Green Chile With Pork and Roasted Chiles

By
Molly Watson
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/17/23
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
New Mexico Style Pork Green Chili in a white bowl, garnished with lime wedges and cilantro and tortilla chips and avocado on the side

The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 110 mins
Steam Time: 15 mins
Total: 2 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 8 to 10 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
648 Calories
41g Fat
17g Carbs
48g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 648
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g 53%
Saturated Fat 15g 76%
Cholesterol 169mg 56%
Sodium 778mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 48g
Vitamin C 221mg 1,104%
Calcium 79mg 6%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 1066mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

New Mexico chiles are a product famous across the United States for their flavor and quality. As a matter of fact, it is unlawful to brand chiles not grown in this state as "New Mexico chiles," because only its soil and tradition proves to be what set these chiles apart from the rest, even when comparing the same varieties. And maybe it's because of such a tradition and the pride that local farmers take in their chiles that dishes like pork green chile have grown to become favorite recipes for locals and visitors alike.

Our take on this classic uses the best of New Mexico's chiles, combining spices and pork into a stew-like dish that's filling, aromatic, and packed with flavor. Using roasted and relatively mild green chiles as the base of an aromatic sauce, the cubed pork gets tender and juicy, ideal for corn or flour tortillas to soak up the goodness. With just the right amount of spice, you're in for a delightful treat that can be made ahead of time, and even prepared and frozen for a bowl of green chile any time you want it.

Although there is no one true recipe for green chile—the beauty of ancient preparations—the key to ours is to use fresh chiles, bitter beer, and lard, a delicious pork fat that gives an unctuousness to the chile. If possible, use Hatch chiles, but poblano, pasilla, or Anaheim will work, too. For a lighter version, cool the stew and remove the fat that will congeal on top—although doing so might eliminate some of the unctuousness that makes this simple stew so special.

2:31

Click Play to See This New Mexico Style Pork Green Chile Recipe Come Together

"You might not expect a complex flavor with this simple list of ingredients, but this pork with green chile was delicious. Poblano peppers work well in this if you can't find the New Mexican chiles in your area. I used lager beer and chicken stock. I highly recommend this recipe." —Diana Rattray

New Mexico Style Pork Green Chili in a white bowl with a spoon
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 12 large mild green chiles

  • 1 large onion

  • 2 tablespoons lard, or vegetable oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

  • 2 to 2 1/2 pounds pork butt, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup beer, broth, or water

  • 2 cups low-sodium broth, or water

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients gathered for green chili pork with roasted chiles

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F. When oven is hot, roast the green chiles until charred on all sides. Alternatively, use the oven's broiler to char the chiles, turning so all sides are blackened (or char on the open flame of a gas stove, using tongs to turn).

    Roasted green chiles on a baking sheet lined with foil

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  3. Cover chiles with foil and allow them to steam and cool down for at least 15 minutes.

    Chiles cooling on a baking sheet covered with foil

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Pull off chile stems, scrape off and remove peels, remove seeds, and chop into small pieces. Set chiles aside.

    Peeled, seeded, and chopped roasted green chiles in a white bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  5. Peel and thinly slice onion.

    Thinly sliced onions on a cutting board with a knife

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  6. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the lard on medium. When the lard melts, add onions, chiles, and salt. Stir well and cook until onions are soft, about 3 minutes.

    Chiles, onion and salt cooking in a pot with lard and oil

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  7. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl, leaving as much fat in pot as possible.

    Cooked chiles and onions in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  8. Brown pork pieces, working in single layer batches. Repeat process until all pieces are browned. Remove from pot and set aside.

    Pork pieces browning in a large pot

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  9. Add flour to remaining fat that's left in the pot and stir rapidly.

    Flour added to the pork liquid in the pan

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  10. Keep stirring until flour smells cooked, about 3 minutes.

    Flour mixture in the pan cooked to thicken

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  11. Add beer, stir, and scrape up any brown bits from bottom of pot. The mixture should thicken up fairly quickly.

    Beer added to the pan and stirred together to thicken

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  12. Add broth and return pork and vegetables to the pot. Everything should be covered by liquid — add more broth or water if necessary.

    Broth, pork and vegetables added to the flour gravy mixture in the pot

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  13. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, until the pork is extremely tender, about 1 hour.

    New Mexico Style Pork Green Chili cooking in a covered white pot

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  14. If you like a thicker texture, uncover the pot and cook further. Taste for salt and add more if needed.

    New Mexico Style Pork Green Chili cooked and ready in a white pot

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

What to Serve With Green Chile Pork

Besides tortillas or cornbread, there are many possibilities for complementary side dishes to go with green chile pork. Here are a few ideas:

Recipe Variations

As there is no one recipe for green chile, make it your own using our recipe as a template. Here are a few easy substitutions and additions:

  • Use plain water if you don't want to use beer, or don't have any. The same goes for the broth; the chiles and pork add plenty of flavor all on their own, but broth adds an extra layer, so use it if you can.
  • Use cubed chicken turkey or beef instead of the pork. Although pork is the traditional meat, other meats can also make a wonderful green chile.
  • Add a handful of stemmed and chopped cilantro to the dish right before serving.
  • Serve with lime wedges for brightness.
  • Replace the flour with cornmeal or rice flour to make a gluten-free version. Alternatively, skip the flour and add a slurry made with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch diluted in 1 tablespoon of water when adding the beer and broth. Make sure you select a gluten-free beer or just replace the beer with broth or water.
  • For thicker broth, make a slurry with 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of water; mix until smooth. Stir the slurry into the finished chile and continue to cook for a minute or two until thickened.

How to Store Green Chile With Pork

  • Refrigerate leftover pork with roasted green chile peppers in a covered container within 2 hours and consume within 4 days.
  • To freeze, cool the green chile pork thoroughly and spoon it into zip-close freezer bags. Label the bags with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the chile in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot—at least 165 F.

Can I Cook the Chile in the Oven?

If you don't have time to keep an eye on the stove and your pot is oven-safe, simply preheat the oven to 350 F, place the covered pot in it, and cook it for about an hour.