COOK'S CORNER CHILE VERDE TO MAKE GUESTS GREEN WITH ENVY.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

In response to Bob Gawrylak's request for an authentic recipe for Chile Verde, following are a few different choices on the theme shared by readers. First is a recipe from a Mexican cookbook by the editors of Consumer Guide sent along by JoAnne Shapiro of Sherman Oaks.

Chris Van Beveren of Chatsworth shared a recipe from a Sunset ``Mexican Cook Book.'' Van Beveren noted that she once took a batch of this creation to a potluck dinner in East Los Angeles - and it was a hit. You end up with a nice, thick, delicious sauce, she wrote.

Last in the lineup is a recipe I came across a few weekends ago while cleaning out some old copies of Bon Appetit magazine. It's from a Mexican restaurant (Cafe La Bamba) in Charleston, South Carolina that seems to no longer exist (although there is a La Bamba in Florence, S.C. - and they do serve Chile Verde). Even so, the recipe sounds terrific.

Serve any one of these creations with rice - or tortillas or whatever else strikes your fancy. Hopefully, one of these will be what Gawrylak is looking for.

PORK WITH GREEN CHILES

(Chile Verde)

(Shared by JoAnne Shapiro)

2 tablespoons lard OR vegetable oil

3 pounds lean, fresh boneless pork butt, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

2 medium white onions, thinly sliced lengthwise 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

8 small fresh (husked) OR 1 cup drained canned tomatillos, finely chopped

3 OR 4 fresh Anaheim chiles OR canned green chiles, seeded, deveined and finely chopped

1 large tomato, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup fresh coriander OR cilantro leaves

3/4 cup chicken stock OR broth

2 teaspoons lime juice

4 cups hot cooked white rice

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Fresh coriander OR cilantro sprigs

Radish slices

Heat lard in 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium high heat until hot. Add about 1/3 of pork in a single layer. Cook, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes; remove to plate. Repeat until all pork has been browned.

Remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from pan. Add onions and garlic; saute over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in salt, cumin and oregano.

Add tomatillos, chiles, tomato and coriander leaves to pan; stir in stock. Heat over high heat to boiling. Return pork to pan; reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, until pork is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Uncover pan; increase heat to medium. Cook at low boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Stir in lime juice.

To serve, spoon pork mixture over rice; sprinkle with almonds. Garnish with coriander sprigs and radish slices. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

From ``Mexican Cooking Class Cookbook,'' by the Editors of Consumer Guide.

CHILE VERDE

(Shared by Chris Van Beveren)

1 1/2 pounds EACH boneless beef chuck and boneless, lean pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoons olive OR vegetable oil

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes

1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 cup dry red wine

Salt to taste

Brown about 1/4 of meat at a time on all sides in heated oil. Remove from oil and reserve.

In pan drippings, saute bell pepper and garlic until soft, adding a little more oil if needed.

In a 5-quart or larger pot, combine undrained tomatoes, green chiles, parsley, sugar, seasonings and wine. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmering. Add browned meats and all juices along with sauteed vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove cover, simmer about 45 minutes more, until sauce is reduced to thickness desired and meat is very tender. Taste and add salt. Serve with rice. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

From ``Mexican Cook Book,'' Sunset Books.

LA BAMBA CHILE VERDE

1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos, husked

2 1/2 cups chopped onions

Water

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed

3 jalapeno chiles, seeded

3 medium garlic cloves

1 fresh poblano chile, seeded

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 3/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

12 new potatoes, peeled and halved

1/4 pound green beans, strings removed and halved crosswise

3 large zucchini, cut into 2-inch-long 1/4-inch-thick strips

3 fresh OR frozen corn ears, kernels removed

Salt

Freshly steamed corn tortillas

Puree tomatillos, onions, 1 1/2 cups water, cilantro, jalapenos, garlic and poblano in blender in batches. Pour tomatillo salsa into heavy large saucepan.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork in batches and brown on all sides. Add to salsa. Cook over medium heat 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add 2 cups water and potatoes and cook until pork is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

Add beans, zucchini and corn kernels to pork mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls. Pass tortillas separately. Makes 6 servings.

From Cafe La Bamba, Charleston, S.C., appeared in July 1989 issue of Bon Appetit.