Crockpot Recipe for Pork and Green Chile Stew (Nefi's Green Chile Stew)

It was more than a month ago that I posted the Friday Night Photos of the Superbowl Party food from the Denny family Superbowl party and people asked for the recipe for Nefi's Pork and Green Chile Stew. When I started tracking down the recipe I discovered that Nefi is the kind of cook who doesn't follow an exact recipe, but Nefi's sister (and my sister-in-law) Lisa got the list of ingredients from him, and I came up with this recipe, which is close to what he made. I tested it out on a couple of people who dropped by, and they all agreed it was good, but a little on the spicy side (!) so next time I'd use a smaller can of diced green chile peppers. Of course, if you like the heat, go ahead and use the large size when you make it. We ate this with some sour cream on top, which probably isn't traditional, but it did taste good.

I used pork sirloin chops that I had in the freezer, and after I trimmed off most of the fat (that you see in the back) I had 2 pounds of cubed pork.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the pork until it's well browned, about 8-10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. You may need to do this in two batches if your pan isn't big enough.

Add the browned meat to the crockpot, then deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of water, and pour it over the meat.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, then add the other tablespoon of olive oil and saute the onions for about 5 minutes, until they are starting to brown. Add minced garlic and saute 1-2 minutes more, then add the ground cumin and oregano and saute 1 minute more.

Add 2 cans Rot-Tel Tomatoes with Mild Green Chiles and 1 can diced green chiles and simmer about 5-10 minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates.

Add the tomato-onion mixture to the crockpot, stir in 2 T fresh lime juice, and cook on low for 4-6 hours, until the pork is tender and flavors are well blended.

Here's how my stew looked after it had cooked for about 5 hours. It tasted great and the kitchen smelled good too!

Crockpot Recipe for Pork and Green Chile Stew (Nefi's Green Chile Stew)
(Makes about 8 servings, recipe inspired by Nefi Garcia's Pork and Green Chile Stew shared at the family Superbowl party.)

2 lbs. trimmed pork cubes (I started with about 2 1/2 pounds pork sirloin chops and trimmed off all the fat to make 2 pounds of pork cubes, you could also use pork loin chops.)
1 T + 1 T olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups chopped onion)
2 T minced garlic
1 T ground cumin
1 T dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano, but regular oregano will probably work too.)
2 cans Ro-Tel Tomatoes with Mild Green Chiles (be sure to get mild, unless you really like hot food!)
1 can diced green Anaheim chiles (I used a 7 oz. can, but next time I'd use a 4 oz. can, so decide how spicy you want it. Be sure to get Anaheim chiles and not Jalapenos, which are much hotter.)
2 T fresh lime juice
Optional: sour cream for serving

I used a 3.5 quart slow cooker for this recipe, but a 3 quart size would also work.

Trim all visible fat from the pork chops and cut into cubes not bigger than 1 inch square. Heat 1 T olive oil in a large heavy frying pan, and cook the pork until it's well browned, about 8-10 minutes, seasoning with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. (You may need to brown the meat in 2 batches if your pan isn't big enough to cook it without the pieces of meat being crowded.)

Put browned meat into crockpot and add 1/2 cup water to the pan, scraping off browned bits from the bottom, then pour the liquid over the meat in crockpot.

Wipe out the frying pan with a paper towel, then heat 1 T olive oil, add chopped onions and saute until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute 1-2 minutes more, then add the ground cumin and oregano and saute 1 minute more. Add 2 cans Ro-tel Tomatoes with Mild Green Chiles and the can of diced green Anaheim chiles and simmer 5-10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the onion-tomato mixture to the crockpot. Stir in 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice and let cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until pork is tender and flavors are well blended. Serve hot, with sour cream to top it if desired.

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South Beach Suggestions:

It's important to trim the pork chops well if you're making this recipe for the South Beach Diet, or use pork loin chops which have less fat. Otherwise, everything here is a low-glycemic ingredient, and this would be approved for all phases of the diet.

