Some Comfort: Pork Chili Verde

This has been a rough week. Between Hurricane Sandy and some other sad news, I felt the need for a warm bowl of comfort. We were very lucky to be left unscathed by the storm but an emergency means that Karl's work kicks into high gear -resulting in lots of late nights and odd meal times.

After several late-night cheeseburgers and fries I decided to make something healthy and rejuvenating... and something that could simmer on the stove until whatever time Karl was able to make it home for dinner.

Pork Chili Verde was just the answer. Slightly smoky and spicy, with a bit of tang from the tomatillos. Delicious. Feel free to substitute chicken if you don't eat pork (although, I couldn't imagine why) or remove the pork and substitute vegetable stock if you want to keep it vegetarian.

What you'll need:

1 pork tenderloin (mine was 18 oz)
1 Tbs olive oil
Salt & pepper1 onion
1 jalapeno
3 cloves garlic
2 cubanelle or poblano peppers
4 tomatillos
2 cans white beans (cannellini)
1 bay leaf
1 can green chiles (4 oz)
1 Tbs oregano
1 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs coriander
1 Tbs paprika
1 Tsp cayenne pepper
1 box chicken stock (1 Qt)
1 handful fresh cilantro + more for garnish
Sour cream (for garnish)

How to do it:

First, dry the pork well with paper towels and cut it into cubes (1 inch or so) - season liberally with salt and pepper. Then prep all of your vegetables. Dice the peppers, onion and jalapeno (leave the seeds in if you can handle some spice). Mince the garlic or use a microplane later to grate it directly into the pot. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse them well under warm water to remove the sticky stuff. Dry and roughly chop them.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot and add the pork. Make sure the oil is hot enough. The pork should sizzle when it hits the pan. Lightly brown the pork on all sides and then remove it and set it aside on a plate.

Now lower the heat and add the onions. The onions will start to sweat and get soft but they shouldn't take on much color or get hard. Once they start to soften add the garlic, jalapeno and peppers. Season with a bit more salt and pepper and sautee for a few minutes until all vegetables have softened.

Add pork back to pot (+ any juices that accumulated) along with the beans (drain and rinse them first), bay leaf, tomatillos, green chiles, oregano, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne and another sprinkle of salt. Mix gently to incorporate them.

Now add the chicken stock. I had already used a little bit from this box for another dish earlier in the week, so I also added about 1/2 cup of water. If you do the same you may just need to add a bit more salt to account for the lack of seasoning.

Partially cover the pot and let the chili verde simmer for at least an hour... but the longer the better. Stir occasionally. Taste it after the pork has cooked all the way through (10 mins or so) and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Before serving add a generous palm full of chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve it over rice or with some fresh bread on the side. Top with cilantro and sour cream and enjoy!

I hope this recipe helps to bring a sense of calm and normalcy after this crazy week.