Old Bay Green Chili

[kelliem]

aukestrel mentioned this recipe in her LJ the other day so I decided to share it. I created it in response to an "Old Bay Seasoning" recipe contest back in... oh, I think it was 1990 or so. Anyway, the recipe didn't win a prize but it was a runner-up and it did make it into the contest cookbook. It's an easy recipe, but not quick. ;)

Kellie’s Old Bay Pork Green Chili

2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs pork loin, trimmed and cubed
1 lb. ground pork
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic
2 28 oz. can whole Italian tomatoes
2 28 oz cans tomatillos*, drained
2 4 oz. cans diced green chilies (or 1/2 cup of fresh roasted chilies, cut up)
3 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
2 Tbsp. chili powder
Optional:
1 4oz. can diced jalapeños (or 2 fresh jalapeños, chopped) if you like it extra spicy.

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven, add the pork, onions, garlic and spices. Cook over medium heat until the pork is browned. Drain excess fat. Crush the tomatoes and tomatillos in your hands, add to the pork along with remaining ingredients, including the liquid from the tomatoes. Do not add salt, there is plenty of salt in the Old Bay. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours until meat is fork-tender. Serve over burritos or with flour tortillas as a stew.

*For those of you unfamiliar with southwestern cooking, a tomatillo is a small green tomato-like fruit. You could use fresh tomatillos in this sauce if you have them available, but you'd need to husk, wash, and roughly chop them since you can't 'squeeze-smush' them like the canned kind.