More Slow Cooker Ideas You May Like:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Low-Sugar Barbecue Sauce from Kalyn's Kitchen
Crockpot Recipe for Southwestern Pot Roast from Kalyn's Kitchen
Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast from Kalyn's Kitchen
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin from Andrea Meyers
Slow Cooker Italian Style Pork Roast from Champaign Taste
Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Sage, Rosemary, and Cannellini Beans from Jersey Girl
(Want even more recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There are two ways to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
You can become a fan of Kalyn's Kitchen on Facebook.
Sometimes you can see what I'm doing on Twitter.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Friday Night Photos: Back in San Francisco, Good Friends, and Frances Restaurant

I shared earlier about the dinner at Contigo, but here's more about my trip to San Francisco in February. Pictured above are my gorgeous friends Mary and Jacque, who I've been on many memorable trips with. The three of us have vowed to try to go on at least one trip together every year. Besides the fabulous dinner at Contigo, we also had a fantastic meal at The Slanted Door the first night we were there, but it was so dark I didn't get any photos. I did love the food at The Slated Door, especially the perfectly cooked Baby Bok Choy with Shitakes and the Vegetarian Spring Rolls, and I'd definitely try to visit there again. The last night in San Francisco, Jacque managed to get a reservation at Frances, Melissa Perello's new restaurant featuring seasonal California cuisine, and it was an amazing dining experience. Keep reading for more photos of the trip, and some shots of the food at Frances (with two table-top candles used for lighting and taken with my new Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1, which I'm having lots of fun with as a purse camera.)

We spent most of our time shopping, but one day we went to the Shanghai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum, and we really enjoyed the exhibit, plus a tasty lunch in the museum cafe.

Here's another shot of Mary and Jacque, taken at the Asian Art Museum as well.

Now here's a small sampling of the dishes we enjoyed at Frances. These were Crispy Chickpea Fitters with Meyer Lemon Aioli, and on the menu Frances gave me to take notes on I wrote, "Wow!" next to this dish.

Another great appetizer was these Applewood Smoked Bacon Beignets with Creme Fraiche and Chive, not for South Beach Dieters, but fun for a splurge!

This is Bellwether Farm Ricotta Gnocchi with Green Garlic, Broccoli di Cicco and Rapini. These were also melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Or how about Lacinato Kale and Crepe Cannelloni with Maitake Mushrooms and Andante Cadence? Another exquisitely prepared dish.

Here's Jacque with her husband Grant who joined us for the dinner at Frances. (Apologies for the bad lighting here, but the tabletop candles were the only light I had.)

Finally, for an entree Grant and I both chose these Caramelized Atlantic Scallops with Toasted Farro, Baby Fava Greens, and Mushrooms. This was probably the most perfectly cooked scallops I've ever had in a restaurant. Overall the meal at Frances was one of those restaurant experiences you'll be raving about for years to come, and this is another place I can't wait to go back to.

Frances
3870 17th Street
San Francisco, California 94114
415-621-3870

Full Disclosure:
We paid for our meal at Frances, but the restaurant generously offered us a couple of items to sample for free.

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There are two ways to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
You can become a fan of Kalyn's Kitchen on Facebook.
Sometimes you can see what I'm doing on Twitter.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Recipe for Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Onion (Melting Tuscan Kale)

It's St. Patrick's Day so you might be cooking Corned Beef with Vegetables, Roasted Cabbage with Lemon, or 100% Whole Wheat Brown Soda Bread, but I still thought this was a good day to feature kale, since it's certainly the greenest of all the leafy green vegetables. Dark green kale was a vegetable I was slow to warm up to, and until recently I'd mostly cooked Red Russian Kale that I grew in my garden. Then I tried Roasted Kale Chips and realized how much I liked the flavor of dark green kale. This recipe for cooking kale until it's so tender it seems to be "melting" is adapted from The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, one of the cookbook authors I'd most like to meet. Lynne says home cooks all over Italy saute their greens using this method, and this kale was a delicious side dish for some fish that I cooked on the grill. I served my kale with a sprinkling of Spanish Sherry Vinegar which is definitely optional; you could also sprinkle the cooked kale with balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar which is what my mother always used over cooked greens when I was a kid.

