Saturday, September 7, 2013

The Great Green Chile Quest



Wow! That's a lot of chiles! Besides roasting, peeling, and freezing Hatch green chiles (see Roasted with Love - Hoarded with Passion), another great way to preserve them is to make Mark Miller's "Green Chile Sauce," from his cookbook Coyote Cafe. This recipe takes 4 pounds of green chiles and turns them into an incredibly delicious and very spicy condiment, perfect for eggs, potatoes, chicken, etc., not to mention makes a lovely base for New Mexico's beloved Green Chile Stew. I like to make a batch and freeze it in ice cube trays. That way I can use a little or a lot, depending on my desire. Remember to be creative with this fiery Green Chile Sauce, like add a cube to some cream to make a creative sauce for pasta and chicken, mix in a couple of cubes with a pound of ground beef for burgers, add some to your favorite corn bread recipe or Corn Souffle, etc. This recipe roasts the chiles under a broiler, but feel free to fire up your grill (as I prefer) for the smells of authentic New Mexico!


Green Chile Sauce

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

4 pounds fresh New Mexico green chiles (or Anaheim chiles, with 3 or 4 jalapenos)
8 cloves garlic, roasted, peeled, and finely chopped
4 cups water
4 teaspoons roasted Mexican oregano (rubbed between the fingers, but not too fine)
1 teaspoon roasted ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

Roast the chiles under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until lightly blackened. Place in a plastic bag or closed container and allow to steam until cooled. Remove the blackened parts without washing (to preserve the oils). Place the chiles and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and chop at a medium setting (do not puree). Warm before serving.

*To freeze the sauce in ice cube trays: fill ice cube trays, freeze, pop out of trays and store double wrapped in freezer storage bags.

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