Navajo Green Chili

This Southwestern green chili is pure comfort, chunks of pork shoulder simmered soft in a thick, chile-laced gravy. It carries the flavors of Navajo country and goes hand in hand with warm fry bread or tortillas.

A couple of smart techniques set it apart. The pork gets shaken with flour in a paper bag before browning, so it builds a crust and that flour later thickens the stew into a proper gravy. And it browns in bacon drippings, which lay down a smoky backbone from the start.

Two cans of whole green chiles bring mild heat and that unmistakable roasted-pepper flavor, while Mexican oregano (more citrusy than the Mediterranean kind) and plenty of garlic round it out.

The long, gentle simmer is what melts the pork shoulder to tenderness, so do not rush it. Taste and adjust the salt and heat near the end.

Pro Tips

• Brown the floured pork in batches so it sears properly. Crowding the pan steams the meat and skips the crust.
• Use Mexican oregano if you can find it. Its citrusy, earthy note is more authentic here than Mediterranean oregano.
• Let it simmer the full time. Pork shoulder needs the slow cook to turn meltingly tender.

Variations

• Add diced potato in the last half hour for a heartier, more filling stew.
• Use fresh roasted Hatch or Anaheim chiles in place of canned for deeper flavor.
• Spoon it over fry bread, into a burrito, or alongside rice and beans.