Chop up a red onion (or a generous amount of shallots would also be good) and saute until they are just starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Then add 2 cloves finely minced garlic and saute about 1 minute more.

While the onions cook, cut away kale stems and discard, then chop the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and wash and dry. (I used a salad spinner, but you can wash in the sink and dry with paper towels.)

Add the chopped kale to the pan with the onion/garlic mixture and let it wilt.

Then add 1/2 cup water and let the kale cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes until the pan is almost dry.

Add another 1/2 cup water and let the kale continue to cook until the pan is nearly dry again. The kale is starting to get that "melted" look.

Add another 1/2 cup water and cook again for 5-10 minutes; then taste the greens and see if they are melt-in-your-mouth tender. If needed, you can add water a fourth time and cook a bit longer. The greens should be moist but not soaked with water when they are done. Season with vinegar if desired and serve hot or warm.

Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Onion (Melting Tuscan Kale)
(Makes 2-3 servings, recipe adapted slightly from The Italian Country Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.)

1 lb. dark green kale leaves, stem removed and leaves chopped, then washed and dried
1 T extra virgin olive oil (or slightly more, depending on your pan)
1 red onion, chopped in small pieces (or use about 1/2 cup chopped shallots)
2 cloves fresh garlic, very finely minced
1 1/2 cup - 2 cups water, added 1/2 cup at a time
Optional: Spanish Sherry Vinegar or other vinegar of your choice sprinkled over the cooked kale

Chop the onion or shallots and finely mince the garlic, then heat oil in heavy frying pan until it's medium-not and saute onion 3-4 minutes until it starts to brown. When onion is turning slightly brown, add garlic and saute 1 minute more.

While onions and garlic cook, cut away the center rib from each kale leaf and discard. Chop or tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces, then wash and spin dry or dry with paper towels.

Add chopped kale leaves to the browned onion/garlic mixture, season generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and let the kale wilt for 2-3 minutes, then add 1/2 cup water, stir, and let the kale cook in the water until the pan is almost dry, about 5-10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup more water and cook kale 5-10 minutes more, then add a third 1/2 cup of water and cook kale 5-10 minutes more. After you've added water and cooked it off three times, taste to see if the kale is tender; if not, add water one more time and cook a bit longer.

When kale is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the pan is nearly dry, season as desired with vinegar and serve hot or warm.

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South Beach Suggestions:

Kale is one of the most healthful choices of all vegetables, and this low-glycemic side dish is perfect for any phase of the South Beach Diet.

More Ideas for Cooking Dark Green Kale:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Roasted Kale Chips with Sea Salt and Vinegar from Kalyn's Kitchen
Sauteed Kale with Smoked Paprika from Simply Recipes
Sauteed Kale with Garlic, Cranberries, and Parmesan from Eat This
Sauteed Kale with Garlic from No Recipes
Spicy Sauteed Kale from Life's Ambrosia
Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Grilled Sweet Onions from Christine Cooks
(Want even more recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There are two ways to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
You can become a fan of Kalyn's Kitchen on Facebook.
Sometimes you can see what I'm doing on Twitter.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Once a Year Recipe Favorite: Corned Beef with Veggies and Horseradish Sauce

(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites March 2010.) Corned Beef and Cabbage is something that's a bit of a stretch for the South Beach Diet, due to the high fat content in the meat. That's why this is only a once-a-year recipe favorite for me, but I do make corned beef in the crockpot every St. Patrick's Day. The last few years I've been cooking it for my slightly Irish father, who isn't on a diet and would love to have corned beef any time of year.

