14 August, 2012
Pork and White Bean Chili
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons bacon fat or vegetable oil
1 pound boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground Ancho Chile Pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons crushed oregano leaves
½ teaspoon salt
1 can (15 ½ ounces) white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken stock (I use chicken flavored Better Than Bouillon dissolved into 2 cups of hot water)
Preparation:
Heat 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat or oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, coat the pork with flour. I put the flour into a quart size Ziploc bag and add batches of pork, close, shake gently to coat well, and scoop out the pieces with a slotted spoon.
Add ½ of the floured pork to the skillet; brown on all sides. Remove the pork from skillet to a small bowl. Repeat with remaining pork, adding additional bacon fat as needed and then adding the second batch of pork to the bowl.
Stir the chopped onions into skillet; add a little more fat if needed. Cook and stir 4 minutes or until tender.
Add all the seasonings; cook and stir 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, stirring well.
Add the browned pork that had been set aside in the bowl and add the beans; mix well. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes or until pork is tender, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. Add another ¼ cup of water if the gravy gets too thick for your liking.
Notes:
Serve chili topped with a scoop of guacamole and warm, crusty bread. Rice pudding makes a wonderful dessert with this chili.
This recipe is great with venison substituted for pork.
Cannellini is just white kidney beans. You can use any white bean if you don’t have cannellini on hand.
If you have never tried Ancho Chile Pepper this is the perfect reason to buy a jar and try it. Ancho Chile Pepper is not hot – it adds a smokey warmth to the dish. It is wonderful to add to chili, ribs and other dishes that need a boost of flavor.
As with almost every chili, this tastes even better the next day!
Adapted from the McCormicks Spice web site recipe collection