Weight Watchers Info: 11 PointsPlus per serving (cheese & sour cream are extra)
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 pound ground pork
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 cups chopped onion
1¾ cups chopped green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup lager-style beer (such as Budweiser)
½ teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tomatillos, quartered
2 bay leaves
2 (14½-ounce) cans plum tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, drained
1 (7¾-ounce) can Mexican hot-style tomato sauce (such as El Paso)
1 smoked ham hock (about 8 ounces)
1½ tablespoons sugar
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
½ cup finely chopped green onions
½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco
8 lime wedges
Our Modifications:
Jeff and I have a really high threshold for hot spicy food, so we usually “up” the hot factor in most recipes. We did the same with this recipe. Substitute bell pepper with 1-1/4 cup Anaheim chilies, and ½ cup red jalapenos. Add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper with the chili powder.
We also swapped out the beer (using a Corona) — we don’t allow Budweiser in the house unless my dad is visiting.
Instructions
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ground pork to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to slightly crumble. Drain well. Transfer pork to an electric slow cooker.
Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add pork shoulder; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Transfer pork to slow cooker.
Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beer; cook 1 minute. Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, chili powder, and next 9 ingredients (through ham hock) to slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 5 hours or until meat is tender. Remove bay leaves and ham hock; discard. Stir in remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and sugar. Ladle about 1⅓ cups chili into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 tablespoon green onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese. Serve each serving with 1 lime wedge.
Notes
You can also cook the chili in a slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours.
For cooking chili on the stove top, use a total of 12 ounces beer and simmer, covered, for 2½ to 3 hours or until the pork shoulder is tender.
Recipe by The Taste Place at https://www.thetasteplace.com/spicy-smoky-slow-cooked-pork-chili/