If you live in the U. S. most packages of corned beef come with a spice packet included, but if you don't have one of those packets, this recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything will tell you what spices to use. Corned beef is easy to cook, but be careful not to overcook the vegetables. This year I'm going to try serving the corned beef to dad with some Roasted Cabbage with Lemon for a slightly different twist, and I might try roasted carrots and roasted potatoes (for dad) as well. But I'll still be cooking my corned beef in the crockpot, just like I have for many years.

There's not much to cooking corned beef in the crockpot; just put enough water to barely cover the meat, add spices and a few onions, and let it simmer on low for 6-7 hours, or until the meat is tender enough to pierce easily with a fork. Serve with cabbage, carrots, and even a few potatoes if you're not on a diet for a great Irish American meal that definitely tastes good, especially if you only eat it once a year!

Corned Beef with Veggies and Horseradish Sauce
(Makes about 6 servings, recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything.)

1 corned beef, 3-5 pounds (flat cut preferred)
1 bay leaf
1 head garlic
3 whole cloves
10 peppercorns
5 allspice berries or small pinch ground allspice
1 whole onion

Veggies:
1 head cabbage, cut in 4 pieces
2 cups carrots, cut up if large
(You could add onions if you wish)

Horseradish sauce:
3/4 cup mayo, lite mayo, or sour cream (or use a combination)
2-3 T cream style horseradish

Trim all visible fat from corned beef and place in bottom of crock pot. Pour in enough water to cover, add spices and cook on low for about 6-7 hours.

When you can pierce corned beef fairly easily with a fork, pour out most of the liquid (saving it if you want to make the "au jus" sauce below) remove onion, and add cabbage and carrots. Cook on high about 1 hour, or until veggies are tender. (If you're hanging out in the kitchen you might want to put the carrots in for a while, then add the cabbage.) You can remove the meat for part of the cooking time if you feel it is getting too done.

Optional - To make a flavorful "au jus" type sauce to serve with the meat: While veggies are cooking, skim reserved cooking liquid and simmer to reduce by half or more. (I taste it to decide how concentrated to make it. It can get too salty if you simmer too long.) If you are needing extra comfort, you can whisk a tablespoon or so of butter into the au jus when it has been reduced to the desired consistency. I find I don't need that any more, but it does give a good flavor.

Horseradish sauce: Combine mayo, sour cream, or a mixture with horseradish and whisk together. I would advise starting with a smaller amount of horseradish and tasting, then adding more until you get the amount you prefer. (You can replace some of the mayo or sour cream with milk if you want a thinner sauce.)

When veggies are done to your liking, cut corned beef across the grain and serve with vegetables and sauce.

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South Beach Suggestions:

As I mentioned, corned beef isn't really South Beach Diet approved, so this is a once-a-year treat if you're following the diet. This could be a whole meal by itself, but if you have non-South Beach Dieters in the family, you might want to cook potatoes in with the other vegetables for them. If you wanted to add something else, this would taste great with Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese or 100% Whole Wheat Brown Soda Bread.

More Ideas for Corned Beef and Cabbage:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Roasted Cabbage with Lemon from Kalyn's Kitchen
Baked or Boiled Corned Beef and Cabbage from Simply Recipes
Corned Beef and Cabbage from Wicked Good Dinner
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage from Columbus Foodie
Corned Beef Glazed in Honey and Mustard with Cabbage from Closet Cooking
River Cottage Corned Beef from Wasabimon
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage from Kitchen Gadget Girl Cooks
(Want even more recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There are two ways to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
You can become a fan of Kalyn's Kitchen on Facebook.
Sometimes you can see what I'm doing on Twitter.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Recipe Favorites: Goulash Soup with Red Peppers and Cabbage

(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites March 2010) This soup is one of my very favorites of all the soup recipes I've created, and when we had snow again in Utah I made a double batch and decided it was time to update this post with step-by-step photos and officially make it one of my Recipe Favorites. The soup has ground beef, red peppers, tomatoes, and cabbage, and it's something I've been making ever since I discovered how much I love paprika. If you use Hungarian paprika (which comes in a tin, not a jar), the recipe is reminiscent of Hungarian Gulyas but without potatoes, and I'm of the opinion that lots of paprika is essential in a soup like this! I used both sharp and sweet paprika, but you can probably get by with only sweet paprika, especially if you're making it for kids. This soup freezes especially well, and I like to pull a container of it out of the freezer on a cold night, heat it up, and serve with a big dollop of sour cream!

