Tex-Mex Calabacita con Puerco

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 3 pounds pork chops, boned and cubed
• 3 or 4 serrano chiles, or more or less to taste
• 1 large onion
• 2 teaspoons whole cumin seed
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 ounces squash (yellow or zucchini or Mexican squash), sliced, large slices quartered
• 1 can whole kernel corn, including liquid
• 2 cans Ro*Tel chopped tomatoes
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat shortening in Dutch oven; fry pork cubes in batches until browned. Return all pork to pan.
2. Place chiles and onion in food processor container and process until chopped (or chop together by hand).
3. Slice garlic and place with cumin seed and salt in a mortar and pestle and grind together. (The garlic and cumin seed and salt can be chopped in the food processor with the chiles and onion, but grinding it gives it more flavor).
4. Add chiles, onion, garlic, cumin and salt to pan with pork and cook over high heat until onion is transparent.
5. Sprinkle flour over pork and vegetables and stir to combine. Cook a few minutes to remove the raw taste of the flour.
6. Add all remaining ingredients plus about 1 tomato can of water — enough so that pork and vegetables are not quite covered with liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook at a simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, checking periodically and adding more water if necessary.

Notes

Makes a lot, but it freezes well.