Comfort Hatch Chile Pork Stew

I never really understood the hype around hatch chiles until I moved to Portland and my neighbor brought me a bag from her New Mexico trip. She kept going on about how they’re only available for a few weeks each year, and I figured she was just being dramatic.

But then I made this stew. The smoky, earthy flavor of those chiles mixed with tender pork is something you can’t get from regular green chiles. Now I’m one of those people who stocks up when hatch chile season rolls around in late August. This stew is the reason why—it’s comfort food that actually tastes like something special.

What Kind of Pork Should I Use?

For this stew, you’ll want to use a cut of pork that becomes tender when braised, and pork shoulder or pork butt are your best bets. These cuts have enough fat and connective tissue to break down during the long cooking process, giving you incredibly tender, flavorful meat. If you can’t find pork shoulder, a pork chuck roast will work just as well. Avoid lean cuts like pork tenderloin or pork chops, as they’ll become tough and dry in a stew. When you’re at the butcher or grocery store, look for meat that has some marbling – those white streaks of fat will melt away during cooking and keep your pork moist and delicious.

Options for Substitutions

This stew is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some easy substitutions you can make:

• Hatch green chiles: If you can’t find Hatch chiles, poblano peppers or Anaheim chiles work great as substitutes. You can also use canned green chiles – just use about 1 ½ cups and add them directly to the pot.
• Pork roast: Pork shoulder or Boston butt are perfect cuts for this recipe. In a pinch, you can use beef chuck roast cut into cubes, though the cooking time might need a slight adjustment.
• White Northern beans: Pinto beans, navy beans, or cannellini beans all work well here. You can even use black beans if that’s what you have on hand.
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: Regular diced tomatoes work fine, though you’ll lose some of that smoky flavor. You could add a pinch of smoked paprika to make up for it.
• Chicken broth: Vegetable broth or beef broth both work as substitutes. If using beef broth, the stew will have a richer, deeper flavor.
• Pickled jalapenos: Fresh jalapenos work too – just use 1-2 peppers, seeded and diced. You can also skip them entirely if you want less heat.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making pork stew is rushing the browning process – properly searing those flour-coated pork cubes in batches creates a golden crust that adds serious flavor to your final dish, so don’t overcrowd the pot or you’ll end up steaming the meat instead.

Another common error is adding the beans too early in the cooking process, which can cause them to break down and turn mushy – stir them in during the last 15-20 minutes of simmering to keep them intact and creamy.

Make sure to taste and adjust your seasoning near the end of cooking, especially the salt, since the chicken broth and pickled jalapeños already contribute sodium to the stew.

For the best texture, let your stew simmer low and slow for at least an hour after adding the liquid ingredients, which gives the pork time to become fork-tender and allows all those flavors to meld together perfectly.

What to Serve With Hatch Chile Pork Stew?

This hearty stew is perfect with warm flour tortillas or cornbread to soak up all that flavorful broth. I love serving it over a bed of fluffy white rice or with a side of Mexican rice to make it even more filling. For toppings, try shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, or fresh cilantro to cool down the heat from those hatch chiles. A simple side salad with lime vinaigrette also pairs nicely to balance out the richness of this comforting stew.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This hearty pork stew actually gets better after a day or two in the fridge! Store it in an airtight container and it’ll keep for up to 4 days. The flavors really meld together nicely, making it perfect for meal prep or leftovers throughout the week.

Freeze: You can freeze this stew for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. I like to portion it out into individual servings so I can thaw just what I need. Just leave some room at the top of containers since it’ll expand when frozen.

Reheat: Warm it up gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You can also use the microwave on medium power, stirring every minute or so. If it seems too thick after reheating, just add a splash of chicken broth to loosen it up.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	120-180 minutes
Total Time	135-200 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2300-2700
• Protein: 190-220 g
• Fat: 80-95 g
• Carbohydrates: 180-210 g

Ingredients

For preparing the pork:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 to 3 lb pork roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp canola oil

For the stew base:

• 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (about 1 medium)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 2 cups roasted hatch green chiles, coarsely chopped
• 28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, drained and chopped

For finishing:

• 2 cans (15 oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

Step 1: Dredge Pork Pieces

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 to 3 lb pork roast, cut into 1-inch pieces

In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and black pepper.

Add the pork pieces and toss to coat them evenly with the flour mixture.

Discard any excess flour after dredging.

Step 2: Brown the Pork and Cook the Onions

• 3 tbsp canola oil
• dredged pork pieces from Step 1
• 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (about 1 medium)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic

Heat canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Working in batches, add the dredged pork pieces from Step 1 and brown them on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per batch.

With the last batch of pork, add the diced yellow onion and cook until the onion is tender.

Return all the browned pork to the Dutch oven and stir in the minced garlic, cooking for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 3: Deglaze and Add Liquids

• 32 oz chicken broth

Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven.

Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any flavorful browned bits.

Stir well to combine.

I always make sure to scrape thoroughly to get that rich depth of flavor.

Step 4: Add Flavorings and Simmer

• 2 cups roasted Hatch green chiles, coarsely chopped
• 28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, drained and chopped

Add the roasted Hatch green chiles, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, ground cumin, and chopped pickled jalapeños to the Dutch oven.

Stir everything together, cover, and reduce the heat to low.

Simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours, or until the pork is very tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.

Stir the stew occasionally as it cooks.

Step 5: Finish the Stew

• 2 cans (15 oz each) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

About 30 minutes before serving, gently stir in the rinsed and drained Great Northern beans.

Let the stew continue to simmer, uncovered, so the beans heat through and absorb some of the flavors.

For extra depth, I like to taste and adjust seasoning at this point, adding a pinch more salt if needed.