| |
CHILI
RED? Or GREEN? |
| |
Fall in New Mexico is glorious! The monsoons have passed, leaving the state green and wild flowers blooming, the days are mild, the nights cool, and the morning sky is filled with brightly colored hot air balloons. Best of all, it’s New Mexico chile harvest time--the tastiest time of the year! The beginning of fall heralds the arrival of the chile roasters on street corners and in front of grocery stores announcing the new chile crop is here. The aroma of roasting chiles fills the air until the first frost when the green chile turns red. Toward the end of September the new, bright red ristras can be seen hanging from balconies and porches, and red chile pods are spread on roof tops to dry. |
| |
Chile is so important to New Mexico that it’s been declared one of the state vegetables, even though it’s really a fruit. This is a fairly mild type of long green chile that turns red in the fall and is used in both the green and red states–the green being the immature pods and the red the mature. They belong to a pod type of chile that is grown in the northern states of Mexico, especially around Chihuahua, and is imported into the U.S. It’s also grown extensively in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. |
| |
Formerly called an ‘Anaheim’ chile because it was transplanted to California in the early 1900s, the history of this chile in New Mexico dates back to the 1500s. Most people credit Juan de Oñate, the Spaniard who founded Santa Fe in 1609, with bringing cultivated chiles into the area, but it may have been Antonio Espejo who introduced them to the Pueblo Indians during his earlier expedition of 1582. Whenever the Spanish explored new territories, they always included farmers that could be established along the way to plant crops that would insure there would be food available when they returned along the routes. So either expedition could take the credit for bringing chiles from Mexico. What is known however, is that after the Spanish arrived, chile growing exploded all over "Nuevo Mexico." It’s likely many different early forms of jalapeños, serranos, anchos, and pasillas were grown, but one variety adapted very well-- the long green chile. |
| |
This chile has been cultivated here for hundreds of years with such dedication that several distinct varieties developed. These varieties, or "land races," called ‘Chimayo’ and ‘Espanola’ adapted to particular environments and are still planted today in the same fields they were grown in centuries ago; they constitute a small but distinct part of the tons of pods produced each year in New Mexico. The chile breeding program at New Mexico State University has further developed a number of varieties in response to the needs of both the industry and consumers. It began with crossing the New Mexico chile with one from Peru to produce the No. 6 which changed the image of the chile from a ball of fire to one that could be enjoyed by many, not just those of the cast iron gullets. Thanks to NMSU we now have the ‘Big Jim’, a large, thick-fleshed, straight chile which is excellent for stuffing, the ‘No. 6-4'. which is the most commonly grown in New Mexico, the ‘Joe E Parker’, an improved 6-4 variety that was developed for the canners, as well as the hot ‘Sandia’, the hotter ‘Barkers’, and others. |
| |
All the basic dishes in traditional New Mexican cuisine contain chile: sauces, salsas, stews, enchiladas, tamales, carne adovada, and many combination vegetable dishes. What makes this cuisine so unique from the surrounding states is that chiles are not used only as a seasoning, instead they comprise a main ingredient. And the most essential component in New Mexico cuisine is the chile sauce--both red and green. These are simple sauces containing only chile with a little garlic and some herbs; both are lightly seasoned so that nothing overpowers the flavor of the chile. The chile is always the most important ingredient. So whether you prefer red or green or if you’re like me and like them both, experiment with the following recipes and enjoy the taste of the New Mexican chile. |
| |
You know - there are many ways to make chili - and I have not been able to find the recipe that I like on the internet. So here is how I make green chili: |
| |
Roasting Chili:
If you purchase a large amount of chili, you can probably get the vendor to roast it for a small fee. But, if you don't have it already roasted, wash the raw pods really well. Then place a small slit in them so that they do not explode while cooking. Place a griddle on the stove and get it real hot. Place the chili on the griddle and let it cook until the skin of the chili starts to blister (the skin will become blackened - that is OK - it is not burnt). Make sure to turn the chili and cook it evenly on all sides. While doing this, I get a damp cloth and place it on top of the chili (while it is cooking on the griddle) and press down on the chili - this helps it cook. Once the chili is roasted, place it in a dish and either cover it with a damp cloth or plastic. The chili will continue to cook with it's own heat. After about 15-30 minutes, you will be able to remove the skin easily. |
| |
Now, to season the chili, I take the peeled chili pods and chop it up. I add some salt, garlic powder and onion powder - just enough for my taste buds.......mix it all together and enjoy!! |
| |
Now for red chili - When I make red chili, I put a small amount of oil (I usually use vegetable oil - but, you can use any kind) in a skillet. I heat it up and add a little bit of flour - as if I were making a gray. When it gets a little brown, I add the chili powder and mix it all together really well. To do the next step, use a wisk - so, now add cold water and mix really well with the wisk making sure that you get rid of all the lumps. Now- Enjoy ! |
|
