Green Chile Stew: New Mexican Comfort

Working in batches, brown the pork shoulder cubes over high heat. Do not crowd the pan; each batch must have direct contact with the surface. The fond that builds on the pan floor is the foundation of the broth — it is not incidental. Each batch is done when the exterior is deeply coloured on at least two sides.

Remove the last batch of pork. Add the chopped onion to the hot pan and cook until softened and the fond begins to lift from the surface. Add the garlic and cumin. The cumin quantity is deliberate and should not be reduced — cumin and green chile are the two flavour pillars of this stew. Cook until the raw smell of the cumin is gone and the aromatics smell toasted and integrated.

Return all the browned pork to the pan. Add the roasted, peeled, and chopped green chiles. The full quantity — 8 to 12 chiles — is the correct quantity for six portions; it is a starting point, not an excess. Add enough water to cover. Scrape up any remaining fond. This is where the dish lives or dies: the quality and quantity of the green chile determine the entire expression of the stew. Bring to a simmer and cook until the pork is tender and the broth has absorbed the character of the chile — the fat should begin to pool faintly at the surface and the liquid should smell fully of roasted green chile.

Add the potato cubes in the final 30 minutes of cooking. They are done when a knife passes through each cube without resistance but the cubes hold their shape and have not begun to break apart in the broth.