Green Chile Adobado Poutine

Week 351. Winter 2022. I am 39 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like soup and bread and this is my life. This is the life I built.

The clinic was busy this week — spring puppies and summer emergencies and the constant, comforting cycle of animals who need care and humans who love them enough to bring them in.

Mason is 11 and reading everything he can find and examining the world under a microscope with the intensity of a tenured researcher.

Lily is 9 and riding horses with the fearlessness of someone who has never considered the possibility of falling.

I made chicken tikka masala this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.

I had planned on chicken tikka masala, and I started down that road — but somewhere between the spice cabinet and the stove I found myself reaching for the green chiles instead, pulled toward something that felt equally warm and layered but rooted a little differently, a little closer to the ground. Week 351 called for that kind of meal: something with heat and depth, something that required patience and attention, something that would fill the kitchen with a smell that said we live here, we are okay. This Green Chile Adobado Poutine is that dish — all spice and slow-built richness, the kind of food that holds a whole week together.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs russet potatoes, cut into thick fries
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb pork shoulder or chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons adobo seasoning
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 roasted green chiles (Hatch or Anaheim), peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cup chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup cheese curds (or shredded Monterey Jack as substitute)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Sour cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Season the meat. Toss the pork or chicken pieces with adobo seasoning, smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano until evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the other components.
Fry or bake the potatoes. For frying: heat 2–3 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 375°F and fry potato strips in batches for 4–5 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack and season with salt immediately. For baking: toss with 2 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon salt, spread on a baking sheet, and roast at 425°F for 35–40 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Brown the meat. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned meat in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until a deep sear forms. Flip and cook another 2–3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Build the adobado green chile sauce. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Melt butter, then add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Add the chopped green chiles and chicken broth, stirring to incorporate. Simmer for 8–10 minutes until the sauce thickens to a gravy-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Return the meat. Add the browned meat back into the sauce. Stir to coat and simmer together for 5 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and fully glazed in the adobado chile sauce.
Assemble the poutine. Pile the hot fries onto a large serving platter or divide among individual bowls. Scatter cheese curds evenly over the top so the heat from the fries begins to soften them. Spoon the green chile adobado meat and sauce generously over everything.
Garnish and serve immediately. Top with fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream if desired. Serve right away — poutine waits for no one.

Nutrition (per serving)

Green Chile Adobado Poutine — The Spice That Threads Every Version of Me Together