Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Chili Verde and My Veggie Tales in the Mitten
I am pretty sure that I am single handedly educating the
produce workers of Michigan. I have decided that I must be the only person in
Michigan asking for produce other than broccoli, asparagus and lettuce. I may
be self-conscious, however I am nearly positive that every time I am at the
grocery store looking for a checkout counter they all refuse to make eye
contact out of fear that my basket of unknown produce will show up in their
checkout aisle
Last week was no different as I bought the ingredients to
make Chili Verde with Sausage and Pumpkin. There was nothing in the recipe that
I would have classified as “exotic,” however I am quickly learning that the
Michigan and California definition of exotic are quite different. For example,
in California “exotic” is a dancer and in Michigan “exotic” is a tomatillo.
Lessons learned!
To begin with, make the salsa. This salsa calls for roasted
vegetables, which in my opinion makes any salsa more flavorful. This recipe
starts with roasting the tomatillos, chiles, garlic and onion with olive oil,
salt and pepper for approximately 7 minutes. On a side note, if you haven’t
cooked with tomatillos before remember to remove the husks and wash them to
remove the sticky residue that coats them.
Another source of comedy for me during this particular
recipe experience also occurred at the grocery store with my bf. He was
attempting to help me grab the produce and I gave him the task of gathering
tomatillos. He was standing directly in front of them asking me where the
tomatillos where and I was trying very delicately to point out that they were
right in front of his face. So I was like “they are in front of you next to the
okra.” He turned back around and was like,” what is okra?” And so I sweetly responded
with,”next to the shallots.” He turned around again with a large blank stare
and was like,”I don’t know what tomatillos, okra or shallots look like.” It was
pretty much an epic fail on my part and a produce education for him as well.
Ok back to the recipe, after the veggies have been roasted
in the broiler let the cool to room temperature. Once cool, add the veggies to
a blender and puree until smooth, adding the cilantro. Season with salt and
pepper.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Saute the onions
for approximately 4 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Remove the
sausage and discard the extra fat, keeping approx. 1-2T. Stir in the oregano
and garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.
Add the salsa, hominy (do not drain), cilantro and pumpkin.
I actually was unable to find pumpkin and so I used butternut squash ribbons. I
couldn’t find a whole butternut squash either and so in the produce section
they had veggie noodles and butternut squash was one of them and so I grabbed
them. I must say that I was quite happy with the result.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 15-20
minutes. Season with salt and top with cilantro and chiles.
Here is the actual recipe:
Ingredients
For the tomatillo salsa:
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (6 to 8 medium)
5 serrano or 10 jalapeno peppers, stemmed (plus seeds, if you can take the heat)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large white onion, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
For the chili:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 pound sausage meat (mild or hot)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 15-ounce can hominy
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
2 cups chopped peeled sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (about 8 ounces)
Kosher salt
Thinly sliced serrano or jalapeno peppers, for topping
Directions
Make the tomatillo salsa: Preheat the broiler. Remove the husks from the tomatillos, then rinse the tomatillos under warm water to remove any stickiness. Dry with a paper towel. Put the tomatillos, chiles, garlic and sliced onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle on 2 teaspoons or so of salt. Broil a few inches from the heat, turning everything once, until the tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 7 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Transfer the broiled vegetables to a blender; add the cilantro and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Make the chili: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking it up, until browned, about 10 minutes.
Spoon out and discard the excess fat, leaving 1 to 2 tablespoons in the pot. Stir in the oregano and garlic and cook, stirring, about 3 more minutes.
Stir in the tomatillo salsa, hominy (including the liquid), cilantro and pumpkin. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the pumpkin is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Top with cilantro and chiles.
This was a very flavorful and unique chile verde. I loved
the spice from the chilles and the hot sausage and the tangy flavor that comes
from tomatillos. The butternut squash made for a unique twist on chile verde
and it was great comfort food for the still chilly Spring. Pair this with a
good Mexican beer and I guarantee you will just be downright happy or maybe I
should say down home happy. Cheers!
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