It's been said that you get what you ask for.

I asked for potatoes from Organically Grown Co Bro Tedd Simmons (marketing director at OGC) and in return i passed him some video and stills to use for his social media of this recipe. Nothing refined, just down home cooking just in time for Cozy Season, Beanie Season - whatever you call this transitional time of year.

What i didn't expect when i posted a pic of the final bowl my family sat down to eat that evening after making the dish was the number of requests from my IG community asking for the recipe. So here it is. I hope you make this dish over and over again. No jump to recipe, no long stories about how i loved eating this a kid in NM etc, just an easy recipe for you to enjoy.

Please share with your friends and it this often.

Oh and if you're one of the folks that needs to know how many people this will serve and how long this will take i suggest you relax and cook. It will be enough to feed a family of 4-6 depending on how much your kids eat and will take about 45 minutes to make and then simmer for a few hours.

What tools you'll need to make this recipe

1. A pan to brown the meat. I like a medium sized cast iron pan, but you do you.
2. A 4-6 quart pot to cook the stew.
3. A wooden spoon
4. A sharp knife you like to cut food with.
5. A cutting board to use said knife to cut food on
6. A measuring cup if you like to measure things. I just cook and taste alot so i use handfuls, pinches, big pinches, shakes, spoonfuls.

What food you'll need to make this recipe.

1. Ground Meat (or meat substitute). For this recipe i used ground beef from Totum Farm (also i have used chicken thighs, ground turkey and also a meat substitute like beyond meat. That stuff scares me now bc it's so processed that i've gone back to eating meat that's regeneratively raised vs over processed fake meat. I've said it before and will again - you do you. No sweat. No guilt. No big deal.) I like to get my meats from Totum Farm, Santos Family Farm and Source Farms here in Oregon.
2. Onions. x 2. Diced. I used sweet yellow onions for this recipe from Walla Walla Washington, but you can use a regular Spanish onion ( yellow onion less sweet) too. Red onion and white onion have no place here. Tell them to stay out.
3. Garlic. 2-3 closes peeled and minced. I don't fuss too much about the mincing, but you can if you want to. I just like the pieces small and consistent in size to one another.
4. Tomato. Small. 1-2. Chopped. I like to roast mine in the cast iron pan first and de-seed them. Cut out the core or not. I like to say i cook like a grandparent. I say to myself - would they have left it in the dish - yes or no - and then i roll on like i think they would have done. That typically means you might get the core of a tomato in my home cooked dishes bc hey it's food and so just eat it.
5. New Mexico Green Chile. 1.5 LBS roasted, peeled and chopped into smallish pieces. I used chiles that were roasted at the Portland Oregon farmers Market by Westwind Gardens. Hatch Valley in New Mexico is best. The terroir of the earth there is super duper full of minerals and hard water. The heat also makes a difference when growing. But you can also find green chile in a jar from companies like 505 southwest ( i hear it's at Costco) and you can buy from a smaller brand like Los Roast. Both are good, but i like to support smaller companies. Whatever you do, don't use Anaheim peppers in a can or even fresh roasted. They don't have the flavor. Buy em like i do and freeze 30 lbs for winter stews and sauces. You won't be sorry.
6. A good savory bone broth. 2 Quarts with maybe 1 more quart around to keep the stew lubricated depending on how brothy you like things like this. You can also use a veggie broth if you want to keep this stew veggie. I call this a stew ,but my finished product looks more like a soup - brothy. I used a broth i had made from a smoked Duck carcass (I often use the leftover carcass and the leftover cuttings of my veggies to make broth. Then i freeze the broth for situations like this one). You can buy bone broth if you don't have home made broth on hand, but do yourself a favor and learn how to make a good broth. It's a great skill to have in your cooking life.
7. Potatoes. 4-5 large ones,but not XL ones. Large diced cut. I used German Butterball Potatoes given to me by OGC. Don't peel em'. Cut them and keep them covered in water in a bowl. This will clean them and help them stay fresh.
8. Ground Cumin. Probably 2 tsp. I take the lid off my spice jar and lightly shake it from side to side. I assume it's probably the equivalent of 2 tsp. but can't tell you exactly. If you're scared by this method then put in 1tsp and cook the stew. When you taste it see if it needs more cumin as it simmers. For the most robust Cumin flavor buy whole cumin and toast it lightly in a pan dry and then grind it up. Far better way to use spice, but also you DO U!
9. Kosher Salt. Pinches here and there. Probably 2 ts. Be light at first and let the flavors come together if you're not cool just slinging a pinch here and there. Know your salt. When you know your salt you know how salty it is and what it's gonna do to food. Then become a salt master with your salt. Food likes salt and fat and acid( next up) so give it all those things and watch your stew taste legendary.
10. Olive Oil. A swig. or 1tbs. You can use any oil, but i try to stay clear of seed oils so Extra Virgin Olive oil is what i use here.

Ok, let's cut to the cooking.

1. Heat Olive Oil in the pan on medium heat. At the same time, heat your broth on medium high in the large pot that will hold your stew.
2. Add the chopped green chile to your stew pot.
3. Add and add the onions to the pan. Cook until fragrant. Add garlic. Cook until fragrant. That means you can smell it cooking, but it's not super soft.
4. Once the onions look a bit translucent ( maybe 5 minutes) add the ground beef. It's cook if your onions brown a little just don't let them burn bc then your garlic is most definitely burning. Ideally just cook these veggies until they are translucent.
5. Add chopped tomato to your meat / onion mixture and continue to stir and cook on Medium. You'll loose the tomato in this mixture so don't stress about trying to keep the tomatoes looking cute.
6. Sprinkle the salt and cumin over your meat mixture and stir in.
7. Continue to brown ground beef in your pan on medium until cooked. There should be more oil in your pan now bc the beef or meat will release its fat.
8. Potato Side Flex - Add your potatoes to this pan and cook them for 5-10 mins with the beef and onions. Not entirely required, but i think it adds a nice touch. If this idea doesn't tickle you or your pan isn't large enough then add your potatoes to the hot broth pot and bring to a boil. If you play on the side flex idea then you'll add that whole mixture to the pot once finished with time of cooking.
9. At this point whatever is in your pan should go in your pot to make the soup.When this is completed you'll have a pot that is full of all the ingredients and all are covered by broth by about 1/2 inch. Bring all ingredients to a low boil and then reduce heat and simmer for a couple hours. I like to turn mine off for a while and let it rest on the stove top. I use a big cast iron dutch oven pot to make my stew so the pot holds heat for a while. I'll leave mine with the heat turned off and go run a few errands etc. It will stay plenty warm and will soak up all the flavors even better IYAM.
10. You want the final stew to have potatoes that are cooked, but not mushy ( so don't use russet or red potatoes) broth should be savory and spicy and the meat should be tender. Onions are cooked and the spices all come together. If not work to get the dish to that feeling and taste by adding a bit of salt, slow cooking for longer, adding more broth ( the potatoes will soak it up as they cook), adding more cumin.
11. Enjoy this hot bowl of yum with some crispy quesadillas or even a good grilled cheese sando and a cold beer. Some like to sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top instead ( not my fav).
12. Send me pics to my IG here or post and tag me. Also hit me with any q's or comments there too. Laters - jasen.