CHILE VERDE
Those of you who come to visit me here in New Mexico will be treated to a wonderful opportunity to dine on food that is well prepared and fresh. Albuquerque abounds with great restaurants and wonderful grocery stores. When dining and New Mexican cusine is served at your table, be prepared to answer the question red or green. Red or green means which type of chile sauce you would like to accompany your meal. If you are a fan of both you simply reply "Christmas". New Mexico is proud of its chiles. The overwhelming favorite is green or chile verde.
I like to cook. I tend to prefer ethnic dishes from all over the world. I subscribe to Gourmet magazine which is always full of great recipes and provocative articles. I was pleased to find a recent issue in my mailbox and opened up to turn to this page all about the beloved chile verde. Following page 38 is a collection of recipes in Gourmet involving the green chile. I plan to attempt the recipe for Green-Chile Beef Stew later on as the weather here becomes more autumnal.
Here is an article I found on the web that further explicates the nuances of green chile. {taken from Red or Green? Chile that is! --- Eileen Richardson } "All chiles start off as green. As they ripen, they turn red or yellow. Most red chiles are then dried and must be reconstituted in hot liquid before use. But sometimes a chile, such as the jalapeno, habanero or serrano, will become red and still be used in its fresh form.
On a scale of hot rating (Scoville Rating) from 0 to 300,000 the New Mexico chile is rated between 500 – 1000..
New Mexico peppers are mild to moderate in heat, hotter and richer in flavor and are preferred for many uses in dried form; New Mexico Red chiles are mild with a simple earthy flavor with a hint of cherry.
New Mexico has twelve chile producing counties, with Dona Ana County leading. Chiles are the state's top cash crop and New Mexico ranks first in the amount produced and acreage planted; double that of its competitor, California.
Hatch in southern New Mexico is where much of the New Mexico chili crop is grown. Hatch is called the Chile Capital of the world and has its annual Hatch Chile festival on Labor Day weekend.
In New Mexico when ordering chile with your meal the chile is typically the Hatch Chile. The green ones are usually roasted and the red ones are dried before they are used in cooking.
Remember
this when asked red or green? Or Christmas? The green is hotter and the
red is a more pungent but not so hot a taste. Christmas is both red and
green for those of you who want to try both so you can make the
decision as to what you like."
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