Pork Chili with Hominy

I found this recipe on CookingLight.com.  I have adjusted it by adding some butter and flour and using more olive oil than the original recipe called for.  It is really a wonderful full flavored chili that is delicious and doesn't leave you with that "heavy feeling" that you sometimes get after eating these "stick to your ribs" kind of meals.  Give this one a try - I really think you will enjoy it!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chile powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ pounds pork, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I use the pork roasts from Costco that come four to a package. You could also use pork tenderloin – but then reduce the final cooking time to 25 minutes.)

Olive Oil

1 white onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 ½ tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 ½ cups chicken broth

1 (28-ounce) can hominy, drained

1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, “Mexican Style”, undrained

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; set 1 ½ teaspoons spice mixture aside. Add pork to remaining spice mixture in bowl, tossing well to coat.

Drizzle some olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. (I use a large non-stick skillet that I purchased at Costco. See photo below.) Add pork mixture to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove pork from pan; set aside.

Drizzle a little bit more olive oil in pan. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan; set aside. (I added it to the bowl in which I placed the pork.)

Add butter to pan; melt. Add flour to pan and stir to cook for several minutes; making a roux. Return pork and vegetables to pan. Add reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture, broth, hominy, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour. (If you used pork tenderloin instead of a pork roast – remember to reduce cooking time to 25 minutes.)

Click here for printable recipe.