I Love making different versions of chili. Traditional or not, there’s no way to go wrong. Like this “Ancho Pork Chili” The Ancho peppers give this chili a depth of flavor that traditional chili doesn’t have along with a beautiful dark color. I choose pork steak because they are tender, so flavorful and cook fairly quick. The pork and the ancho pepper combination remind me of Pork Mole. I guess you can say this chili has a Mexican flare.
What you need to make Ancho Pork Chili
Olive oil
Pork steaks Dried Ancho Chiles
Roma tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Black beans
Spices: Cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, sugar, Mexican oregano, salt and pepper.
White vinegar
Sour cream
green onions, sliced
Tortilla chips
Helpful Tips and Tricks
I like to use pork steaks for this recipe because I think they are more flavorful and tender than other cuts of pork and they also cook faster, but if you can’t find them, pork shoulder or butt would work as well.
This is a very rich chili but not spicy at all. You can add 1 dried chipotle pepper at the same time you boil the Anchos and tomatoes if you want a little heat and blend them all together. I like to add the cinnamon, sugar and vinegar to balance the flavors a little bit. You can sub for honey if you don’t want to use refined sugar.
The flavor of this chili reminds me of Mole. If you like Mole , I think you would love this dish.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1 1/2 lb pork steaks
- 2 small dried ancho peppers
- 2 ripe roma tomatoes
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- pinch Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- –For Serving–
- Sour cream
- green onions, sliced
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and transfer to a sauce pan. Add the tomatoes and enough water to cover everything. Place on medium high heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Cut the pork steak into bite size pieces (not bigger than 1/2 inch)
- In a Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the meat for about 10 minutes. Let the meat release it’s juices and evaporate. The meat will dried out. continue stirring until lightly browned. Add more oil if needed.
- While the meat is cooking, add the peppers, tomatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, sugar and oregano to a blender and blend until very smooth. Add some water to the blender if needed.
- Once the meat is dried add the onions, garlic and bay leaf. Cook until the onions are tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the black beans, ancho sauce and vinegar. Cover and lower the heat to gentle simmer.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the meat is very tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, green onions and tortilla chips.
- Enjoy!
