Recipe Box, Pork and Green Chili

the Painted Apron

10 years ago

I know to most of the country snow is no big deal~ in Alabama it is a huge deal. This is our third snow in 3 weeks. We were ready this time!

When it started, hours after the storm in Atlanta and Charlotte, because it was rotating backwards, most of our fair Southern city was tucked in at home and ready to play…and we literally got 2 inches of snow in 20 minutes! Never have I seen anything like it!

Enough Mother Nature!

Okay, on to important things like food~

Are you familiar with New Orleans chef John Besh? He is a man dedicated not only to the culinary riches of his native Louisiana, but to the importance of family and friends, and the joy of creating and sharing great meals. He has won many awards, including “Top 10 New Best Chefs” from Food & Wine, and he owns nine acclaimed restaurants, the most famous being ‘August‘ in New Orleans. He is a cookbook author and hosts cooking shows on television. He also supports many foundations, and was named Father of the year in 2012. That is quite a resume!

With all that going on, he has also managed to launch Besh Box, which is a monthly box, like Fruit of the Month Club, full of goodies that you can order for yourself or a gift, and part of the proceeds go to support his favorite charities and foundations.

My son, HHjr, the Food Network Star wannabe, mentioned he would like a subscription for Christmas, and it has been so much fun!

The boxes are filled with things that Chef Besh finds important to the cooking and eating experience, such as gourmet cooking tools, specialty ingredients, fun items that go with the theme of the box, a music playlist, a cocktail pairing, a grocery list and recipes of course.

The January box was titled The Big Game, with a recipe for Pork and Green Chili, perfect for the Super Bowl.

The box came with a piece of astroturf for a tablescape, and a plastic football ice mold! Also a beautiful wooden spoon, a jalapeno corer, Arugula seeds and a heavy duty dish towel, as well as cannellini beans, Mexican oregano and even a grocery list!

I left HHjr my camera and happily went out shopping with DD & CC while he cooked and snapped these photos!

I have a blogging assistant!

He loved this recipe because it called for a big ole hunk of pork~he bought pork butt

You make a sauce with tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalpenos, cumin, cilantro and chicken broth

Once the vegetables are soft puree the mixture with an immersion blender

Brown the pork cubes over high heat, turning to brown all sides.

Add cannelleni beans, season

add tomatillo sauce

At this point you can bring it to a boil and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or put it in a slow cooker and let it cook on low for 5-6 hours. He did the slow cooker method and it was divine~

This box also came with a cornbread recipe~

HHjr made that too~ lucky us!

You can’t beat a steaming hot bowl of chili with sour cream and cheese, and a squeeze of lime~

especially if you have a wedge of homemade cornbread on the side!

BESH BOX PORK AND GREEN CHILI

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword chili, pork and green chili

Ingredients

2 lbs. pork shoulder or pork butt cut into cubes
4 T bacon fat
1 lb. tomatillos quartered
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
5 cloves garlic chopped
4 green onions chopped
2 white onions chopped
1 1/2 quarts 6 cups, chicken stock
1/3 bunch cilantro
1 jalpeno seeded, skinned and pureed
2 tsp Mexican oregano
3 poblano peppers or hatch chilies seeded and chopped
3 Anaheim peppers or hatch chilies seeded and chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup cannellini beans washed
1 T sugar
sour cream and grated cheese for garnish
lime

Instructions

In a heavy bottom pan heat 2 T bacon fat over high heat. Add tomatillos and cumin.
Stir and then add garlic, green and white onions, 1 quart chicken stock [4 cups], cilantro, and jalapeno.
Continue to cook and stir until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Remove to bowl and puree with an immersion blender [or blend in small batches in blender]
Return pot to high heat and add 2 T bacon fat. Brown meat cubes on all sides.
Add Mexican oregano, peppers, beans, sugar and salt and pepper.
Stir in tomatillo sauce and remaining chicken stock.
Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or transfer to slow cooker and cook on low 5-6 hours.
Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheese and a squeeze of lime. Serves 6-8

Printable of the Grocery List