"Stinkin Good Green Chile" (Mark Schlereth)

[Chili Monsta]

I'm doing a little market research and could use some input from any members who have sampled this product.

I think it came out on the market around 2008 in the Denver area and marketed by Mark Schlereth of Denver Bronco's/ESPN fame.
Apparently a close friend of Schlereth has made this recipe at his local Denver restaurant for years, and together they went commercial.
Since starting with the original recipe (which seems pretty basic),they have expanded and now offer around a dozen varieties. They market it to be served as a green chili, a condiment(instead of ketchup) and as a salsa
Its sold in the freezer section at Safeway, King Soopers, City Market and Whole Foods and is also available in parts of Wyoming, Kansas, New Mexico & Utah.

All total,I made around a hundred(plus)gallons of "gourmet" green chili last year, and the way its going so far that will only increase this year. Many times I will supply my chili frozen as well, but before learning of the "Stinkin..."line of chili products, I've not seen it sold frozen commercially.
Thanks in advance for the assist.
CM

 

[chileaddict]

I just checked the site out, very interesting. Have not tried it and it looks way too expensive to have it shipped to me (I still have about 50 pounds of frozen green chiles in my freezer anyway). I sent an email asking some questions about where he gets his chiles, etc. I think it looks like he is on to something pretty good if the product tastes authentic. My family has been trying to get me to do the same for many years. I am also curious to see what others think of it. Good luck with yours. Can you describe how you make yours. It sounds good!

 

[Chili Monsta]

Greetings Chileaddict:
Yes I constantly hear my family and friends' editorial commentary about what I need to do with my chili recipe (which is good,but not really all that unique).
And in this part of the country, the southwestern flavor(s)found in green chili are so unique and out of the ordinary,that similar products often languish on the shelves until expiration dates come and go.
Simply finding a reliable supply of the whole chile's(canned)is a struggle.Plus finding any Hatch chile's locally is impossible,and I can't talk anyone into carrying them for me due to the shipping expenses.

On the other hand, I have found that most of the time if someone tries it..."just one time", they generally like it a lot and want it again(along with the recipe if they can get it).
So I peddle it to local pubs and restaurants along with American Legion/VFW posts, civic groups and office managers who need something catered for a specific head count.
Although these days I do much less peddling,and a lot more cooking and stirring,just to keep up.
Enough of my rambling...

The ingredients are pretty basic.I've found technique to be what make the difference for me,So the cooking times and measurements of dry spices may vary from time to time as I taste and adjust during the 3 hour"low and slow" process.

Course Ground or cubed(1/2in.)pork loin(1-lb.per/Qt).
25-30 Anaheim chiles (1/2diced & 1/2 pureed)
Tomatillo's(diced and pureed)
Jalapeños(fresh and pwdr)
Cajun Mirepoix
Garlic(fresh and pwdr),cumin,oregano,green chile powders
fresh cilantro(finely chopped)
fresh lime juice
Simmer the veggies in chicken stock(not broth) until softened.
grey the ground or brown the cubed pork loin (in lard-sorry)drain then mix in with the veggies and stock.
Add the diced chiles, tomatillo's,fresh garlic then bring to and maintain a very low boil for one hour(covered).
Now add the remaining pureed chiles,tomtillo's,1/2 of the dry spices and very low boil one hour(covered).
finally,add the remaining dry spices,simmer uncovered 45 minutes then add the cilantro and salt to taste,cover and simmer another 10 minutes.
Add fresh lime juice shortly before serving.
Note:
If a thickened gravy is desired,I make a paste using either maize or arrowroot

 

[chileaddict]

CM. Check into Buenofoods.com and see if they can supply you in bulk for a good price. I have no idea what prices they charge, but they do supply many stores and restaurants.

 

[Chili Monsta]

CM. Check into Buenofoods.com and see if they can supply you in bulk for a good price. I have no idea what prices they charge, but they do supply many stores and restaurants.

Thanks,'ll do that.Not checked their prices before.It all depends on what their requirements/ minimum size order happens to be,with shipping charges. From the various brands I've used before the Hatch brand canned chiles has a significant impact on my final product.
Man, I'd love to have 50 lbs of green chiles in the freezer that I could dig into and tinker with.
Whats in /how do you make your green?

 

[midwestchilehead]

Chili Monsta, if you can't get fresh Hatch chile, why don't you grow and roast your own? That's what I had to do once I left NM and couldn't get it anymore. Since I moved to Kansas, some grocery chains have started selling Hatch chiles in the fall - but I can't usually buy, roast and freeze enough to get me through the winter so I started growing my own. I've learned that the citric acid they add to canned chiles really changes the taste and kills most of the chile flavor. Between frozen and canned (whether grown in Hatch or elsewhere), frozen beats canned hands down. I could see using canned if you don't have the space to grow, or the freezer space for frozen chiles, but otherwise I only use canned chiles when I'm too lazy to defrost and peel some (which is not very often). On my last trip to NM, I even bought some chiles in a jar. I figured they were hot canned, so wouldn't have the same citric acid taste, but I was wrong. They were just a step above canned chiles. Get yourself some Heritage Big Jim or some Sandia seeds, some garden space, some freezer space, a charcoal grill and some ziplock bags or a foodsaver and you will never buy canned chiles again.

 

[Chili Monsta]

I might just have to do that this year! Especially considering a friend just gave me a small deep freeze a couple days ago and available garden space is not really an issue either.
(although the missus probably wishes I'd devote as much effort and attention to the flower beds as I do chile peppers)

I've considered growing my own in the past, but never got around to taking the necessary steps to do so because of my lack of freezer space.
Plus, since I've never roasted/cleaned/froze any before, the "unknown" factor has contributed to my putting the idea on the back burner.
Thanks for the suggestion...it may very well have pushed me off the bubble and into action.

So, you suggest Heritage Big Jim or Sandia seeds. Are they the variety you grow in KS?
What sort of average harvest can be expected per plant
(just so I can decide on how many plants I'm gonna tell the little lady I need to add to "our" grow list this year.)
Thanks man....
CM

 

[midwestchilehead]

Excellent, another convert

I do grow Heritage Big Jim and Sandia in KS, along with every other Numex variety. I'm even branching out into some superhots this year too, but the Numex varieties are my favorites. Depending on how long your grow season is, you can probably get two harvests per season off of each plant - which will make your yield somewhere between 15 - 40 pods for each plant. The bigger chiles give you bigger yields per pod, and that is why the Big Jim is so great. It is the biggest chile in the world. The Sandia is great because it is thin-skinned and hotter than normal Numex varities, so it is great to harvest red and grind into chile powder. Get some seed and plant away! I'll walk you through the roasting/cleaning/freezing process once you get some pods to harvest.