World Champion Green Chili 2011

2011 Green Chili World Cookoff Winner

Personally I thought this was a very good recipe and easy to make. But take note of the mixed reviews.

Here is my take on these reviews:

  • One reviewer found this way too salty. Note it calls for celery salt. I mixed my own celery salt and I’m wondering if commercial celery salts vary in salt:celery seed proportions. I suggest cutting celery salt to 1/2 tsp and then adjust to taste at the end.
  • The same reviewer found it came out like a thick mole. I agree – it is nearly a solid. That did not bother me as mine tasted really good, but many would say it does not qualify as green chili. I suggest adding at least 1 to 2 cups water or chicken broth.
  • There are some questions about the green chili salsa and exactly what that is. Note there are 3 different types of green chili sauces: green chili sauce (which is like the green chili you are trying to make here but without pork), green chili salsa (usually labelled as salsa verde), and green enchilada sauce (which is smooth like red enchilada sauce and has a different flavor). I tested 3 different brands out – Safeway Salsa Verde, La Victoria Salsa Verde, and Herdez Salsa Verde. I do not recommend the Herdez, but Safeway and La Victoria were both very good.
Instructions have you make the mix separately. I have found that the spice mix comes out to a rounded 2/3 cup. So you can make the mix ahead of time and store it for quick cooking. You can halve the recipe using 1/3 cup mix and 1 lb pork or easily double the recipe, etc.

 

2.6 from 5 reviews
OLD NO.7 CHILI VERDE
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: green chili
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • SPICE MIX:
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 2½ Tbsp chicken base or bouillon
  • 1 tsp celery salt
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 1 Tbsp dried cilantro or cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 Tbsp green chile powder
  • MEAT:
  • 2 tsp canola oil
  • 2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1½ cups chicken broth
  • 1¼ cups (10 ounces) canned green chili salsa
  • 20 ounces canned chopped green chiles
  • Dash of Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce
  • Salt
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine spice mix ingredients. In a large pot over medium heat, gently brown pork in oil. Drain.
  2. Add onion and chicken broth to pot and simmer over medium heat for 1 hour, stirring often.
  3. Add spice mix and salsa and simmer for 1 hour. Add green chiles, Tabasco, and salt to taste. Continue simmering for 1 more hour.
  4. Garnish with pepper jack cheese.

 

27 comments to World Champion Green Chili 2011

  • digitel

    Where does on get canned green chili salsa? do they mean Green Chili enchilada sauce? or something from 505?

    And i assume you can find the green chili powder in the world food isle?

    thanks

  • RandyO

    Herdez (sp?) has a chili verde sauce that essentially uses green mexican tomatoes instead of red.. Any grocery should have it.. just about as easy to make your own however (sure tastes better)

    • Anita

      I just did a taste test of the Herdez green chili salsa vs La Victoria and Safeway. I liked Safeway best followed by La Victoria and Herdez came in last. The Herdez is made with green tomatoes and has less depth of flavor. The other two are made with tomatillos, which I think makes a big difference.

  • Robin

    I made this recipe and am pretty disappointed-it is nothing like the green chili I use to love when I lived in Denver-it is way too salty (from the bouillon) I added a lot of water because the recipe clearly forgot to add it (all that bouillon and only 1 and 1/2 cup of water???
    It tastes more like a thick mole sauce-which would be great if that is what I wanted.

    • Anita

      I just made this recipe for the first time a couple weeks ago. Mine was not too salty, but it did end up quick thick, almost like a solid. I actually liked it that way, but at the same time many people would say that’s not real chili verde. Clearly this recipe should have more water and you need to be careful about salt content.

  • Bob

    That has been my challenge as well. I will be trying the Mexican grocery store. I’ll let you know. P.S. This recepie rocks. Last time we used just plain old chili powder.

    • Anita

      I’ll be hitting the social networks looking for more Mexican grocery stores – I visited Lowe’s Mercado last week and was disappointed. Glad you liked the recipe.

  • frank

    you can all the things you need for thin on colfax at a mexican market.just leave the rolls at home.lol

  • dawn stenson

    Well, it’s not really a chili “recipe” if you use prepared canned chili, is it? That seems odd, and also, why would it suggest canned green chilis, if it’s on this website, which is about all things great abouthe local roasted green chilis??

    • Anita

      About using canned chiles – I only cook with roasted green chiles (fresh or frozen), but in many parts of the country you can’t get them. So … most of the recipes I publish just specify quantity. If I am publishing someone else’s (like a Word Champion recipe) I usually just publish the way the recipe author wrote it. If I make changes, I note it in my commentary. Note that the International Chili Society allows canned ingredients (including canned salsas and enchilada sauces) – see the ICS rules.

