over medium heat, add pork, salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until pork is browned and cooked through.
3. Add tablespoon (or more) concentrated ham stock or four cups prepared ham stock, stir into the pork.
4. Stir the mixture, cover the pot, turn down a touch and leave it alone.
5. Peel tomatillos, garlic cloves, and yellow onions. Trim the roots off of the green onions and cut them into four inch pieces. Split and seed the jalapeno peppers. Chop the cilantro. Liquify all ingredients in a blender or food processor, adding water as needed. They must be liquified and smooth. Fill a large mixing bowl with the puree as you go. When all of the ingredients are liquified and in the large mixing bowl, whisk in the white pepper, black pepper and cumin. Set it aside.
6. Stir the pork, oil, and ham concentrate. When the pork is browned and tender, add liquified ingredients, stir together, bring to a gentle simmer, cover the pot again, and turn heat down to just above "low." Ignore for a minimum of two hours (I generally go for three). This lets the flavors combine and develop and become very fragrant. Stir it if you want to, but I have not found it necessary. In two or three hours, your kitchen should reek and the stew should be bright green, potent, fragrant, and ready for completion.
7. After a few hours, mix your favorite cornbread recipe (savory is better than sweet on this one), pop that in the oven (20 minutes or so?) and open the canned beans into a strainer or colander. Drain and rinse beans in cold water and add to the soup pot. Stir the beans into the stew, bring to a gentle simmer once again, and cover.
8. Mix corn flour or wheat flour into very cold water until all of the lumps are gone and you have formed a thick-ish slurry. Add to the soup pot, stir constantly until thick.
9. Time to eat. Serve with warm cornbread or tortillas or both. Top servings with shredded pepper jack or mexican blend cheese and sour cream, garnish with chopped cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!