Spicy Pork Chili With Cumin Polenta
photo by cbjb1188
- Ready In:
- 3hrs 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 20
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
-
Chili
- 88.74 ml vegetable oil, divided (plus more if needed)
- 354.88 ml chopped onions
- 236.59 ml diced carrot (1/2-inch dice)
- 29.58 ml minced serrano peppers
- 1360.77 g boneless pork loin, trimmed of all excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 118.29 ml all-purpose flour
- 4.92 ml kosher salt (plus more if needed)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 29.58 ml minced garlic
- 793.78 g can italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
- 29.58 ml fresh lime juice
- 9.85 ml fresh lime juice
- 946.36 ml low-sodium chicken broth
- 29.58 ml chopped fresh cilantro
- 6 thin lime wedges, for garnish
-
Polenta
- 946.36 ml chicken stock (plus a little extra if needed)
- 9.85 ml ground cumin
- 236.59 ml yellow cornmeal
- 14.79 ml unsalted butter
- 118.29 ml whole milk
directions
- Make the chili: heat 2 tablespoons oil in a big, heavy, deep-sided pot set over med-high heat.
- When hot, add onion and carrots; saute, stirring, for 5 minutes.
- Add in serrano peppers; cook 1 minute.
- Remove pan from heat and spoon ingredients onto a plate; set aside; reserve pot.
- Put pork in a large ziplock plastic bag; add flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper; seal bag and shake well to coat pork with flour.
- Return pot to med-high heat and add 2-3 more tablespoons oil, or enough to coat the bottom of pan lightly.
- When hot enough, add enough floured pork cubes to fit comfortably in a single layer in pan (do not crowd); brown pork, turning, for 3-4 minutes.
- Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to paper towels to drain; repeat with remaining pork, adding more oil as needed.
- Return all browned pork to pan and add garlic.
- Cook and toss 1 minute.
- Return reserved onion, carrots, and peppers to pan.
- Add tomatoes, lime juice, and broth.
- Bring mixture to simmer, then decrease heat.
- Simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes, then cover and cook until meat is quite tender, about 50-60 minutes.
- Taste chili and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- **Chili can be prepared 2 days ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate; reheat over medium heat.
- To make polenta: combine 4 cups stock and the cumin in a large, heavy saucepan set over med-high heat.
- When stock begins to boil, decrease heat and gradually (in a thin stream) whisk in cornmeal.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to thicken, for 6-8 minutes or less.
- Stir in butter and milk; taste and add salt, as needed.
- **Polenta can be made up to 2 days ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate; reheat over low heat, stirring constantly and adding additional stock, as needed, until polenta is desired texture.
- To serve--spoon a generous 1/2 cup polenta into 6 shallow soup bowls.
- Ladle pork chili over polenta and sprinkle each portion with some cilantro.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
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