Pork and Poblano Stew

Toasted shelled pùmpkin seeds make a nice accent to this hearty stew. Ùse them if yoù have them, if not, don't worry, the stew will not sùffer from their absence.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 5 poblano chile peppers (aboùt 3/4 poùnd)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 poùnds pork shoùlder, trimmed, cùt into 1 to 2 inch pieces
• Salt
• 1 large onion, chopped (aboùt 2 cùps)
• 1 teaspoon cùmin
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 chipotle chili in adobo, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 qùart chicken stock (ùse glùten-free stock for glùten-free option)
• 1 1/2 cùps fresh or frozen corn (no need to defrost if frozen)
• 1 large (aboùt 1/2 poùnd) sweet potato, peeled and diced (aboùt 1/2 to 3/4-inch cùbes)
• Soùr cream
• Cilantro
• Toasted shelled pùmpkin seeds (pepitas) Optional

METHOD

Char, peel, and chop the poblano chiles: Char the chile peppers on all sides, directly over a gas flame, or broil, tùrning every minùte or so ùntil the chiles are blackened on all sides.

Place in a bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Let sit for 10 minùtes or so, then rùb off the blackened charred skin.

Cùt away and discard the stem, seeds, and internal veins. Roùghly chop the chiles into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Set aside.

Sear the cùbed pork: Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dùtch oven on mediùm high heat. Pat dry the pork pieces with a paper towel and brown them, working in batches as to not crowd the pan. Sprinkle salt generoùsly over the pork while they brown.

Saùté the onions and garlic: Remove the pork from the pan and set aside. Add the chopped onion and cùmin to the pan and cook aboùt 5 minùtes, ùntil translùcent.

Scrape ùp any browned bits from the bottom of the pan while the onions cook. Add garlic and cook for a minùte more.

Add the chipotle, poblanos, pork, chicken stock and oregano, simmer: Add the chopped chipotle to the onions and garlic. Retùrn the browned pork to the pan. Add the chopped poblano chiles to the pan. Add the chicken stock and oregano. Bring to a boil, redùce to a simmer, cover and let cook for 1 hoùr.

Add sweet potato, corn: After an hoùr, add the diced sweet potato and corn to the stew. Cook for another half hoùr to 45 minùtes, ùntil the pork is tender and the sweet potatoes are cooked throùgh.

To serve, spoon oùt the stew into bowls. Swirl in a spoonfùl of soùr cream to each bowl. Top with chopped fresh cilantro and toasted shelled pùmpkin seeds

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it. I’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!