Revisit your childhood with this comforting recipe of Dad’s Chili. This dish, filled with the goodness of pork, green chilies, and tomatoes, is the perfect meal to warm you up on a cold day.
Ingredients
- 2 lb. pork tenderloin, cubed
- 1 Tbsp. oil
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 6 to 10 roasted and peeled Pueblo green chilies
- 1 can stewed tomatoes
- 4 c. water
- 3 tsp. cornstarch
- garlic salt to taste
Cooking Method
- Fry pork in oil in saucepan over medium heat.
- Add minced garlic to pork.
- Dice green chilies and sprinkle with garlic salt. Drain meat.
- Add 3 cups of water.
- Add green chilies and diced tomatoes; add with garlic salt.
- Mix cornstarch to remaining cup of water.
- Then add to mixture.
- Salt to taste.
- Cook at medium heat.
Calorie: 600
Total cooking time:1 hour
Difficulty level: Medium
A Tale of Pork, Chilies, and Dad’s Legendary Chili
Let’s journey back in time, to a place where my old man ruled the kitchen – specifically, the stove. His secret weapon? The pork tenderloin. His battlefield? A worn-out saucepan. The prize? His world-renowned chili.
The Pork Tenderloin Jive
It all starts with a 2 lb. pork tenderloin, cubed to perfection. Now, cubing pork isn’t exactly rocket science, but dad, well, he always had a flair for making it feel like an epic saga. “You’ve got to respect the pork,” he’d say with a straight face.
Oil and Garlic: The Unsung Heroes
Next came the oil. Just a tablespoon, mind you, but in dad’s hands, it was like liquid gold. He’d sizzle the pork in it over medium heat, the smell wafting through the house and luring us all into the kitchen like Pavlov’s dogs.
And then there was the garlic. Minced to perfection, it was the Robin to the pork’s Batman. Dad would add it to the browning pork tenderloin, and the aroma would just intensify. If garlic could talk, it would probably ask for a pay raise.
Green Chilies and the Art of Dicing
Now let’s talk about the green chilies. Not just any green chilies, but 6 to 10 Pueblos, roasted and peeled. Dad would dice these bad boys with a mischievous glint in his eye, like he was about to pull the ultimate prank on our taste buds. A sprinkle of garlic salt, and the chilies were ready for their moment of glory.
The Great Meat Drain
Once the pork was browned and the garlic was fragrant, dad would then drain the meat. A simple act, but he performed it with the solemnity of a knight unsheathing his sword.
The Chili Symphony
Adding three cups of water to the saucepan, dad would then stir in the diced green chilies and a can of stewed tomatoes. A sprinkle of garlic salt, and the symphony of flavors was ready to play.
The Cornstarch Twist
Just when you thought the end was near, dad would pull out his secret weapon: cornstarch. Mixed with a cup of water, this unassuming ingredient was the plot twist in dad’s chili saga. He’d stir it into the mixture, with a wink and a nod, like he was letting us in on a top-secret conspiracy.
The Final Countdown
With another generous dash of salt to taste, dad would then let the chili cook at medium heat. The anticipation would build, the smell would torture us, but dad, well, he was as cool as a cucumber.
So, there you have it. The tale of my dad’s legendary chili. It wasn’t just a recipe. It was a performance. It was love in a saucepan. And let me tell you, it tasted just like that – love, with a hint of pork tenderloin, a dash of garlic, a kick of green chilies, and a secret twist of cornstarch.