  • Richard Jordan

    I’ve read through the recipe as well as the various comments and have a couple of suggestions and comments. I’m a 71 year old native Arizonan whose family settled into this state as ranchers back in the 1870s. Our family has always had a deep and abiding love for “Mexican food.” Although I love almost all of it, my most favorite is chili verdé. I can guarantee that following my very simple hints here that you’ll make a chili verdé you, and everyone you serve it to, will absolutely love.
    First, all you need in the way of ingredients are either a pork butt or shoulder and a big mess of Anaheim chilies, salt, onions, garlic, and a good chicken broth (stock). Believe it or not, that will make a very good basic chili verdé. Whatever else you want to add is ok, too.
    Regarding where to find green chili salsa: That’s just about as rare as fangs on a chicken. You ain’t gonna find such a thing. If you do, it will be made of tomatillos and that is not what you want.
    Herdez, an authentic old, Mexican brand (Hecho en Mexico) has a good salsa (the Tacoria blend), but that’s best on eggs at breakfast. I don’t recommend any commercial salsa for chili verdé! (Period!!!)
    Don’t use any water, only chicken broth. You want flavor. No water! Salt? There are only two kinds of salt: Kosher and sea-salt. No table salt can compare so why bother with anything else.
    There’s an old Arizona (Texas also) saying that if you can’t stand a fork in your chili and have it remain upright, you’ve made soup, not chili. Chili is fairly thick. The same tradition says no beans!
    The first hurdle you have to overcome is finding Anaheim chili peppers. Believe me, no other chili pepper will provide the truly magnificent flavor of the beautiful Anaheim. Picking the best peppers is easy, if they look nice and green and are unblemished, they’ll do. It doesn’t hurt, however to carefully select the largest ones. In addition, for a very good reason I’ll shortly get to, select for uncomplicated shapes. The more bizarre their shape, the harder it is to scorch the inedible, very durable, protective skin that covers the entire body of the pepper.
    Mexican women stand in front of a hot surface and repeatedly turn the peppers so that the tough protective skin is blistered or charred. Either that, or they flame roast them over a fire in a revolving wire basket turned like a chicken on a rotisserie. Long, hot, and uncomfortable work and I don’t recommend it. Go to the hardware store and get a little hand torch fueled by LPG. (Liquid Propane Gas) Benz is a good brand, but any of them will do. This beats the traditional method of searing the outer film off on a hot surface by miles and will save you a lot of time as well.
    Put your peppers on your bar-b-que grill and blister or char the entire surface of each pepper. Don’t worry about burning them. Next, you’ve got to put them in water and, using your hands, remove all the blistered and charred outer skin. Rinse all of that stuff off of the pepper.
    Almost all recipes tell you to split the scorched peppers and remove the seeds and connective tissue (the plant’s placenta), but, if you like it a little more spicy, don’t bother. If you want a little more spice without going “full bore,” seed and devein half of them. Having done that, dice them, or put them in a food processor, it doesn’t matter.
    Cut the boned pork into cubes. Brown each of the pork cubes. If you want, you can dredge them in flour.
    Now, braise the pork cubes in the chicken stock. This is going to take a while. The connective tissue and the fat you haven’t trimmed off impart a great deal of the flavor to the chili. For the collagen of the connective tissue needs to be cooked at 180 degrees Fahrenheit for quite a while, several hours at least to truly become edible. Otherwise, the meat will be tough and unpleasant to chew.
    Now you add the diced chili peppers, as much onion as you like (to taste) and a big mess of chopped garlic. How much garlic? How much did you buy? Just kidding, but it’s almost impossible to overdo the garlic.
    I assume you know how to prepare pinto beans from scratch. Now you can also add the beans.
    But, “Wait!,” you say . . ., “You said chili doesn’t have beans!” Yep, that’s what I said, but they taste good and, although it’s not traditional, who cares?
    What else can you add? Whatever you want, I guess. I like to add a few diced tomatoes. Again, not traditional, but they taste really good in chili verdé. Don’t bother seeding the tomatoes; the seeds and juice has a lot of flavor and there’s no good reason to do all that nonsensical busy work. Some cilantro also gives a nice flavor.
    You’ll note that I haven’t told you how much of anything to use. You don’t need that information. It’s pointless!
    This is the world’s easiest recipe (other than preparing the damned Anaheim chili peppers, that is). You can test the taste as you go. No matter how it turns out, it’s going to be delicious! If it’s soupy, a heck of a lot of people prefer it that way. If it’s thick, it’s got pretty much the same flavor as it would if it’s soupy.
    How many Anaheim peppers do you use? A lot! Don’t skimp, that’s where most of your flavor comes from. I also like to throw in a large diced jalapeño pepper for an additional touch of spice. I like it hot!
    Lastly, don’t let this scare you! Chili verdé is truly one of the most bulletproof, simple meals you can make. Even if it comes out wrong, you’re gonna love it!
    God bless the Anaheim chili pepper! And may God Bless the United States of America and protect us from foolish left-wingers.

