Chili Verde for those Chilly Nights

Some of the best meals come from family and sometimes we take them for granted. A few years ago I hired someone to remove the wallpaper from my kitchen/breakfast nook area. I attempted to do this myself but soon found that the paper was not going to budge no matter what method I used. I called a handyman over for an estimate. He exclaimed that he could do the job and for a reasonable price , I thought. He started the removal process only to find that the wallpaper would not come off for him either! His plan B was to seal, prime and paint the area while honoring the estimated price. Wow, what a guy!

As he was working I decided to make the chili verde recipe passed down from my parents. As the aroma permeated my workers nostril's, he agreed to be my taste tester. He said it was probably some of the best chili verde he's ever had and pleaded for the recipe. Of course, I obliged and wrote it down for him. It was the least I could do after all the hard work he had done. I hope after all these years he has made this for his family.

This week has been the perfect time to cook of a batch of chili verde. It's very cold outside and I had leftover pork roast waiting to be the "star" of the day, again. Sounds pretty Martha Stewart-ish, huh? I usually don't buy much pork but I stumbled upon a small shoulder roast for under $4.00. One night we had a typical Czech meal of roast pork and dumplings and two nights later I fixed this recipe. Such a deal!

Ingredients:

About 3 cups cubed pork roast meat. You can make this from pork chops but it is better when the meat is precooked from a roast.

1 T oil

1/4 c fl;our

1 small can diced green chili

1/2 - 1 cup salsa (your favorite brand)

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 c fresh chopped cilantro

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can of chicken broth (14oz)

salt and pepper to taste

Put oil in a large pan, add pork and heat while stirring in the flour to thicken. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook for at least 30 minutes. Stir often. I usually cook mine for at least hour or so. It's even better the next day. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or queso fresco and warm tortillas. Delicious!