“When we were little, my Grandma Lee had a hot dog stand, Cole's. The texture and taste of this well-seasoned, melt in your mouth recipe very much reminds me of the chili Grandma would put on her chili dogs. Oh man, were those good! It's one of those once-in-a-while, as an indulgence, treats I seek out while I'm alone, eat in my car, then throw away the evidence kind of good. As not to give up my secret guilty pleasure (it’s no secret anymore), I prepare this recipe as an entree served with a side of rice or a flavorful, sandwich made on a bolillo. Yum!

Let me know what your guilty pleasure is! I want to know if there is anyone else that does this or if I’m just a weirdo. 😝"

Ingredients:

1 dried California chili pod

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. black peppercorns

2 tsp. salt

2 pounds pork stew meat

2 TBSP. all-purpose flour

2 TBSP. butter, cubed

2 TBSP. olive oil

1 large onion, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp. chili powder

1 TBSP. paprika

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup Queso Oaxaca for garnish

How to Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 250℉. Spread the spices (chile, coriander, cumin, oregano, and peppercorns) on to an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and toast the spices for a few minutes. Transfer the toasted spices into a mortar and pestle and grind together.

2. Sprinkle the pork with the spices, covering all the surfaces of the as much as possible.

3. Make a beurre manie by mashing the flour into the butter in a small bowl. Set aside until needed as a thickener for the stew.

4. Heat the olive oil in a deep saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides. Lower the heat medium and add the garlic and onion and stir to combine flavors. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken broth and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer until pork is fork tender, about 1 and a half hours. In the last 30 minutes of cooking time, add the beurre manie to thicken. Serve hot.

5. Garnish with cheese.

6. Enjoy!