Bear Cuisine

Green Chile Stew

One of the gifts of living in New Mexico is the easy availability of great chile. Fresh green chile is difficult to find other places, partly because New Mexicans keep most of their crop for themselves. One of the rituals of the fall harvest is buying a bushel of green chile, roasting it and then freezing it for use throughout the year. If you time it just right, you will be running of out of your frozen stash just as the chile harvest is starting to come in.

Green chile stew is eaten year round in The Land of Enchantment, but I think it tastes best on a blustery, chilly day. It warms you through and through.

 

GREEN CHILE STEW

(serves 8)

1. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2. 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or pork butt, cut in 1-inch cubes
3. 1 1/2 cups sliced onion
4. 1 tblespoon minced garlic
5. 6 cups chicken or beef broth
6. 1 pound red or white potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
7. 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
8. 3 cups roasted, peeled, chopped green chiles*
9. 3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
10. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a 6-quart pot over high heat and brown the meat in batches. Set aside

In the same oil, saute the onions until golden. Add the garlic and saute 1 minutes. Return the meat to the pan along with any juices that have accumulated.

Add the broth, potatoes and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour until the potatoes are tender.

Add the green chiles , the red bell pepper and cook 15 to 20 minutes more Add the cilantro, stir, and serve.

 

*Use half mild and half medium or hot chiles for a better balanced flavor. If you don't like the heat, use all mild chiles. If you don't live in New Mexico or elsewhere in the South West, you can purchase frozen green chile from Gift Baskets Just for You.

(from The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook by Susan Curtis)

Fiery Foods Show 2011

There are two sure signs of spring in New Mexico. When March sweeps in we are inevitably assaulted by unrelenting winds that force us to clean whether we are naturally inclined to do so or not. This is the first and not-so-pleasant indicator that spring is near. But the first weekend in March also brings us the second harbinger of spring-- the Fiery Food Show . We're not so keen on the wind, but we love the Fiery Food Exposition. This year I thought I would highlight some of my favorites.

For the past several years, Cindy Reed Wilkins has touted her Cin-Chili mix and we have become serious fans.

Cindy won the International Chili Championship Cook Off held in Terlingua, Texas two years running. After this success, she decided to make her chili secret available to the world. Her spice mix is extraordinarily well balanced with a heat that you can feel in both the front and back of your mouth. Just enough heat to give the chili spice, but no so much that you can't taste anything.

Cin Chili & Co.

I first encountered Golden Toad products in 2004 when Todd Jilbert launched his original steak sauce and his Prime Steak Rub. I've made sure that the sauce and rub are amoung our pantry staples ever since.

Todd's trademark slogan is "Saving the Planet One Tongue at a Time."

"We strongly believe in our trademark slogan. We currently donate a portion of our annual proceeds to worthy charities including the Denver Zoo, the Colorado Wildlife Heritage Foundation and starting this year, the Children's Hospital.

"The name? Well, my Dad called me Toad growing up all my life. And I received my degree in Biology from San Diego State University where I learned of an extinct species of toad that was once endemic to the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Coast Rica, the Golden Toad. It all seemed to fit together."

 

New to this year's show is Scott Ross with his line of Great Scott Sauces.

Scott offered a trio of sauces, one rather mild by Fiery Food Standards and one with more heat, Ragin' Ross Sauce. His newest product in this line is All Thai'd Up sauce. This is made with 50 % Siracha and has enough heat for serious chili heads. It also has great flavor. Great Scott!

Another newcomer to the show was Chuck Averwater, creator of Smackers.

Chuck has been a judge at Memphis in May for 19 years and finally decided to create what he looks for as he tastes BBQ. This rub is amaziangly well balanced with just the right combination of spice and sweet. You taste one, then the other in rolling succession. I loved this rub and will make sure it stocks the pantry from now on. He also makes what looks to be a very fine rib smoker. I can wrestle with grill envy all this Lent. (And I will happily give in to temptation if given the opportunity.)

