Black Bean Chili with Crispy Pork and Poblano Salsa

From the kitchen of Carly

Deep, smoky black bean chili with charred poblano salsa and crispy pork belly on top. The beans go creamy and rich from a long simmer with New Mexico chiles, cumin, and a hit of orange. Comforting and sophisticated.

Black Bean Chili with Crispy Pork and Poblano Salsa

Black bean chili that builds deep, layered heat from chili powder and chipotle, then cuts through with brightness from orange peel and a vibrant poblano-cilantro salsa. The secret is mashing the beans just enough to thicken the broth while keeping them whole, and the crispy pork adds richness and textural contrast that makes this feel like a real dish, not just a vegetarian side with protein thrown in.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 tbspolive oil
  • 2 largeonions, chopped
  • 12garlic cloves, chopped
  • 7 tbspNew Mexico chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tbspground cumin
  • 14 cupwater
  • 1 1/2 lbdried black beans, rinsed
  • 2 1/2 tspdried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tspfinely grated orange peel
  • 1 1/2 tspminced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
  • 6fresh poblano chiles
  • 1 cupfinely chopped white onion
  • 17-ounce can salsa verde
  • 2 cupsour cream
  • 2 tspminced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
  • 2 tbspolive oil
  • 3 lbcountry-style boneless pork ribs, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cuplow-salt chicken broth
  • 5 1/2 cupchopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 tspcumin seeds, toasted
  • 1Grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

  1. Pour a glug of olive oil into a heavy large pot and set it over medium heat. Once warm, add the chopped onions and garlic, stirring often until the onions turn translucent, about 8 minutes. Scatter in the chili powder and ground cumin and stir for 1 minute, letting the spices bloom. Pour in 14 cups of water, then add the black beans, dried oregano, and grated orange peel. Bring everything to a boil, then drop the heat to medium-low, set the lid slightly ajar, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. Stir in the chipotle chiles and season with salt. Keep simmering another 30 minutes, coarsely mashing the beans with a potato masher to your preferred consistency, adding more water in 1/2-cup increments if the chili tightens up too much, and stirring frequently until the beans are creamy. Taste once more and adjust the salt.

  2. Char the poblano chiles directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning them until blackened on all sides. Transfer to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and leave them to steam for about 20 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel away the skins, seed the chiles, and chop them. Tip the chopped chiles into a medium bowl, then mix in the white onion and salsa verde. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  3. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream and minced chipotle chiles, stirring until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

  4. Get a heavy large skillet ripping hot over high heat with the oil. Season the pork rib cubes all over with salt and pepper, then cook them in batches, undisturbed for a minute before stirring, until deeply browned on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch, transferring each batch to a medium bowl as it finishes. Once all the pork is browned, return it all to the skillet along with any collected juices. Pour in the chicken broth, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender, about 40 minutes, then transfer it to a clean medium bowl.

  5. While the pork finishes, rewarm the chili over low heat. Fold the cilantro and toasted cumin seeds into the poblano salsa.

  6. Ladle the chili into bowls and pile on the pork, poblano salsa, chipotle crema, and a generous handful of grated cheese.

  7. New Mexico chili powder is available at specialty food stores and Latin markets. Canned chipotle chiles in adobo and fresh poblano chiles (sometimes labeled pasilla chiles) can be found at some supermarkets, specialty food stores, and Latin markets.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Char your poblano chiles completely on a gas flame or under the broiler, then trap them in plastic wrap to steam themselves out of their skins, it's way easier than scraping. Your hands will thank you.
  • Don't skip the orange peel. It sounds odd in chili but it brightens the whole pot without being citrusy or sharp, just trust it.
  • The pork needs to brown properly to develop crust and flavor, so don't crowd the skillet. Work in batches even though it takes longer, it's worth it.
  • Save the chipotle adobo sauce from the can for both the chili and the sour cream, the vinegar and smokiness anchor everything together.

Variations

  • Skip the pork entirely and top each bowl with a fried egg and crushed tortilla chips, the yolk becomes your sauce.
  • Swap poblanos for roasted Anaheim chiles or jalapeños if that's what you find, the salsa will be different but still work.
  • Use pinto or kidney beans instead of black beans if you prefer a lighter broth, just adjust the cook time since they soften faster.
  • Make it vegetarian by doubling the pork's weight in mushrooms, charred and crisped in the same skillet, for that umami and texture.

Make ahead and storage

Chili keeps for 3 days in the fridge and reheats beautifully on the stove over medium heat. The poblano salsa is best made 1 to 2 days ahead and stays fresh in the fridge. Don't freeze the pork after it's cooked, it dries out, but the chili without pork can be frozen for up to 2 months and you can crisp up fresh pork when you reheat.