Zesty Green Chile Stew

January 2021. Spring football starts in six weeks and I have never been more ready to be back on a field. We've been doing conditioning through the pandemic protocols — small groups, outdoor, distanced. The players are hungry in a way that a normal preseason doesn't produce. They've been kept from this. They want it back. Hunger is an asset when you point it correctly.

Diego is going to be a starter. I need to say that without equivocation, even though I've been careful about it for months. The JV coach told me directly: he's the best running back we have. That's not my father's opinion. That's the JV coach, who has no reason to tell me anything but the truth. He'll be on varsity this spring. He's fourteen and he'll be playing with eighteen-year-olds and he has the physical and mental tools for it. I know it. His coaches know it. He doesn't need to know that I know it. He needs to earn it himself.

Hector got vaccinated on Tuesday. Marisol texted me a photo — Hector in his denim jacket, in a folding chair at a community center in Las Cruces, sleeve rolled up, a bandage on his arm, grinning at the phone like he'd just won something. He had. I stared at that photo for a long time. I sent him back a voice message because I didn't have the right words in text. He sent back a voice message that was mostly him telling me not to be dramatic. He was laughing when he said it.

Birria tacos this week — the full production, slow-braised beef in guajillo and ancho, consommé for dipping. I've made birria enough times now that it's in my fingers — I know when the chile paste needs more toasting, when the broth has the right depth, when the fat has done its work. Craft is just repetition until the hands know what the head used to have to figure out.

Birria has been my anchor this winter — but the week Hector got vaccinated and I looked at that photo from Las Cruces for the tenth time, I wanted something that carried the same slow, deliberate heat without demanding a full production. This green chile stew is what I made when I needed the braise without the ceremony: low and slow, building depth the same patient way, with the kind of finish that only comes from not rushing it. It belonged to that week.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder or beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups roasted green chiles, peeled and chopped (Hatch or Anaheim)
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro and warm flour tortillas, for serving

Instructions

Brown the meat. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season meat generously with salt and pepper, then sear in batches until browned on all sides, about 4–5 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 and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add chiles and tomatoes. Stir in the roasted green chiles, diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, and oregano. Cook for 3–4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Braise low and slow. Return the browned meat to the pot. Pour in the broth, ensuring meat is mostly submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add potatoes. Stir in the cubed potatoes. Re-cover and continue simmering on low for an additional 30–40 minutes, until the meat is tender and the potatoes are cooked through and beginning to absorb the broth.
Adjust and finish. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If the stew is thinner than you like, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to reduce. The broth should be deep, red-tinged, and aromatic.
Serve. Ladle into bowls, top with fresh cilantro, and serve alongside warm flour tortillas for dipping.

Nutrition (per serving)

Zesty Green Chile Stew — Slow-Cooked and Ready When the Work Is Done