Chilli Colorado

The boy will like this. It’s a Tex Mex dish that is mildly hot. My niece was tucking into it before her 3^rd birthday so it doesn’t have to be hot-hot. All Tex Mex is more Tex than Mex, but that is no criticism. To confuse things my Texan friends call this cuisine Spanish.

1 tbsp oil

1 onion, chopped

500g cubed pork

1 can chopped tomatoes with garlic

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp chilli flakes

1 ½ cups water

Colorado Sauce

4 California or New Mexico Chillies

2 ½ cups chicken stock

1 onion chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp chilli powder

½ tsp salt

A few good grinds black pepper

Make the Colorado sauce first. I think a little rest while you cook the meat will only do it good.

Pour boiling water over the chillies and let them soften for half an hour or so. My brother brought me a load of California chillies last year. They’re quite big and very dark red. They’re fairly mild, which is what we’re looking for here. The boy likes it because he can manage this heat easily.

Fry off the onion and garlic. Blend with the chillies, adding chicken stock slowly. You might not need all of it – you’re looking for something thick and saucy. Strain.

Now the meat: Sweat the onion and then add the pork until it browns. Add everything else and simmer for 20 minutes or so until thickened a little. Everything else included the Colorado sauce by the way.

Serve with rice and garnish with coriander and sour cream. A few Tortilla chips on the side wouldn’t hurt, though this is pushing it into Tex territory. He won’t mind -  he loves them. Use proper Tortilla chips not Cheese flavoured branded chips or the like. Plain please.

A once favourite diner, Ricardo’s in California served this on plastic plates and had a sort of Salsa Bar where you could add your own condiments. Have a look at what you have in the cupboard that you could serve up in small bowls to do a kind of pick and mix with:

Hot Sauce (Cholula brand would be ideal)

Bottled Salsa

Diced onion with coriander and lime juice

Mild chillies chopped and dressed in oil

Fresh chopped tomatoes with parsley, salt and peper

 Improvise. It will seem luxurious. Choice is king. None of these are remotely Mexican, but neither is Chilli Colorado.

Your boy will love this. It’s got some heat but he can deal with it and you can always add some more chilli to your own plate. He’ll feel like a man.  His mates will think it sounds hotter than it is. A few bottles of Sol and he’ll be thinking this is the life,  which is how he should be thinking of you. Make the most of it. You’ve a lot of veggies to start using up over the next few days.