When asked the Official New Mexico Question, Red or Green?, meaning what kind of chile sauce do you want on your food, you can pick your favorite, or choose "Christmas" and sample both. I was a Green girl for years, but then switched over to Red for some reason. I got my Red Chile recipe down to the way we like it at our house, but somehow never got around to making a Green version. Well, I'm happy to report that I've taken care of that oversight, and have a nice, easy Green to share with you now.
The green chiles we use here are grown in Hatch, New Mexico. I hear you can get them in the fall in other parts of the country now, and can even have them roasted in the store's parking lot, just like we do here in Taos. If you don't have fresh chiles (or a freezer full of them, stashed in September), look for frozen chiles at your market, or if all else fails, use canned chiles.
As with Red, there are as many variations of Green as there are cooks who make it. I go for a semi-traditional version, but leave out the oil and chicken stock that are often added. Some restaurants even put meat in their Chile, but why? The chiles have so much wonderful flavor on their own, they need very little help to become one of my two favorite sauces. Red or Green? These days I'm a Christmas girl!
Green Chile
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup flour, mixed with 1 cup water
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chopped Hatch green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dry oregano
salt to taste
Steam-fry the onion and garlic in a little water, over medium heat, for about 3 minutes.
Add the flour/water mixture, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the broth, chiles, cumin, and oregano.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Blend with an immersion blender, or leave the sauce chunky if you prefer.
Add salt to taste.
Coming up Wednesday - an enchilada recipe that goes great with this Green!
