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New Mexico: Red or green?

POTAWIE

POTAWIE

I've always heard that New Mexico's official question is: "Red or green?" refering to whether you want green or red Numex chiles (or sauce), or Christmas(both).
I always found it interesting that they use the fresh roasted green chiles but dry most of the red ones. I'm also surprised how popular the roasted green chile is.
Personally I've never been to New Mexico but I'm pretty sure I'd rather have roasted and peeled red chile than green chile on anything, but maybe I'm missing something. I think a late September trip to Hatch might straighten me out:) or maybe someone can explain it to me.
Even the State dish the green chile cheesburger would sound more appealing to me if it was a a red chile cheeseburger
 
Most grocery stores have frozen red chile as well as green here in NM. In October I can even get chopped Chimayo in the freezer section but it doesn't last.

Personally, I like red chile sauce on beef enchiladas and green chile sauce on chicken enchiladas. The chopped green chile is far more popular on cheeseburgers and one local restaurant here has a green chile patty melt that's to die for.
Most of the restaurants around here only have the chopped green chiles for their burgers but I know some of the higher population areas give you a choice.
 
We have an authentic New Mexican place here, the owners have another one in MN. Hatch red and green chile on each table, and most dishes are made with either of the sauces. One of my favorite places. For some reason I think the green is hotter (if I remember correctly). I usually like a red sauce, but yeah, the green is awesome. Depends on the dish.
 
POTAWIE said:
I always found it interesting that they use the fresh roasted green chiles but dry most of the red ones. I'm also surprised how popular the roasted green chile is.
Personally I've never been to New Mexico but I'm pretty sure I'd rather have roasted and peeled red chile than green chile on anything, but maybe I'm missing something.
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I dont know their reason but could it be that red chiles taste way better than green chiles once dried! therefore they dry the red chiles for futrue use & use the green chiles fresh.
we all know which we'd prefer, but if you have ripe & unripe pods what will you do with them ? IMO most ripe pods get dried since unripe pods wont have the full flavor in a dried powder form.
 
I prefer some chiles unripe. I pickle my Bulgarian Carrot unripe... I roast my Anaheims and Serranos green.
 
bjs2006 said:
Most grocery stores have frozen red chile as well as green here in NM. In October I can even get chopped Chimayo in the freezer section but it doesn't last.

Personally, I like red chile sauce on beef enchiladas and green chile sauce on chicken enchiladas. The chopped green chile is far more popular on cheeseburgers and one local restaurant here has a green chile patty melt that's to die for.
Most of the restaurants around here only have the chopped green chiles for their burgers but I know some of the higher population areas give you a choice.
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I'd love to do a roadtrip over Santa Fe way and mosy over to The Bobcat Bite. I've never been there, but they've been featured on more than a couple foody shows and the Green Chile cheeseburgers they do up look absolutely killer! Gimme' extra cheese and chiles and medium rare!
 
Some green chiles taste unripe (bitter), some taste fresh, others have a unique earthiness. As chiles ripen red they sweeten and can lose the earthiness quality. That's why some greens taste great especially roasted.
 
I have both the generic New Mexico chili and the HATCH chili seeds for anyone that wants to grow them These were obtained in local markets in West Texas last summer. These are available for a SASBE/SASE. PM me if interested.
 
POTAWIE said:
Any idead what variety of Numex or "Hatch" chile? I don't need any more seeds, but I'm just curious
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I'm not sure what variety they are. I bought both of these in local markets when I lived in Lubbock, TX this summer. The New Mexico chilies were labeled as such, as were the Hatch Chiles. I can tell you that the people who lived in west Texas were probably as excited by these chiles as the good folk in New Mexico.
 
I've run out of roasted peppers and was thinking of trying "El Pinto Medium Red Chile Sauce"
http://www.elpinto.com/16oz-products/28-el-pinto-16-oz-medium-red-chile-sauce

I know I've asked this question before but I'd really like to know how to make a product like this instead of freezing the peppers. It doesn't appear to use regular vinegar or acids but instead uses GLUCONO-DELTA-LACTONE (A NATURAL PRESERVATIVE). Now without googling, does anyone know anything about use of this preservative or does anyone have a known canning recipe for roasted red chile?
 
thehotpepper.com said:
Some green chiles taste unripe (bitter), some taste fresh, others have a unique earthiness. As chiles ripen red they sweeten and can lose the earthiness quality. That's why some greens taste great especially roasted.
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You know I wrestled with this very question the other day when I made those enchiladas. I chose the red and believe it or not earthiness is the first thing I noticed about it.
 
