Colorado’s green chile comes in a range of colors: here’s a green-tinted Pork Green Chile recipe you can make at home

George’s Drive-Inn in Walsenburg, Colorado near I-25 and has been in business since 1977. The diner smothers everything from breakfast burritos to burgers with a savory, spicy green chile that’s cooked fresh daily. Photo by Emily Kemme.

By Emily Kemme

Last week, I spent some time tootling around southern Colorado with old college friends. We began near Salida and crisscrossed the area between the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountain ranges. The stated goal was to cycle a handful of mountain passes and do some mural-spotting. The itinerary was suggested by the Colorado tourism folks: a rural route along which you can see where artists have painted their impressions of the West on building walls.

But my unstated goal for the week was to sample as much green chile as possible. 

In Colorado, green chile is one of those foods you can eat year-round.  And even though the harvest time months of September and October are prime for chile tasting, our state is known for the fact that green chile and salsa aren’t simply condiments. Basically, these are meal essentials. In Weld County alone, there are over 60 listings for Mexican restaurants, most of which ladle up their proprietary version of green chile.

George’s Drive-Inn in Walsenburg, Colorado near I-25 and has been in business since 1977. The diner smothers everything from breakfast burritos to burgers with a savory, spicy green chile that’s cooked fresh daily. Photo by Emily Kemme.

The sauce is special because it pulls from regional traditions: there is no one right or wrong way to prepare it. In the molcajete in which the label “Mexican food” is mashed, pounded and then affixed to a product, the only certain thing is there is no such thing as one definitive green chile.

You might be right in saying our state’s predominant version of green chile is a brownish-orange, thick gravy studded with diced green chiles — with a color range from Pantone Pumpkin to Tangerine to Butterfly (yes, really). But you can also find a tangier, greener-toned version of green chile prepared with tart green tomatillos, diced onion and cumin in a different Mexican restaurant one block over.

It’s not only Mexican restaurants that feature it: on last week’s southern Colorado green chile tour, the winner was George’s Drive-Inn, a rickety red-roofed building on the outskirts of Walsenburg that snugs up to I-25. In business since 1977, the diner smothers everything from breakfast burritos to burgers with a savory, spicy green chile that’s cooked fresh daily. It’s brownish-orange colored.

With the recent dip in temperatures, it seems we’re heading into comfort food season, which means that — as much as green chile is a dietary essential — there might be days when you don’t want to set foot outside your home to go find it. George’s chile is some of the best anywhere, but Walsenburg is about 225 miles from Greeley.

Instead, you could cook up a batch of decent pork green chile. If you want to classify this one by color, it’s a dead ringer for Pantone 448C, which, according to decor trends, has been called the ugliest paint color in the world. Officially titled, “Opaque Couche,” while it might not be a good color to paint your bedroom, it makes for a tasty green chile with a hint of tanginess.

Tender diced pork and creamy white potatoes give you a palate of options. Ramp up the heat (or lower it) to taste by choosing between a range of mild to hot roasted green chiles.

You can slurp it as soup or ladle it over a burrito. It’s also good over eggs, the ultimate green chile delivery device.

Easy pork green chile recipe

Cook up a batch of green chile at home with this recipe. Tender diced pork, creamy white potatoes and diced green chiles in your choice of heat level result in a tasty green chile with a hint of tanginess. Photo by Emily Kemme.

• 2.5 pounds lean pork, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

• 1/4 cup flour

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 3-5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 2 medium yellow onions, finely diced

• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 12 ounces roasted green chiles, either fresh, canned or frozen. If using frozen green chiles, defrost before using. Chiles are available in mild, medium or hot versions — it’s your choice!

• 2 — 28 ounce cans salsa verde or green enchilada sauce (again, the heat level is up to individual choice)

• 6 cups low-salt chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander

• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

• 16 new white potatoes, scrubbed and diced

• 3 carrots, peeled, quartered and diced

Make the recipe

Place diced pork in a large bowl and sprinkle with flour, pepper, salt and garlic powder. Toss pork well to coat pieces thoroughly.

Add 3 tablespoons of oil to a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium to warm. Brown pork in oil, turning pieces until they are browned and beginning to crisp. Remove pork to a clean bowl. 

Toss in garlic and onions and sauté until onion begins to soften but isn’t browned, about 5 minutes. You can add oil to this step, if needed, but there should be residual liquid from the pork remaining in the pot.

Return pork and any juices collected in the bowl to the pot and add green chiles, salsa verde, chicken stock and spices to the pot. Increase heat and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmer on low for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally so meat doesn’t stick to the skillet.

Add potatoes and carrots to the pot, cover and continue simmering for an hour. Potatoes will be tender when tested with a fork. Remove lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until stew reaches desired consistency.

Serve as a stew, ladle over a burrito or embellish eggs.