Updated photos and post. Originally posted June 11, 2009.
Of all the meals in my Slow Roasted Pork Challenge this pork stew was the one that fell a little flat for me. That's not to say it wasn't good I was just disappointed the flavor of the green chile's didn't stand up more. The flavor reminded me too much of a regular ol' pot of chili. I loved the idea of using the tomato/beer gravy leftover from the pork roast as a base for the stew; the flavor is so rich and robust I would lick anything that it came into contact with. But originally I used 4 cups of the broth and it was just too overpowering.
I roasted another pork shoulder for company a couple weeks ago and there was so much tomato/beer broth leftover. My heart cried a little at the thought of throwing it away so I froze it in 1 1/2 cup portions to save for a rainy day.
It was the perfect opportunity to experiment with this Mexican stew a bit more, and I'm so happy I did. The result is a lovely green chile broth with undertones of acidity from the beer and tomatoes, smooth richness from the pork and pops of sweetness from the corn. Delicioso.
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Serves 4-6
2 cups shredded pork or 4 boneless pork chops, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups of leftover tomato/onion/beer gravy puree (or if unavailable use 1 can tomato sauce and 1 tbsp lime juice)
2 potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, cubed
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jar of salsa verde (about 2 cups)
1 cup water
2 4 oz cans of green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano (Mexican oregano would be great here)
1 cup frozen corn
Sour cream (optional)
Tortilla chips, crushed (optional)
In a large pot over medium heat, add about a tbsp of oil. If using pork chops instead of shredded pork, add to the pot and saute until brown then remove from the pan. In the same pot add the onions, garlic, carrots and potatoes. Saute for about 5-10 minutes to let the vegetables soften. Pour in the salsa verde and scrape up any bits that are on the bottom of the pot. Add the shredded pork or browned pork, broth/gravy, green chiles, water, cumin, and oregano. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until the veggies are soft and the flavors have melded nicely. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the frozen corn.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and/or with crushed tortilla chips on top.
Click here for printable version of Salsa Verde Mexican Stew
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THE RESULTS?
In the words of my husband "it's a hearty bowl of smokey goodness". This is a lovely way to not waste any of the delicious tomato/beer gravy leftover from the pork roast.
This meal is quite frugal considering all the leftovers and inexpensive vegetables. For more inexpensive meal ideas, visit the $5 Dinner Challenge.
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