Hot Pork Stew in Tomato Sauce

Hot pork stew in tomato sauce is the New Mexico kitchen classic that anchors so many family dinners across the Southwest. Two dozen roasted, peeled green chiles get cut into thick strips and tumbled into a pot with cubed pork that’s been browned hard in bacon drippings. Add sweet onion, fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, and water, then let it simmer until the pork falls apart and the chile heat spreads through the broth.

The pork browning is the foundation. Dredge the cubes in seasoned flour, then sear them in bacon drippings until a deep mahogany crust forms. That fond on the bottom of the pan is where the stew’s depth comes from. The flour pulls double duty: it gives you the brown crust and thickens the sauce as the stew simmers down.

Two cooking paths work. A one-hour stovetop simmer gives you a quick weeknight version with chile still in distinct pieces. A 10 to 12 hour slow cooker session breaks everything down into a stew that approaches chile verde texture, with pork shredding into the sauce. Either way, serve over rice, in warm flour tortillas as a burrito, or simply with cornbread to mop up the sauce.

Pro Tips

• Use Hatch green chiles if you can find them. The classic New Mexico chile gives this stew its authentic flavor. Roasted Anaheims work too.
• Brown the pork in batches, never crowded. Crowded pan equals gray steam-cooked meat instead of mahogany crust.
• Adjust heat by chile choice. Mild chiles for kids, hot Sandia or Big Jim varieties if you want sweat on the brow.
• Skim fat after cooking if going stovetop. The bacon drippings render generously and the sauce reads cleaner without the slick on top.

Variations

• Add a handful of cubed potatoes in the last hour for a heartier one-pot meal.
• Stir in a teaspoon of Mexican oregano and a half teaspoon of cumin for deeper Southwestern flavor.
• Substitute beef chuck for pork shoulder for a richer, more robust version.