Pork and Poblano Stew!

Was browsing through my latest copy of Better Homes and Gardens and saw a recipe that caught my curiosity. Since I had all the ingredients on hand, it appeared on the dinner table last night and was a success. It was also easy to do and didn't take all that long to cook.

Pork and Poblano Stew
1 1/4 pounds of pork cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons hot chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 fresh poblano chili pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (If you can't find it fresh, look in the ethnic section of the grocery store and get the dried version which is call Ancho and just put it in some warm water to soften)
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 14 1/2-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes (they usually contain chilies, too)
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel.

Toss the cut pork with the chili powder to coat. In a large frying pan, heat one tablespoon of oil and cook the pork for about 4-5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat to another bowl and set aside for now.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same frying pan (don't clean from the meat!) and saute the Poblano, bell pepper and onion until softened, about five minutes.

Add tomatoes, broth and cinnamon to this mixture and simmer, covered, over medium heat for ten minutes. Add the pork and orange juice and simmer, uncovered for another five minutes. Stir in the orange peel shreds, mix in, and serve. It went really well over rice with a side of fresh corn. The orange juice and zest make all the difference in the world. It had some heat but wasn't unbearably spicy hot. You could, however, put chili flakes on the table for anyone looking for added heat in their food!

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