We usually have shallow fried green chilli peppers in dinner twice or thrice a month.
We usually stuff the peppers with gram flour and spices. Then shallow fry in oil on a skillet and have them.
These peppers are awsome to eat.

NJA
 
Numex chiles are different, they are usually roasted over high heat until charred and then peeled and de-seeded. Very unique, addictive flavor!
 
Just my 2c., having been in Albuquerque (not Hatch unfortunatley) at chili harvest time, every corner of town seems to have exclusively green chilis a roastin'. A very appealing aroma permeates the air, sort of like roasting corn. This was labor day time; and according to my brother who lives there, lasts for about three weeks. Red or green, the age old question. Personally I like the more well rounded flavor of red sauce; however, prefer green on my chicken enchilidas. I make both each year.

Potwaie, I roast the peppers, on a propane grill, skin and deseed. Put them in a pot with chicken broth and water(or you can use just water), kosher salt, onions, garlic, little cumin and oregano, and simmer for about 15 min. Put the ingredients in a food proccessor and pulse chop to the right consistency. Package in pint jars (seems to be the right size for me to use for a meal) and process in a pressure canner for 35 min. (per canner instructions).

I am of the belief that Hatch chilis are just Numex (anaheim) peppers that happen to be grown in Hatch, not a distinct varietal.
 
I lived in NM for 16 years and still go back often. My freezer here in Tx always has Hatch green chile x-hot and I will put it on nearly anything. South of Albuquerque about 86 miles on I-25 is a tiny town called San Antonio with a place called the Buckhorn Saloon that has the best green chile cheeseburger in the state. Hatch has their green chile festival on Labor Day weekend and you can get everything from mild to xxx-hot chiles or fresh greens or dry red chile ristas (plenty of seeds for the growers). Not much to Hatch but it is not far from Las Cruces that has the main campus of New Mexico State University. Remember that if you cannot decide between red or green just order christmas and get both.
 
we lived in Denver for 14 years waited for hatch chile war's every year.always had plenty in the freezer,one year made the trip to Hatch during the festtival ,had fresh Hatch chile for 3 days.was intro to green chile powder if you ever have the chance try some.I grow NuMex joe E. Parker chile for my wife to make mild flavor powder and NuMex big Jim for hotter pungency. Both seed from Tomato growers, a frend in New Mexico sent them a few years back.
 
MIPEPPERGUY said:
I am of the belief that Hatch chilis are just Numex (anaheim) peppers that happen to be grown in Hatch, not a distinct varietal.
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Apparently they aren't all even grown in hatch

http://www.fiery-foods.com/component/content/article/57/2519
"There is no such thing as a Hatch chile, despite all the hype about them. It is not a chile variety, as many people think. Yes, there are chiles grown in Hatch, usually the varieties 'Barker' and 'NuMex 6-4'. These grown-in-Hatch varieties are no better than those grown in the Mesilla Valley or in Deming. There are simply not enough chiles grown in Hatch to supply all of the sellers claiming to provide "Hatch chile." A few years ago at the New Mexico Chile Conference, I spoke to two women who have a chile farm in eastern Arizona who confessed to me that they shipped their chiles to Hatch, where roadside vendors labeled them "Hatch chiles." So, how did this mythology come about? Well, first, there is a Hatch brand of canned chiles, packed by Border Foods in Deming. This brand has been on the market for years, but probably most of these chiles are grown in Mexico, not Hatch. Then there is what Jimmy Buffet calls the "coconut telegraph," but here it's the Capsicum Telegraph--namely word of mouth and rumor from consumers who mistakenly spread the hype. Sorry to burst everyone's Hatch bubble, but I always tell it like it is. Photo by Paul Ross, shot in Hatch."
 
hey some people believe tomato sauce in the can is different than the one next to it on the shelf. all comes off the same canning line different labels. worked on cooling systems at many packing companies. for 45 years believe me its all the same.
 
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