Picadillo Picante
Anaheim’s are very popular in Southwestern US Cuisine.Also called “New Mexican Chile”. These were developed by Dr. Fabian Garcia in New Mexico about 100 yrs ago who was seeking a chile pepper that was bigger, fleshier, and milder.
They got the name “Anaheim” when a farmer named Emilio Ortega brought these seeds to the Anaheim area in the early 1900’s. This chile can be roasted and peeled and used in recipes or stuffed to make chile rellenos just as the Poblano Chile.
Ingredients:
6 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, chopped
1 tsp ground cayenne
1 lb pork, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 small tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
2 Tbsp raisins
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/4 cup stuffed green olives, chopped
1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped
Instructions:
Brown the pork in the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the remaining ingredients, except the olives and almonds, and simmer for an hour or until the meat is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Before serving, add the olives and the almonds.
Variation: Use beef in place of the pork and add bananas and chopped pineapple in place of the raisins and olives. Shred the meat instead of leaving it in cubes and use as a filling for burritos or tacos.
Serves 4.
From The Whole Chile Pepper Book by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach.