by hardlikearmour
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biffbourgeois's Testing Notes:
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Expandwater Ask a question about this ingredient
3.5 lb boneless pork shoulder Ask a question about this ingredient
2 valencia oranges Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon ground cumin Ask a question about this ingredient
2 teaspoons kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper Ask a question about this ingredient
¼ teaspoon ground cloves Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil Ask a question about this ingredient
5 dried guajillo chiles (about 1 oz) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 large dried ancho chile (about 1 oz) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 large or 2 medium yellow onions Ask a question about this ingredient
4 medium cloves garlic Ask a question about this ingredient
14.5-oz can diced tomatoes Ask a question about this ingredient
2 large or 3 medium bay leaves Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano Ask a question about this ingredient
1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice Ask a question about this ingredient
coarsely chopped cilantro (garnish) Ask a question about this ingredient
finely diced onion or sliced green onion (garnish) Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat oven to 350º F. Start a pot of water to boil.
Ask a question about this stepTrim excess fat from the pork shoulder, and cut into approximately 1-inch chunks. Transfer the chunks to a medium to large bowl. Zest one of the oranges. Sprinkle the orange zest over the pork chunks, and set the 2 oranges aside. Sprinkle the cumin, salt, pepper, and cloves over the pork chunks. Toss well to evenly coat with the seasonings; allow to rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepRemove and discard the stems and seeds from the chiles. Roast the chiles in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, until you can start to smell them. Remove from the oven and place in a bowl. Cover with 2 to 3 cups of water, and allow to steep for 15 or more minutes to soften. Turn off the oven.
Ask a question about this stepDice the onion and set aside (you should have 2 to 2 ½ cups of diced onion.) Mince the garlic and set aside (you should have about 4 teaspoons.) Juice the oranges into a 2 cup glass measure and set aside (you should have between ¾ and 1 cup.)
Ask a question about this stepHeat oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork chunks, and cook stirring every 3 or so minutes until nicely browned with no pink remaining. Reduce heat to medium, and add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent. Add the diced tomatoes (including the juice), bay leaves, and oregano. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
Ask a question about this stepRemove the chiles from the soaking water, and transfer them to the blender. Add enough of the soaking water to the orange juice to make 2 cups total, then add the juice mixture to the blender. Pulse several times, then blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender once. Pour the chile purée into the pork mixture.
Ask a question about this stepGently simmer the chili until the pork is tender, stirring occasionally. This will take about 2 hours. At this point you can cool and refrigerate the chili until you are ready to serve it, then gently reheat. Otherwise lower heat as much as possible, and proceed with making the polenta and caramelizing the pineapple. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lime juice, and thin with water if needed just before serving.
Ask a question about this stepTo serve: Place a wedge of polenta into each bowl. Divide chili evenly amongst bowls. Divide caramelized pineapple evenly amongst bowls (you should have about ¼-cup per serving.) Garnish with cilantro, onion, and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Ask a question about this step3 cups water Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup polenta Ask a question about this ingredient
Small pineapple Ask a question about this ingredient
½ teaspoon sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil Ask a question about this ingredient
Bring 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a boil. Gradually stir in the polenta and reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pan to help prevent spattering. Stir frequently until the polenta mixture is thick and cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes. Oil a medium bowl, and transfer the cooked polenta to the bowl. Immediately spread into an even layer. Allow to set up at least 10 minutes, then turn onto a cutting board and slice into 6 wedges. (NB: because polenta brands vary, make sure to check your package's instructions. Follow them for using 1 cup dried polenta if the proportions are much different from the directions I've given.)
Ask a question about this stepWhile the polenta water is coming to a boil, trim the pineapple, then cut it into quarters and remove the core. Cut each quarter lengthwise into thirds, then crosscut into ½-inch thick chunks. Toss the pineapple chunks with sugar. Once the polenta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, until it shimmers. Add the pineapple chunks to the skillet in a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chunks have softened and caramelized, about 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl, and set aside.
Ask a question about this stepI'm glad you gave it a go! I'd rather have it not spicy enough than too hot to eat. You can always stir in a little hot sauce or cayenne at the end to correct the heat.
I would suspect step 7 would only take 20ish minutes - just long enough to cook the chicken through. I've not tried it with chicken, so if you give it a go I'd love to hear back on how it works!
Thank you , mrslarkin!
hla, you just keep getting better and better! congrats and thanks for this recipe. el pastor is my fav pork taco filling.
Thanks, LBF. I ♥ tacos el pastor, too!
Congratulations on your CP! this sounds unusual and delicious. I had a feeling!
Thanks, creamtea! I think it's a pretty good homage to tacos el pastor, and my husband, brother, and I really like it.!
Congrats on your CP! This looks and sounds so delicious. I love tacos el pastor so I know I'd love your chili version.
Thank you, Emily! The photo makes it look especially good!
Yes, please!! This sounds delicious and I love the orange and cloves in there.
Thank you, gingerroot! Both the cloves and orange add to the depth of flavor without being obvious in the finished chili.
This sounds amazing! Can't wait to try it.
Thanks, FM! We're all out of leftovers, or I'd invite you up!
ooh Pastor! one of my fav tacos...will save this pronto :)
Thanks! I hope you get a chance to make it.
Yum HLA! This is a great chili nod to one of our favorite tacos - great flavors and I love the polenta and pineapple !!
Thank you, aargersi! Gotta have pineapple with el Pastor, and I'm a fan of starch with my chili so the polenta was a natural choice for me.
This looks special. I can't wait to try (with beef chunks, as we don't eat pork). I had just purchased anchos and guajillos to keep in the pantry when I saw this!
Thanks, creamtea! I've not tried it with beef, but think it would work just fine. I also bet it would be good with dark meat chicken, though the cook time would have to be altered dramatically.
can you estimate how long it would take to cook this with chicken thighs? (i also don't eat pork, but LOVE this idea!)
i think hla is correct in that chicken timing estimate; about 20-30 minutes. You might also consider turkey thighs. They are huge and can be braised for 30-60 minutes .For either,to test for doneness, remove a thigh and stick a skewer halfway into the thigh. Clear juices show doneness; pink juices show need to cook a bit more.
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I made this and it came out great! The only thing is that I used less chiles because I was scared it would be too spicy (I have very low tolerance for heat) but regretted it because it definitely needed more of a kick. Should have stuck to the recipe!