As a gastronaut, I have been in pursuit of the perfect chili verde for quite some time.  Fundamentally, chili verde is a type of gravy: a dispersion of lipid phase (preferably pork lipids), a dispersant (starches), an aqueous phase, phytochemicals (capsaicin, cumin extracts, etc), pork, and assorted plant tissues.  It is called green chili mostly because it is not red.  That is, it lacks red chili’s.  It is more or less green by default owing to the minor jalapeno or other chili components. 

Chili verde can be consumed as a soup with or without tortillas. It is also a wonderful sauce to drown a burrito or other variations of foods wrapped in tortillas.  When used as a sauce the rheology is quite inportant.  The chili verde must flow readily, but it must also coat the burrito or enchilada in a fashion so as to form a layer substantial enough to impart flavor and release enough heat to melt any cheese that might be applied. 

I’m an experimental gastronomer, not a theorist.  Much can be said about what constitutes authentic Mexican food.  I happen to prefer what tastes best, not what is stringently authentic.  When we use the word “authentic”, what do we really mean anyway?   Mexican food is now a kind of gastronomic diaspora- it has been dispersed in all directions (well, except for Europe) and is evolving.

Here is the latest revision– To a large stock pot is added 454 g of pork sausage or diced pork.  As the pork is browning, one half of a medium onion is diced and added to the browning meat.  Several cloves of minced garlic are added to the mix.  After the meat is browned, 6 cups of water is added and the mixture is heated to a gentle boil.  To the vessel is added 1 tsp of NaCl (or to taste), 1 finely diced jalapeno pepper, 1/3 cup diced Anaheim pepper, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground chili pepper, 1/4 cup corn meal, and one finely diced tomatillo.  The mixture is allowed to simmer for 30 minutes.  To a cup with 1/4 cup of warm water is added 2 tablespoons of corn or arrow root starch and the solids vigorously dispersed in the water (no lumps).  The starch slurry is added to the pot and the resulting mixture is simmered at low heat for 10 minutes to afford a mixture that should have the consistency of a gravy. Beware-  it is possible to overheat the composition and wreck the dispersion. 

Comment on the above lot:  Pretty good, I’d give it a 9 out of 10. Perhaps a bit more cumin.  Actually, a fresh salsa with cilantro & jalapeno would do the job on a burrito.

In a later post I will discuss fabrication techniques related to the burrito. For now, bon appetit!