WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

a brief vacation itinerary

Ryan and I spent all of last week dootin’ around Utah and Arizona. It was a trip that I planned last September and gifted him for Christmas. We went to visit National Parks – Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon – to stand atop and hike into big holes in the ground. I am not being hyperbolic when I say that this was the trip of a lifetime. As someone who has been climbing everything in sight and smashing open rocks since she was born, I felt very much in my element. I’m not someone who is moved to tears (Zoloft will not allow it) by sights (except THIS SITE) or songs (except “Ronan”) this trip changed my life and I want to share some of it with you. 

Day One – we fly into St. George, Utah and eat at Angelica’s Mexican Grill. It’s crowded and chaotic. The food is good but not good enough for how busy it is. If I did this meal over, I would go to the Las Palmas in the Texaco station. We check in at a beautiful cottage in Hurricane and drive into Zion to watch the sunset from the Timber Creek Overlook Trail.

Day Two – Sunrise hike on the Canyon Overlook Trail then breakfast at Oscar’s Café, very good huevos rancheros. Our hopes to hike the Narrows are shut down as it is raining all day so we hike the Upper and Lower Emerald Pools. Before you ask, we do not attempt Angel’s Landing. Ryan is afraid of heights and the view didn’t feel worth the climb to me. We drive to the end of the Canyon Scenic Drive and walk the Riverside Walk.

Day Three – Breakfast in Hurricane then drive to Bryce Canyon, stopping at Coral Pink Sand Dunes National Park for a short jaunt and some photos. At Bryce, we hike the Peekaboo Loop Trail. Stay at Ruby’s Inn Best Western and eat their buffet for nearly every meal.

Day Four – Catch the sunrise at Sunrise Point then hike the Tower Bridge Trail. Hike to Mossy Cave then drive the 18 mile Southern Scenic Drive and meet a very friendly raven whom I name Jeremy.

Day Five – Hike the Peek-A-Boo and Spooky slot canyons then eat lunch in Escalante, Utah at Chihuahua Gracia Mexican Grill (incredible). Drive to Williams, Az. Get in late, around 10pm.

Day Six – Drive to the Grand Canyon South Rim and just kind of black out. Return to the park at night and hear a lecture on Canyons In Space given by the park's Astronomer in Residence. See Jupiter and its moons on a telescope. Unbelievable. 

Day Seven – Breakfast at El Corral on 66 (10/10). Board a train in Williams for the Grand Canyon and hike around. Shop for a few hours and take the train back to Williams. It’s my first time on a train. The views are so beautiful and there is live music on the way there and back. On the way back, they’ve hired bandits on the lam to rob the train. Wholeheartedly recommend. 

Day Eight – Breakfast at El Coral on 66 (10/10). Catch the sunrise at Grandview Overlook. Drive to Phoenix and eat Sonoran hot dogs at Emilio’s Taco’s and Hot Dogs before arriving to the airport. Get into Pittsburgh late and kiss my puppy dog. 

Throughout our trip, we did our best to eat pork green chili at every meal and if you find yourself in Utah and Arizona I recommend seeking it out. Naturally, all the green chili consumption made me want to talk about white chicken chili. 

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

1 pound dried white beans, soaked overnight 
3 whole chicken legs
10 mixed green chilis (poblano, anaheim, cubanelle, or jalapeno)
1 tbsp fresh ground cumin
1 white or yellow onion
4 large garlic cloves
2-4 quarts of chicken broth
2 cups corn (optional)
2 limes

Soak your beans in cold water overnight. Season your chicken with salt the day before or as far in advance as you can. Preheat your oven to 375°. Toss the peppers in neutral oil and salt and lay them out on a sheet tray. Roast them for twenty minutes, flipping them over half way through. Reduce the oven to 325°. Once the peppers have cooled, peel as much of the skin off as you can and then chop them, discarding the skin and seeds. Meanwhile, dice the onions and garlic. In a Dutch oven, heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil over medium heat, add the fresh ground cumin and bloom. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until they begin to become translucent then add salt. Add the chopped green chilis and combine with the onion and garlic. Add the beans to the Dutch oven, discarding the soaking liquid. Add the chicken legs to the pot then add chicken broth. Place the Dutch oven in the oven with the lid on for one hour. Remove the chicken and set aside. Return the pot to the oven and continue to roast until the beans are fully cooked though, checking every half hour. Once the chicken is cooled, pull the meat off and discard the bones. When the beans are done, pull the chili out of the oven and add the pulled chicken and corn. Salt and lime to taste. Serve with diced red onion, green chilis, sour cream, sliced radishes, cilantro and more limes.

Thanks for being here. My vacation was truly amazing and being home is nice too. It feels good to be back in the kitchen. 

For all of you South Hills soup heads, on Saturday March 23rd from NOON to 4:00pm I will be doing soup pick up at Commonwealth Press on Washington Road. Pre order is open now and as a subscriber of my newsletter you are the first to hear about it. You can pre order here. 

Thanks
Love you
-the BMer