The Quick Green Chile Stew Recipe That Time Forgot

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It’s interesting how some things that I thought I’d put on the Internet years ago never actually found their way into cyberspace. Fortunately, I never delete anything that I create, so lost-in-time items like this one are always around when I remember to introduce them to the world.

My simple and quick green chile stew recipe was created in an attempt to duplicate and perhaps improve upon the version of this dish served at Pancho’s Mexican Buffet, a mostly defunct chain of mediocre Mexican food places. (Only a dozen or so loosely connected locations remain.)

While much of the food at this chain was lackluster or worse — accounting for its disappearance from most markets, I’m sure — the green chile stew was uncomplicated and very good. And I suppose it still is at the remaining locations. I haven’t actually been to one of the chain’s restaurants in years.

So here’s the recipe. With nothing to do but brown some meat, cut some potatoes and open some cans, you can have this ready for dinner in 30 minutes or so.

Quick Green Chile Stew

Brown in a stew pot:
1 pound of pork stew meat in some olive oil with salt and pepper

When done, add:
6 ounces (½ bag) frozen seasoning blend vegetables (onions, bell peppers, celery, parsley)

When cooked through, add:
1 can mild Hatch green chile enchilada sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 can chicken broth
1 can water
4-5 medium potatoes, diced in chucks small enough to fit on a spoon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

Cover and bring nearly to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are done, about 15 minutes.

Allow to reduce without lid for 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Here are a few notes that may help you in preparing this recipe:

  • Those are 14.5-ounce to 16-ounce cans, so adjust accordingly if you get your products in different sizes.
  • If you can’t find anything called “seasoning blend”, just use onions. Or make up your own collection of aromatic veggies to add to the soup.
  • If you can’t find pork stew meat, you can cut up a pork roast or pork country style ribs. The recipes tastes great with chicken or beef as well.
  • Potatoes don’t freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing this stew. But it’s great after a few days in the refrigerator.

So there you have it: my long-awaited green chile stew recipe.

It’s actually better than the version that Pancho’s served, as it should be. When you’re trying to copy a recipe, you owe it yourself to make it better. While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, I’m not trying to flatter anyone. I’m trying to make good soup.

Image: Pixabay