Smoked Pork Green Chili

Char the aromatics: Heat a dry cast iron pan over high. Char the half onion cut-side down until blackened in spots, 4–5 minutes. Slice the top off the garlic head, char the cut side the same way, 3–4 minutes. Set both aside.

Roast fresh chiles and tomatillos: Set broiler to high with rack near top. Arrange tomatillos, poblanos, and Anaheims on a sheet pan. Broil until blistered and charred, turning once, 8–12 minutes. Transfer poblanos and Anaheims to a covered bowl; steam 10 minutes, then peel, deseed, and small dice. Small dice the tomatillos with their juices.

Toast the dried chiles: In a dry skillet over medium heat, press the guajillos and ancho flat for 15–20 seconds per side until fragrant and pliable. Do not burn. Cover with hot water and soak 20 minutes.

Toast and grind the cumin: In the same dry skillet over medium-low, toast whole cumin seeds 1–2 minutes until they pop and smell nutty. Grind in a spice mill or mortar.

Build the aromatic base: In a heavy Dutch oven over medium, melt the pork fat. Add finely diced onion with a pinch of salt; cook 8–10 minutes until soft and edges are golden. Add jalapeño, cook 2 minutes. Squeeze charred garlic cloves from their skins into the pot along with the minced garlic; cook 30 seconds.

Make a light roux: Push aromatics to the side. Add 2 tbsp flour to the fat in the cleared spot. Stir constantly 2–3 minutes until it smells toasty and turns blonde. Stir the roux into the aromatics.

Bloom the spices: Add toasted cumin, chili powder, oregano, and black pepper to the pot. Stir 30–45 seconds until very fragrant.

Make and cook the chile paste: Drain soaked guajillos and ancho, reserving the soaking liquid. Blend them with the charred half onion, ½ cup soaking liquid, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add paste to the pot; cook 3–4 minutes, stirring, until darkened slightly and the raw smell cooks off.

Add fresh chiles: Stir in diced tomatillos, roasted poblanos, Anaheims, and canned green chiles. Cook 5 minutes, scraping the bottom.

Deglaze and build the braise: Pour in the beer and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom; simmer 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Add chicken stock, pork juices, ham hocks or neck bones, bay leaves, salt, Worcestershire or fish sauce, and honey. Bring to a low simmer.

Long simmer with bones: Cook uncovered or partially covered at a low simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until tomatillos have mostly dissolved and the broth tastes meaty and round.

Pull the bones: Remove ham hocks or neck bones. Shred any meat off the bones and return it to the pot. Discard bones, skin, and bay leaves.

Add the smoked pork: Stir in the smoked pork butt chunks. Simmer another 20–30 minutes to marry the flavors.

Adjust body with blended portion: Ladle out about 1½ cups of the chili — mostly liquid and vegetables, minimal meat — and blend until smooth. Stir back in. This acts as a natural thickener.

Taste and rest: Taste for salt. Off the heat, stir in lime zest, lime juice, and apple cider vinegar. Cool, then refrigerate overnight — the dish is noticeably better on day two.

Reheat gently (Day 2): Bring back to a low simmer. Skim solidified fat from the top if desired.

Final adjustments: Taste and add salt — it will always need some after resting. Re-brighten with additional lime juice and vinegar as needed. If too thick, thin with stock; if too thin, simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes. Serve with cilantro, green onions, diced white onion, cheese, warm tortillas, and lime wedges.