Gearjammers Chili Verde

Robert Dyer

2003 4th Annual

 Chili Verde Championship

Chili verde champion Robert Dyer knows a thing or two about cooking in competition. This year’s first place winner for his world-class pork and green chile concoction has been in second place three times in the red chili championship, losing once in a tie-breaker vote. He placed himself easily in reach of the winner’s circle this year by advancing to the finals table for all three ICS cookoff categories: red chili, chili verde, and salsa. Bob and his wife Ellen live in Canyon Lake, California, and competed up and down the West Coast to qualify to cook in all three categories at the World’s Championship. This was the thirteenth year that the Dyers have cooked in the event. This year, with Ellen’s help as teammate and “chief taster,” Bob cooked in 35 ICS competitions. In most of those competitions, though, Dyer didn’t even prepare a pot of chili verde. “I cooked green six or seven times,” Dyer says, “and I’ve never placed in that category before.” Now he can say he’s placed first, making Dyer’s Gearjammers Chili Verde the one to beat in the coming year. Asked if he grows his own fresh peppers, Dyer notes that he gets the mild green chiles, New Mexico chiles and serrano peppers from his local market when they’re in stock. When he can’t pick them up in town, Dyer has them shipped from the Albuquerque Chile Company. Dyer’s recipe calls for generous amounts of all three varieties, so he stocks up before leaving home for critical cookoffs like the championship.
 

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork (loin preferred)
3/4 pound of chopped mild green chiles, roasted and cleaned
1/2 pound of cubed hot green New Mexico chiles, roasted and cleaned
1/4 of a green bell pepper, finely chopped
6 medium green onions (white part only), finely chopped
5 medium tomatillos, chopped
7 large serrano peppers, finely chopped with no seeds
2 ounces of finely chopped garlic
12 ounces of your favorite green chili sauce
14 ounces of chicken broth
3 teaspoons of salt
 

Instructions:

1. Brown meat and drain any fat, 1 pound at a time. Add all other ingredients except 1/4 pound of hot chiles and 1 teaspoon of salt. Simmer on medium for 1 1/2 hours.

2. Add the rest of the green chiles, chopped hot peppers and the rest of the salt (if needed). Cook on low simmer for 1/2 hour.

3. Serve with white beans and flour tortillas.