Wild Chorizo Chile
Ingredients
1 lb pork chorizo
1 lb javelina chorizo
6 - 10 anneheim or hatch chilies, roasted, seeded and diced
2 jalapenos, roasted, seeded and diced
2 - 3 serrano peppers, diced
1 Poblano pepper, roasted, seeded and diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1/2 bulb of garlic (about 6 cloves), minced
2 tbls cumin
1 tbls New Mexico Red Chile powder
3 cups cooked pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
black pepper to taste
salt to taste
2 bottles of stout
1 bunch chopped cilantro
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
Directions
Let's make this easy on you. A day or two ahead of time, soak and cook the beans according to directions on the package. Roast and seed your peppers, too. Done? Good.
Now that you're all set, go ahead and brown the pork and javelina in a big stockpot over medium-high heat. It should take 10 minutes or so. When the meat is done, add the diced onion and minced garlic, reduce the heat a little bit, and cook until tender. When the onions are translucent, add all of the dry spices and the serrano peppers. Cook another minute or two, then stir in the rest of your chiles, the canned tomatoes, the tomato sauce, and the beer.
Now bring this pot-o-glory back up to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover it, and let it hang out on the heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionaly. Make sure it doesn't boil, otherwise you might end up with some burnt javelina on the bottom of your pan (you'll never get that smell out). Add the pre-cooked beans, and cook for another hour or so, until it thickens up a bit. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Don't be afraid to add a little water (or more beer) if need be. Serve with freshly chopped cilantro, sour cream and cheddar cheese, over a freshly-cooked tortilla or piece of frybread.
Depending on the spiciness of the chiles, the heat level in this can vary. I like it best with medium to mild anneheims for flavor, respectable jalapenos for flavor/heat, and fairly hot serranos to give it a lingering burn. The red chile powder and chorizo add a layer of complexity to the spiciness that meshes well with the green chile. This is a fairly thick & hearty chili, and will stand up well to a wide variety of beers. It is best paired with a strong, bitter beer, like an IPA or even a Barleywine. The rich sweetness of the caramelized sugars from the beer and browned meat link up nicely with caramel malts, while the bitterness both highlights the heat from the chiles and cuts it back at the same time. Try it with American Devil IPA or Big Ben's Barleywine, if you've got one handy. If you aren't a hophead, now is a good time to learn. Or you could try it with a nice, roasty porter. The roasted malt will do a lot of the same things with this recipe as the hop bitterness, only not quite as well.
Note: Though the recipe calls for javelina chorizo, any wild game (or beef, in a pinch) chorizo can be used. Do your best to mix it up though, because the complexity of texture is part of this chili's magic.
