{Over the Weekend} Hatch Chile Pork Stew & A View

BIG BREATH. This past weekend was one of our last before starting the fall semester. Tear. We used our freedom to do 10+ miles of walking, I did an exploratory bike ride, and Husband showed me how to use several of the weight training machines in the gym. It was a fitness extravaganza!

Then, I spent Sunday night making a Hatch Green Chile Pork Stew. Delish. It is Hatch season afterall. {If you're in Dallas, I hope you made it to Central Market last week; if you're in PGH, don't miss the roasting at Market District this weekend, Aug. 24 & 25!} Hatch is the best, bar-none. This stew goes nicely with the minty cocktails, Husband's specialty.

Check out the recipe after the jump! 

{Hatch Chile Pork Stew}

Adapted from Bibberche's Chile Verde

Ingredients
1 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes

Marinade:
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper
juice of one lime {~1 Tbsp}

Vegetables:
1 lb tomatillos, husked and washed
1 onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic
4 Hatch chiles, mild or hot {In our case, the hotter the better!}

Stew:
2 Tbsp bacon grease or cooking oil
1 quart chicken stock
1 bunch cilantro stems, tied with kitchen string
1 tsp Mexican oregano

Getting my mise en place together.

Instructions
Place the pork in a large, non-reactive bowl. Mix all the ingredients for marinade and rub into meat. Let marinate for about an hour while you prep the other ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 400F, and place chopped vegetables on a rimmed cookie sheet. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until slightly charred and soft. Tomatillos will likely burst, be save the juice if you can. Remove from oven and let the vegetables cool a bit.

Husked tomatillos.

I found mine at Whole Foods, but you should be able to find them anywhere.

Go get roasty-toasty!

I used Frieda's Produce Hatch Peppers because they were super fresh and available to me. This recipe demands fresh! Go get them at Whole Foods or Market District.

Peel and de-stem peppers, and then chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Husband requested the onions be left in their quartered form for more texture, and it turned out well.
Heat a Dutch oven on medium-high temperature, and add your bacon grease {or cook your bacon, and remove it for breakfast omelets the next day!} When it starts to sizzle, add your marinated pork. Brown on all sides and remove to a plate.  Pour all chopped roasted vegetables in the Dutch oven, and stir for about a minute. Add the pork, chicken stock, tied-up cilantro stems, and oregano, then turn up the heat.  Heat until it boils, then reduce to a simmer for one hour, or until the pork is tender and the stew has thickened.

If necessary, add some more stock.  When you're ready to serve, heat some corn tortillas or make a pot of plain rice. Cut some extra limes for dressing and a bit of cheddar to top the bowls of pork stew. This time I made a quick zucchini and sweet corn succotash, seasoned with cumin. Enjoy!

 - - -

Amidst our strolls, we saw a few sites:

Flower arrangements at Trader Joe's during our errand walk.

Acorn love during our Sunday afternoon walk.

Then, my bike ride yielded a view I'd not seen yet: Overlooking the Monongahela from the very tip of Beechwood Blvd at the end of Squirrel Hill/Hazelwood line. 

I love Sumac with all of my Northeastern heart.