Mexican Pork Stew

It was our first cold day today, with overcast skies and temps in the mid-50s (remember, I'm in California--that's cool weather). I cooked some cool-weather food that satisfied my craving for spicy as well. There was enough pork left over that I'm making a nice stock right now.


Mexican Pork Stew (a Posole, minus the hominy)
One good-sized pork shoulder roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1" cubes
Flour
Salt and fresh black pepper
Olive oil, about 2-3 tablespoons
One large yellow onion, diced
Four cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 C Chardonney wine
3-4 cups chicken broth
One 4 oz can minced green chiles
One 16-oz bag frozen corn
One cup salsa verde (I like the Safeway brand)
~1 T Chile Powder
~1 T Cumin
~1 T Mexican Oregano leaf
1t Cardamon
Three medium potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
Two to three large carrots, scrubbed and sliced into disks
One tomato, diced
About one cup parsley, minced
Four to six T light sour cream
Soft-taco sized flour tortillas, steamed, enough for one-to-two each

Mix flour, salt & pepper. Dredge the cubed pork and shake excess flour from it. I like to throw it into a plastic collander and give it a few good shakes.

Heat oil in large stew pot till fragrant. Add pork and brown on all sides. Remove from pan.

Turn pan to medium, medium low. Add onion and stir till soft. Add garlic, stirring until fragrant. Add wine and stir to scrape up the yumminess on bottom.

Return pork to pot. Add chicken broth, chiles, corn, potatoes, spices, salsa, and carrots. Heat on low simmer for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until carrots and meat are tender. Taste for flavor. If you like more heat, add more salsa verde, or a roasted poblano pepper (or two or three).

This is a stew, so let it cool a bit and test for thickness, adjusting as necessary (I added some broth & flour to mine to thicken it. You could use masa if you have the time.).

Ladle into stew bowls, topping with tomatoes, sour cream & parsley. Fold the tortillas into quarters and serve on the side.