Pork Stew “Chilatole” – Another proven dish for a big Food Lab crowd

Ingredients – this recipe serves 6:

4lb pork (picnic butt or shoulder butt)
2 tomatillo
1 cup chopped onions
10 jalapeno peppers
3 zucchini (chopped)
4 garlic cloves
4 corn cobs (kernels only)
6 bay leaves
1.5 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
3 corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro


– bone the pork primals (ham, shoulder butt and picnic butt)
– cut each piece into 4 smaller portions
– place in 3 hotel pans (3 inch deep roasting pans) and in a 375ºF oven (wrapped in foil) for 3 hours
– place bones in a large pot over medium heat and mix with mirpoix (onions, celery and carrots chopped rough)
– stir until the vegetables are soft and then cover with water
– stock was simmered for as long as the pork roasted– roast a mixture of tomatillo, onion, jalapeno, zucchini, and garlic, tossed in vegetable oil, on a sheet pan in the oven for an hour until the onions are soft, then transfer to a blender and pure until smooth

– cool pork for an hour in refrigeration, strain the stock and skim off any fat
– after cooling cut pork into cubes a little smaller than a golf ball and return to hotel pan
– pour stock over the top and add salt, pepper, cumin and ground coriander seed to taste, followed by several bay leaves – return pan to the oven and cook for another hour until service

Just prior to service add corn and allow the corn to cook with the pork for 20 minutes. To finish the dish add a few cups of the vegetable puree, taste, to make sure the flavor was to our taste.

For service fill bowls with stew and top with shredded, fried, corn tortillas and cilantro sprouts.

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