Brisket Green Chile Stew
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 1:19 pm
So, because we were having the most fantastic fall weather up here in North Texas, with a blazing sunshine about 80° and monarchs beginning to invade the Firefly, thoughts turned to cooking up some good fall Chow. And whenever I think of beautiful fall weather, I tend to think of the northern New Mexico. So naturally it was time for some Hatch green chile stew.
Now, because my wife is not the biggest fan of pork, and because I have a pork butt resting in brine in the fridge anyway for later in the week, I decided to forgo the traditional Carnitas and do a West Texas version of the typical Santa Fe favorite.
Verdict? Why brisket of course, guilty as charged.
So it goes like this, and while you can use a large stock pot or Dutch oven, I prefer the pressure cooker as the principal instrument of perfection, in this case my big six bolt Wisconsin made American equipment company thick-walled old school Cold War special, which I lovingly refer to as "Sputnik".
Step one is you soak a pound of beans in water overnight, then drain and refill the pot with water about 2 inches over the beans and do a quick boil. Just enough to get it to a rolling boil and then stop and let it cool. This will reduce the methane production capacity of your household population and keep you from being whacked with the skillet by your bride.
Then you pick up a market trimmed brisket with a little but not a lot of marbling, Lightly rub it with your favorite brisket concoction, and put it in your smoker for about two hours of smoke infusion, in my case into the Traeger also known as "the tin man".
After about two hours, pull it off and plop it in your pressure cooker. Then pour in the pinto beans with their juice, two or three whole cloves of garlic, one jar of roasted red Italian peppers that have been rinsed to get the vinegar out, one big can of Hatch green chiles that have been rinsed to get the can taste out (even better if you score some fresh roasted ones, about a half pound worth), around a half cup of minced purple onion, and a sprig of fresh cilantro. Smack on the lid to your pressure cooker, and cook for about five hours. After five hours, depressurize without blowing up the household, crack the lid open and and add two large cans of rinsed Posole (or Hominy for our friends following along that happen to live east of Corsicana Texas). Also add about a cup of a dark roux, which is nothing more than flower browned in butter or a little bacon grease in a skillet for those who have not done it before. Slap the lid back on top of your pressure cooker, and cook for another two or three hours.
When completed, depressurize and remove from the stove, and when pressure has normalized to a safe room level, crack the lid. Serve in bowls with grated queso fresco and some diced avocado on top along with a frosty cold good Mexican beer. The experience is enhanced if you happen to be watching college football as well, and your kids are playing some smash mouth out in the backyard after you have cranked up the national anthem and taught them how to salute the flag prior to gametime, remembering those among us who have served, been wounded, or who have "given the last full measure of devotion to their country". Notice I did not mention watching the NFL, because I am not doing that today. Perhaps for the rest of the season.
Priceless.
I am Boots, and I approved this message.
Now, because my wife is not the biggest fan of pork, and because I have a pork butt resting in brine in the fridge anyway for later in the week, I decided to forgo the traditional Carnitas and do a West Texas version of the typical Santa Fe favorite.
Verdict? Why brisket of course, guilty as charged.
So it goes like this, and while you can use a large stock pot or Dutch oven, I prefer the pressure cooker as the principal instrument of perfection, in this case my big six bolt Wisconsin made American equipment company thick-walled old school Cold War special, which I lovingly refer to as "Sputnik".
Step one is you soak a pound of beans in water overnight, then drain and refill the pot with water about 2 inches over the beans and do a quick boil. Just enough to get it to a rolling boil and then stop and let it cool. This will reduce the methane production capacity of your household population and keep you from being whacked with the skillet by your bride.
Then you pick up a market trimmed brisket with a little but not a lot of marbling, Lightly rub it with your favorite brisket concoction, and put it in your smoker for about two hours of smoke infusion, in my case into the Traeger also known as "the tin man".
After about two hours, pull it off and plop it in your pressure cooker. Then pour in the pinto beans with their juice, two or three whole cloves of garlic, one jar of roasted red Italian peppers that have been rinsed to get the vinegar out, one big can of Hatch green chiles that have been rinsed to get the can taste out (even better if you score some fresh roasted ones, about a half pound worth), around a half cup of minced purple onion, and a sprig of fresh cilantro. Smack on the lid to your pressure cooker, and cook for about five hours. After five hours, depressurize without blowing up the household, crack the lid open and and add two large cans of rinsed Posole (or Hominy for our friends following along that happen to live east of Corsicana Texas). Also add about a cup of a dark roux, which is nothing more than flower browned in butter or a little bacon grease in a skillet for those who have not done it before. Slap the lid back on top of your pressure cooker, and cook for another two or three hours.
When completed, depressurize and remove from the stove, and when pressure has normalized to a safe room level, crack the lid. Serve in bowls with grated queso fresco and some diced avocado on top along with a frosty cold good Mexican beer. The experience is enhanced if you happen to be watching college football as well, and your kids are playing some smash mouth out in the backyard after you have cranked up the national anthem and taught them how to salute the flag prior to gametime, remembering those among us who have served, been wounded, or who have "given the last full measure of devotion to their country". Notice I did not mention watching the NFL, because I am not doing that today. Perhaps for the rest of the season.
Priceless.
I am Boots, and I approved this message.
