Spicy Pork Chili with White Beans

Back in Denver. The week after the anniversary trip felt lighter than I expected, in the way that braced-for moments sometimes do — you prepare for them with such careful attention that when they arrive and you survive them, there's a small unexpected relief. The year is now more than a year. The second year is different from the first. Something in me knows this and is adjusting accordingly.

Training camp starts in two weeks. I've been in the facility every day reviewing installation schedules, depth charts, the specific adjustments I want to make from last year's scheme. The defensive improvement starts with personnel packages I've been designing since January. The offensive improvement starts with giving the sophomore QB more of the playbook and trusting what he showed me in spring. The plan is good. The execution will tell me if the plan is right.

I made carne adovada this week — the weekend version, started Friday night, ready Saturday afternoon. Pork shoulder cubed, marinated in red chile sauce overnight, then braised for three hours in the oven. I served it Saturday over rice with a fried egg on top and calabacitas on the side. Fourteen-year-old me, watching my mother make this every few weeks, would not have believed I'd be making it myself one day in Colorado. But here I am, the cooking passed from her hands to mine through twenty-five years of watching and asking and occasionally guessing. The recipe isn't written down. It never was. It lives in the muscle memory of a Medina standing at a stove, which is maybe where recipes should live.

The carne adovada is the weekend anchor — Friday night prep, Saturday afternoon reward — and on the weeks when I want something that carries that same slow-built, pork-forward warmth without committing to an overnight marinade, this spicy pork chili with white beans is where I land. It hits the same register: long cooking time, chile heat, meat that yields when you press a spoon to it. My mother’s version was never written down, and neither is this one really — but having a recipe I can point to helps on the weeks when my head is full of depth charts and I need the kitchen to do the thinking for me.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to heat preference)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz each) white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Brown the pork. Season pork cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear pork on all sides until browned, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Bloom the spices. Add chile powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and oregano to the pot. Stir constantly for 60 seconds to toast the spices in the oil.
Add liquids and pork. Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the seared pork and any accumulated juices to the pot. Stir to combine.
Simmer low and slow. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the pork is nearly tender.
Add the beans. Stir in the white beans. Continue cooking uncovered for 20–25 minutes until the chili thickens slightly and the pork is fully tender and beginning to break apart.
Finish and adjust. Stir in apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and heat. Serve over rice or with warm tortillas, topped with sour cream and fresh cilantro if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spicy Pork Chili with White Beans — The Weekend Pot That Keeps the Tradition Going