New Mexican/Korean Green Chili

This is a culinary mash-up that I tried for a Chili Contest a few years back. I didn't win, but I did impress a few people enough to where I got requests for the recipe.

Basically, It's a New Mexico Green Chili with pork and potato. However, you use a Korean Gochujang pepper sauce to marinate the pork.

And, the beauty of it is that you're learning two recipes in one fell swoop. Not in the mood for Chili? Just cook the pork and serve it over rice or noodles. Out of the pepper sauce? Use the pork un-marinated and go for the more conventional version.

Also, I note at several points where you can make additions or subtractions according to your personal taste.

I'll break the supply list into two parts: the marinade and the green chili.

The ingredients:

• 1 to 1 and 1/2 pounds of pork. The type varies. For this, I'm using pork loin, but I've also used pork shoulder in the past. And, some recipes call for boneless pork rib meat.
• 6 tbsp. Korean Gochujang Pepper paste (When I first made the recipe, I had to order the sauce through Amazon. Then, later, I was in the grocery store looking for something completely different and there it was.)
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp. sugar (I used a light brown sugar.)
• 2 tsp. Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp. Minced Garlic
• 2 tsp. Minced Ginger
• 2 tsp. Sesame Oil
• 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper (Forgot to include it in the picture. Sorry.)
• 1 Medium Onion
• 3 Green Onions.
• One cup of Red Wine

Cut up the pork into half-inch pieces, same for the onions and mix it all together.

Let it sit for an hour while you get a start on the rest of the Chili.

Note: Be sure to use a metal or glass bowl to hold the mix. The pepper sauce tends to stain plastic bowls.

The ingredients

• Four cups of Chicken Stock
• 1 to 1 and a half pounds of potatoes (For this recipe, I'm using Japanese Sweet Potatoes. They are not as sweet as standard Sweet Potatoes and they have a creamier taste than New Potatoes or Russet.)
• 1 pound of Tomatillos
• 2 large Poblano Peppers (Again, this is a spot where people can make their own substitutions. I didn't use a spicier type of pepper because the pepper sauce has plenty of heat. However, the Chili Culture has that group that refuses to acknowledge a recipe unless it's capable of melting your insides. So, if you want more Scoville Points, you can use Jalapeno or whatever pepper you prefer.)
• Parsley (Cilantro would be more traditional and you can use that if you wish. But, a lot of people don't like the taste and I prefer to use parsley.)

Cut your veggies into quarter-inch pieces and put them into your slow cooker or crock pot. Add the pork after the hour marinade is up and mix it all together. Add the chicken stock, mix again, put the lid on the pot and start cooking.

My slow cooker only has "Low" and "High" settings and I've got it on "High". For folks who are using a pot on a stove, the temp. should be about standard for slow-cooking a chili or stew, about 250 to 325 degrees. Enough to create a steady simmer.

Cook until everything is tender. It should be about three or four hours. If you think it's a little "Soupy", a lot of recipes call for adding some flour or cornstarch to thicken it. What I do, instead, is to cook it for a hour or so without the lid. That should steam off some of the excess broth.

Once it's ready, garnish with some fresh parsley and serve.

Enjoy!