    • TRISH

      Thank you Richard for your commentary. You had me laughing yet what you said is VERY true. I was raised in the “midwest flatlands” and came to Colorado when I was 33 years old. I have learned so much about traditions, customs, food that is nearly sacred here & in surrounding states. Green chiles are one of my favorite foods and I make the annual trek to Pueblo each September or October to buy freshly roasted chiles. I buy directly from the farms and that is how I discovered green chile powder. I use it along with the green chiles & it does a great job of “boosting” that green chile flavor.

    • mike barth

      Everything was going along just fine until I came to the last line when you brought POLITICS into the your blowviated comment on green chili. I’m Sorry but when I go looking for a chili recipe I don’t expect to have to put up with a 5589 character, 21 line (probably a fictional story coming from a right winger), about how to make green chili. Having watched the last 4 years of pure factual untruths about democrats and lies about our Commander An d Chief. Everyone else manager make their comment in 500 characters or less! Pat yourself on the back for embarrassing yourself with politicizing a chili recipe!!!

  • Bobby

    I found green chili powder at the Chili Guys (Olde Glory Fireworks) on Federal Blvd. near I-76.

  • andy

    Savory Spice Shop carries green chile powder. Several Denver area locations. http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/

    Can’t wait to try this – appreciate the comments about the salt.

  • Brian

    I was looking for a good green chili recipe when I found this site. After reading from some of the miscellaneous pulldowns, (by the way I’m disappointed that Brewery Bar II was not even mentioned in the top restaraunts section), I started reading this recipe.
    “World Champion Green Chili 2011”. Are you kidding me? Who were the judges that decided this was a world class recipe? Jumping off the page at me in black and white is dried seasoning powders and canned salsa and chilis?!? And tabasco sauce?
    Geez! What level of culinary genious did I stumble upon, anyway? Nevermind. That was a rhetorical question.
    I’ll look elsewhere for a green chili recipe…

  • Kevin

    Green chile is so much better when made with fresh, fire-roasted green chiles (Hatch, if you can get them) and slow-braising a pork shoulder that you browned first on the grill or in the pan. Braise for 6-8 hrs.

  • I cooked this with Pork ribs, love it, used more chicken stock than water. I browned the meat then cooked in the broth until tender, and then added all the mixins. I used the canned green chilis, which work along with the frozen ones at King Soopers, they are a little spicier, even the mild, I don’t like a lot of spice, if you like it spicier, just add green jalepeno tobasco sauce. This is tasty, thanks for the recipe.

  • Kevin Hunt

    Isn’t adding green chili sauce or salsa to the recipe cheating? At that point you are adding someone’s recipe to your own to make it taste good. CHEATING!! Most of the recipes on this website all add a store bought green chili sauce to theirs, all should be disqualified. im disappointed :p signed Colorado Native.

  • Michelle

    I agree with Brian! This is not homemade with canned and jarred salsa! I make green chili all the time (in Colorado, Mexican food is another food group!) and it’s so simple you don’t need jarred prepackaged foods. Although I don’t agree with Richard Jordan putting his political views on here(right or wrong) he makes chili the right way! Ditch this main recipe and follow Richards directions. (and of you are stubborn and don’t want to because of his political ranting, then just do it and say its mine!)

  • Paul

    Amazing! A perfect combination of spices that made a robust and full-bodied green chile! Bravo!

  • robert

    green chili powder can be ordered from NM albeit it is sun dried, yet does add intensity. marinate that pork shoulder for a few days, cube, bake prior o browning.

  • Scott

    One word for everyone SALTY…….no real flavors just the salt you bought in a can come on you can do it make fresh do some chopping…..respect the Chile

  • Scott

    About using canned chiles – I only cook with roasted green chiles (fresh or frozen), but in many parts of the country you can’t get them. So … most of the recipes I publish just specify quantity. If I am publishing someone else’s (like a Word Champion recipe) I usually just publish the way the recipe author wrote it. If I make changes, I note it in my commentary. Note that the International Chili Society allows canned ingredients (including canned salsas and enchilada sauces) – see the ICS rules.

    THIS IN MY OPION ONLY SAYS IT’S REALLY WRONG..WHY DON’T YOU HAVE A NATURAL GREEN CHILE COOK OFF……AND THE ANYWAY YOU WANT COOK OFF THAT WAY YOUR GOING UP AGAINST YOUR OWN TYPE COOK/chef

    My two cents
    Scott

  • Colorado Native

    I’m gonna use turkey instead of pork for a healthier version,thanks for all the ideas peeps!

  • just found the site, thanks to a blogging meetup. will be back for certain to learn more about green chili in Colorado

  • RightWingAwesomeness

    This recipe works well minus the bouillon and by adding more chicken broth. I also like to use a whole bundle of fresh cilantro.

    Also, what a bunch of whiners we have here. Who cares if you used canned food and powder. If you really think that is “cheating” you care waaaayyyyy too much.

    Make it how you want, if you have access to fresh green chili then use em, if not, oh well.

    Richard you are a loon.

    To end I will tell a joke:

    How can you tell someone is a Colorado native?
    Don’t worry, they will tell you.

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