Skip to main content

Reply to "Green chili"

Well it isn't exactly smoking, which is probably why you haven't seen a recipe here on hte forums, but if you insist on a recipe, here is how I do my green chile stew. You must realize that there are as many recipes for green chile as there are grandmothers in New Mexico. Every family has 4.

First start with a green chile sauce. Here is mine, stolen from Huntley Dent.

Saute an onion in 2 or 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Olive oil works well as does canola oil.

When the onions become translucent, toss in a couple of crushed cloves of garlic. If you like garlic, add a couple of more cloves. If you don't like garlic, don't omit it from the recipe.

Add 2 or 3 tablespoons flour, a half teaspoon of cumin, either ground or whole and a half teasopoon of fresh ground pepper, and stir like crazy until the flour onion mixture is slightly browned, It will be in clumps. Refined cooks know this as a roux. Cumin is an acquired taste, you may wish to start with a quarter teaspoon, particularly if you have kids.

Take it off the heat at this point and add 1 and a half cups chicken broth, You can substitute beef broth or vegetable broth. You can also substitute wine for some of the broth. Add a cup of roasted chopped green chiles. Use the frozen or canned types if you don't have fresh roasted, which if you don't live in New Mexico, you probably don't. Add a half teaspoon oregano, regular is fine, Mexican Oregano is better if you have it. Add a half teaspoon salt.

Return to the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or more. Taste and add salt to your taste. It should be thick enough to nap the backside of a spoon. Nap means run off slowly while leaving a thin coating. If it is too thick, add some liquid, if it is too thin, simmer it a bit longer. It is hard to go wrong.

You can use this as is for enchiladas or burritos. It is also good with scrambled eggs, omelets, and potatoes. It is also pretty good on a waffle, but that is not authentic. A mound of hashbrowns, topped with a fried egg and drowned with this sauce is heaven for breakfast. Add bacon, ham, or sausage if you aren't afraid of death by pleasure.

To convert this to a stew, add a couple of diced potatoes and a pound or two of cubed pork or lamb. You can used your smoked pulled pork here. Add broth until it is the consistency you like. Some like thin stew, some like thick stew. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 45 minutes. I like to add a chopped carrot or two and a stalk of chopped celery, but I don't think it is authentic. Neither my mother or grandmother lived in New Mexico.

Serve as is, over rice, or with flour tortillas. Mexican beer is not a neccesary accompianment, but it does help. If it is too hot, milk will help, as will a tortilla or a slice of bread.

If you like New Mexican cuisine, and you like to cook, get a copy of "The Feast of Santa Fe" by Huntley Dent. For a more common man's view of New Mexico cuisine, Get "The best from New Mexico Kitchens" and "More of the Best from New Mwxico Kitchens" .

Now, after you have mastered Green Chile Stew, you should take on Carne Adovada. Let me know if you need a recipe. You can actually smoke that. - Duffey
×
×
×
×