Green Chile season is here!

Let me first state that I have never been to New Mexico, except riding in my parents’ car on the way to Texas in 1968. I only vaguely remember the trip over Raton Pass. But I grew up in Colorado and while green chiles, the peppers and the various culinary preparations made from the peppers, may not be our actual identity, it certainly is a big part of it. Growing up in the Denver metro I knew little about the rich culinary history of Colorado. Arkansas River Valley, Western Slope orchards, Olathe sweet corn and of course the Pueblo Chile.

During this time of year, as people begin to don their Bronco Orange, chile roasters are ubiquitous along streets like Federal Boulevard and Sante Fe Drive. The smell of roasting chilies can waft through entire neighborhoods. Most offering New Mexican Hatch chiles but many have the Pueblo, Mosco chile. And while Hatch chiles are delicious* and readily available, many locals prefer the Pueblo variety. It is typically hotter and a bit sweeter.

The Pueblo is also known as “mirasol” which means it grows up towards the sun as opposed to hanging down like many varieties. Its flesh is nice and thick which lends itself to roasting. Unlike the jalapeno or serrano which are frequently eating raw, Hatch and Pueblo chiles are best roasted, stemmed and peeled, which leaves the delicious meaty flesh.

“Green Chile”

As a culinary preparation, green chile, sometimes called chile verde is generally made from pork, or in some instances, beef in a broth of varying thickness laden with green chiles. Onions, garlic, tomatoes or better yet, tomatillos round out the ingredients.

In my experience there are two basic types of green chile:

One is more of a soup or stew and the other I like to refer to as “burrito gravy”.

Many restaurants’ green chile does double duty, and while my preference runs to the soup or stew variety, there are many righteous versions of both kinds. I think what we know as green chile evolved from braising pork or beef in a liquid which predominantly features roasted green chiles.

One interesting use of the Pueblo chile was done by an old North Denver Italian restaurant. A riff on Italian fried peppers, they froze the Mosco chile completely and dropped them frozen straight into the deep fry. After they were drained from the fryer, they were drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with a salt pepper and garlic mix. Served with crusty Italian bread, they were freaking delicious.

Of course chile rellenos are a classic way to use the peppers. New Mexico is well know for its green chile enchiladas and I would recommend finding a recipe and making a batch. You won’t be disappointed.

My advice: go find a chile roaster and pick up a bushel or a half. Bring them home and remove the peel, stems and seeds and freeze them in a size you like, one or two pounds is about right. It may take a while but it is worth the effort because any time you feel the green chile urge a batch is only a freezer away.