By Mid-January in Denver, which means gray sky and cold that isn't dramatic enough to be interesting but is persistent enough to be wearing. I grill anyway. I've always grilled in Colorado winters because stopping would be a form of defeat that my New Mexico pride cannot accept. Last Thursday it was eighteen degrees and I grilled chicken thighs in a down jacket and a fleece hat and the chicken was excellent and Lisa watched from the window with the expression of a woman who has been married to this man for twelve years and has made her peace with it.
I've been going to the school early in the mornings — six AM before anyone else is there — to run film from the semifinal loss. I'll watch this film until I understand every decision and every alternative. That's the process. You don't carry the loss forward as grief; you carry it as data. The grief is for people. The loss is for information. The separation matters.
Sofia ran a 5K last Saturday, her second official race. She came in at twenty-six minutes and forty seconds, which is forty-five seconds faster than her first race. She did this without comment, as if this were the expected trajectory. I asked her how she felt at the finish. She said, "Okay, but I think I can go faster." At seven, she has a coach's brain. I don't know what to do with that except be impressed and slightly terrified.
Made posole verde this week for the first time in a few months — tomatillos and green chile and hominy and pork, the bright tangy version. The kids still prefer the red version but they've come around to the green. Elena asked if we could have it twice a week, which I told her was logistically possible and which Lisa told her was absolutely not happening in a house with four children, a job, and a football coach. Elena accepted this with the equanimity of a five-year-old who has learned to pick her battles. She picks them well, that girl. She always has.
That pot of posole verde I made this week — the one Elena wanted twice a week and Lisa diplomatically vetoed — starts with a good green sauce. Roasted tomatillos, green chile, garlic, the works. It’s the foundation of the bright, tangy flavor that finally converted the kids from the red side. Here’s the green enchilada sauce I use as the base, and if you want to turn it into a full posole verde, I’ve got you covered in the notes below.
Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 6 (about 3 cups)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 4 to 6 Hatch or Anaheim green chiles (or two 4-ounce cans diced green chiles)
- 1 medium white onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 jalapeno, stemmed and halved (optional, for heat)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
- 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables. Set the oven broiler to high. Place the tomatillos, green chiles, onion quarters, garlic cloves, and jalapeno (if using) on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil 5 to 7 minutes per side until charred in spots and softened. Remove and let cool slightly. Peel the garlic cloves.
- Blend the sauce. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender. Add the cilantro and lime juice. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. You can leave it slightly chunky if you prefer texture.
- Cook the sauce. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin and oregano and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the blended sauce — it will sputter, so be careful. Stir in the chicken broth.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors come together. Season with salt to taste.
- Use or store. Use immediately for enchiladas, chilaquiles, or as a base for posole verde. The sauce keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months.
Posole Verde Note: To make the full posole verde from the story, brown 2 pounds of bone-in pork shoulder in a Dutch oven, add this sauce plus 4 cups of broth and two drained cans of hominy. Simmer covered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the pork shreds easily. Serve with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, diced avocado, and lime wedges.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 75 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 210mg