Cut onions in half both ways, then cut into thick slices, aiming for pieces that are all the same size.

Saute the onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes or until they are starting to brown, then add minced garlic and saute about 2 minutes more.

If you're using the optional caraway seed, grind it a bit with a mortar and pestle or crush with a heavy mallet or knife.

Add the paprika and caraway seed to the browned onions and garlic and saute a minute or two more.

Put the browned onion mixture into a large soup pot. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of beef stock and add to soup pot, then add the rest of the beef stock, tomatoes, and water to the soup pot and start to simmer. (Remember, this is a double batch of soup in these photos.)

Finely chop 2 cups of green cabbage and add to the simmering soup.

Cook 1 pound lean ground beef until it's nicely browned, then add to the soup, turn heat to very low, and let it simmer for 1 hour.

After the soup has simmered for about an hour, drain the jar of roasted red pepper and chop into pieces, then add to the soup. Taste for seasoning, and add more paprika if needed.

Here's the finished double batch of soup after it's simmered for two hours and is thick and flavorful. I served some of this to guests who came for dinner, and it was a hit!

Goulash Soup with Red Peppers and Cabbage
(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 onions, cut half both ways, then in thick slivers
2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 T olive oil
2 T sweet Hungarian Paprika (I recommend Penzeys)
1 T hot Hungarian Paprika (I recommend Penzeys)
1/2 tsp. crushed caraway seed (optional)
4 cups homemade beef stock (or 3 cans)
3 cups roasted tomatoes (or 2 cans diced tomatoes - I recommend Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes if using canned tomatoes)
2 cups finely diced cabbage
1 lb. lean ground beef (ground chuck is best)
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers, diced into 1 inch pieces
sour cream for serving (I use light, do not use fat free sour cream with added sugar)

Heat large heavy frying pan, add oil, and saute onions about 5 minutes, until barely starting to color. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes more, then add paprika and caraway if using and saute 1 minute more.

Put onion/spice mixture into large soup pot. Deglaze pan with 1 cup of beef stock, then add that and rest of beef stock to soup pot. Add roasted tomatoes, cabbage and 2 cups water to soup pot and start to simmer.

Brown ground beef in frying pan until quite brown, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. When browned add to soup pot. Let simmer on very low heat one hour. (Taste for seasoning and add more paprika if desired. I personally think you can never have too much paprika in a soup like this.)

After one hour, add diced red peppers and simmer one hour more. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream. This freezes very well.

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South Beach Suggestions:

Made with lean ground beef and served with low fat sour cream, this is a great soup for any phase of the South Beach Diet. For phase 2 or 3, you could add a freshly baked loaf of 100% whole wheat bread. For dinner, you could add something like Arugula and Sweet Mini-Pepper Salad for even more great antioxidants.

More Great Soups with Roasted Red Peppers:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Peppers from Kalyn's Kitchen
Black Bean Crockpot Stew with Roasted Red Pepper, Chicken, and Cilantro from Kalyn's Kitchen
Roasted Red Pepper, Lentil, and Spinach Soup from Albion Cooks
Black Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Soup from Bitchin' Camero
Chilled Red Pepper Soup from The Well Seasoned Cook
(Want even more recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There are two ways to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
You can become a fan of Kalyn's Kitchen on Facebook.
Sometimes you can see what I'm doing on Twitter.
Here is another place where I write more about food.