The only kind of chili my mother made was very mild traditional Midwestern tomato chili.  As a child, I was not fond of the chili because of the perceived HUGE tomatoes chunks my mother would add from her stash of home-canned tomatoes.  How I long for her homemade red chili now.

In my late 20s, I moved to Arizona and then settled in Colorado and was introduced to green chili.  Trust me, in Iowa, the spiciest thing you would come across was a pickled pepper!  Green chili sounded like red chili gone bad until I tasted it.  Oh my gosh, it was a spoonful of heaven upon any burrito, relleno, or enchilada that came my way.

I love the smell of fresh roasted chiles at the Farmer’s Markets in the fall.  I can peel and eat them fresh and warm and if any are remaining, I use them in green chile or freeze them (after peeling and seeding) for future use.

One of my favorite green chili recipes is:

GREEN CHILE

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds lean pork, cubed
1 medium onion, cut into large chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
8-10 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup water
flour tortillas, warmed

1. Heat oil in large stockpot. Add pork, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute until pork is browned.

2. Drain juice from tomatoes into stockpot. Chop tomatoes and add to pork with chiles and 2 cups water. Stir well and simmer covered for 45 minutes.

3. Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup water until smooth. Add to chile mixture and stir constantly until well blended and slightly thickened.

3. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with warm tortillas or freeze.

Great sauce for enchiladas, burritos or chile rellenos.