Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Chile Verde

There are a ka-jillion variations for Chile Verde con Carne, or green chile with meat.  Some call for tomatillo, some for tomato, some for potato, some have lots of spices. Some are for beef, some for pork.  Everybody has one, as they say.  Including my Dad.

Dad makes himself a big pot every week or so in the retirement apartment where he lives.  He then eats it several times during the week  for lunch.  He never gets tired of it, and although I wish he ate more vegetables, it's a healthy, low fat meal.
His recipe is:  chile, round steak cut into pieces, potato, and onion.  Sometimes garlic, sometimes not.  Water with beef bullion cube. Salt and pepper.  He cooks it a long time on low.  That's it.  He doesn't brown the meat or the vegetables and he uses only round steak.   He learned from a butcher that a local Mexican restaurant always used round steak, because the cooked meat held together and didn't disintegrate into vague beef-ish stuff.   His weekly batch definitely needs to hold up.

I use round steak as well, but sometimes I'll cut up a tri-tip or a chuck roast because I like the flavor.  You could certainly use "Stew Meat". 



Personally, I like Chile Verde that doesn't have potato.
Here is how I like to make mine:
You will need;

(for 6 servings)

2 1/2 lbs. of trimmed round steak.
seasoning (I like Great American Steak Seasoning) and flour
6 (minimum) green chiles, peeled and seeded.
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
oregano
1 bottle or can of beer or 2 cups  of water.
Cooking oil for browning the meat and vegetables.
1.Season the meat with seasoning and flour lightly. Cut into bite sized pieces.
2. Heat up a heavy dutch oven and put a small amount of oil on the bottom. ( I use peanut oil for browning)
3. In batches, brown the meat well.  Remove from the dutch oven. 





4. Cook the chopped onion, garlic and chile and 1/2 tsp. oregano until it's slightly browned.












5. Return the meat to the pan.
6. Add the can of tomato sauce and the water or beer.
7. Cover and put into a 300° oven.


 8. Check after 2 hours for tenderness and add liquid if you need to. You can cook this all day if you want to.


Serve with flour tortillas.

2 comments:

Allan said...

Your "Griggs" recipes are great and right on. The salsa directions should say "absolutely do not de-seed or de-vein the jalapenos".
No offense, but I want your Dad's recipe for chile verde.
Pepe's restaurant in Canutillo is Griggs' recipes; ask Bridget.
allanlarock@gmail.com

Jan said...

Here is Dad's recipe:
Around two pounds of roast beef---top round or whatever ,as long as it's practically all lean.
About five large potatoes,preferably red.
A couple of good sized onions.
A couple of cubes of Knorr-Caldo de Res .
Chop up about three or four fresh roasted (and peeled ) long green Chiles and (depending on taste ) about four or five fresh roasted peeled jalapenos.
Cube all of the beef,potatoes and onions to about 1/2 inch cubes ,pulverize the two cubes of Knorr beef bouillon,and boil it for a minute in a half cup of water in the Microwave.
Mix the whole lot together ,add a couple of cups of water ,bring it to a boil and let it simmer at a low boil for at least two hours.Add water as needed.
This makes up at least a gallon of Chile Verde con carne which I divide into two good sized sealable bowls ,freeze one and eat on the other . Living alone ,this lasts me for a couple of weeks.