Colorado’s Date of Statehood – August 1st, 1876
Amongst the snowcapped peaks in the mile-high city are plates and plates of delicious Colorado cuisine, all smothered in green pork chili! From burgers to burritos this meaty chili garnishes everything. But it is EQUALLY tasty in a bowl by itself! So, in order to pay homage to the Rock Mountain High, we are enjoying some chili and Ranch Style biscuits! Bring on the snugly blanket and roaring fire!
Tips and Tricks
- Hatch Green Chilis can alternate between very mild to very spicy, depending. This is also true for the canned Hatch chilis. Just be advised if you are making with for spice sensitive individuals.
- When making biscuits, freeze the butter. The colder the butter the better your biscuits. Plus, freezing the butter also makes it easier to grate/cut into small pieces.
- When mixing biscuit dough, use your hands as little as possible (to keep the butter as cold as possible for as long as possible.
- If you want to make this as a sauce (as opposed to a chili on its own,) add 2 additional Tbs of Flour for thickness.
Old Fashioned Colorado Green Chili
Serves 8-10
- 2 lbs. Pork Shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 Cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 3 Tbs All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Large Tomatoes, diced
- 1 Can (14.5 oz.) Chicken Broth
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 1/2 Cups Hatch Green Chilis, diced
- 1 Large Onion, peeled and diced
Step 1: Place a large stock pot over medium heat. Once the pot is hot, add the cubed pork and cook until the meat starts to brown and the fat starts to render, about 3 minutes.
Step 2: Add the flour to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the chicken broth to the pot and de-glaze with a wooden spoon, scraping up any brown bits.
Step 4: Add the garlic, water, tomatoes, green chilis, and onion to the pot and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil.
Step 5: Once the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 2 hours.
Step 6: Once the chili has cooked, taste and add salt if needed.
Step 7: Serve hot.
Ranch Biscuits
Makes 12 Biscuits
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1/2 Cup Cold Butter, cut into small cubes
- 2/3 Cups Half and Half
Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Step 2: In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Add the cold butter to the flour and process until the butter is well combined and the mixture looks like sand.
Step 3: Put the buttered dry ingredients into a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the half and half until a sticky dough forms. Gently knead the dough with floured hands 5-6 times until the dough comes together.
Step 4: Roll the biscuit dough out on a floured work surface to 1/2-inch thickness and cut out the biscuits, round or square. Place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet and place in the hot oven. Bake for 10 minutes, until the bottoms start to get golden brown.
Step 5: Serve warm with butter.
Fun Facts about Colorado: 1. You can be in 4 states at once! In the southwest corner of Colorado, the state borders three others, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. This is quite the phenomenon as it’s the only place in the whole of America where the corners of four states all meet. 2. Colorado is home to the world’s largest natural hot springs swimming pool. The source of the Glenwood Hot Springs’s mineral water is the Yampah spring. The spring produces over 3.5 million gallons of water per day at a scolding 122F. 3. The Grand Mesa is known as the largest flattop mountain in the world. Spanning hundreds of square miles and standing more than 10,000 feet above sea level, the Grand Mesa is home to various wildlife, distinct geologic features, national forest, and beautiful views. 4. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in the U.S. The road climbs up to 14,258 feet above sea level. 5. The Great Sand Dunes National Park, located in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, is host to the tallest dune in the U.S., named the Star Dune. The dune rises just at 750 feet above the valley floor. 6. “America the Beautiful” was written about Pike’s Peak. 7. 1/3 of the land in Colorado is owned by the United States Federal Government. 8. At an elevation of 5,280 feet, Denver is nicknamed the “Mile High City” because it sits exactly one mile above sea level. The 13th step of the capital building in Denver is exactly one mile high above sea level.
Edible U.S. 