Another winner was Jennifer Reynolds, the self-proclaimed Sauce Goddess.

Her spice blends are fresh and you can taste the spices she has used in each combination. These will get a work out this grilling season and will become another of my BBQ/grilling staples.

Her sauces were very flavorful as well and because she doesn't flavor them with smoke they are very versatile. With a little imagination you can use them in a number of ways and create your own recipes.

Another lovely all-purpose sauce is Yulicious.

What would the Fiery Food show be without its founder, Dave Dewitt. This year Dave was signing some of his newest books. I always get a kick out of seeing him and asking him to sign yet another of his books. He seems to enjoy it too.

 For all things related to peppers, BBQ and spice, check out Dave's super site.

A Southwestern Taste

Poblanos are among my favorite chiles. They have a distinctive flavor and are only rarely too hot for those who can't take  much heat.Almost every year, we buy a bushel at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market and have them roasted. When I put them in the freezer, I feel rich. It's as good as having money in the bank.

Combine their taste with Cilantro and you have a winning combination. David Rosengarten developed a recipe for a Cilantro-Poblano Cream Sauce that has been our Thanksgiving table for several years now. It freezes well and we'll be having some of it tonight on our pork chops.

CILANTRO-POBLANO CREAM SAUCE

1. 1/2 pound (2 sticks) plua 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (18 tablespoons altogether)
2. 3 cups coarsely chopped leeks ( 2 large leeks)
3. 3 cups coarsely chopped celery
4. 12 poblano chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped (about 3 pounds)
5. 3 cups cilantro roots and stems, coarsely chopped plus 1/4 cup finely minced cilantro leaves
6. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
7. 12 cups chicken stock
8. Pinch of nutmeg
9. Tabasco green pepper sauce (optional)

 

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottmed pan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped leeks and celery. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the poblanos and the chopped cilantro roots and sems. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the flour, stirring well to coat the vegetables If the pot seems dry, add a little more butter. Saute the roux for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, stirring vigorously to blend well. Raise heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then let it simmer for 30 minutes. The sauce should be of a medium-thick consistency.

Strain the solids out of the stock and reserve. Return the sauce to the saucepan. Finely mince some of the solids until you have 3/4 of a cup. Return these to the sauce and added the minced cilantro leaves. Stir to blend. Add the nutmeg and if desired, a little Tabasco green pepper sauce. Taste for seasoning and serve.

 

You can cut the recipe in half if you don't want to make this much.

Green Chile-Cheese Grits Souffle

Grits! How do I love them?  Let me count the ways. One of the ways I love them is to make a Green Chile-Cheese Grits Casserole or Souffle. I  haven't read a recipe for this dish, although there are are probably several floating around in the food universe. This has just evolved over the last several years and changes a little every time I make it. Combining southern and New Mexican ingredients, this is a wonderful side for just about any roasted meat. It could even find a place on your Thanksgiving table.

You must start with the best possible grits you can find. This means that no instant grits are allowed. Some folks swear by Anson Mills, but my favorite continues to Hoppin' John's Old fashioned Speckled Grits.

GREEN CHILE-CHEESE GRITS SOUFFLE

First you have to cook the grits. This is a slow process, but the time you take will reward you later with creamy and full-flavored grits.

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup grits
• 2 tables spoons salted butter
• 2 to 4 cup cream

Heat the butter and water in a heavy saucepan until the water is boiling. Pour in the grits, stirring as you do so that lumps won't form. Bring the grits to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cook , stirring from time to time, until the water is absorbed. This could take from 10 to 12 minutes. When the liquid has been absorbed, add a half cup of cream and , again, simmer for 10 minutes or so until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the grits have reached the grits are thick enough so that they won't run on the plate; the cooking time should be at least an hour. Now the grits are ready to be transformed in a souffle.

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped roasted chile ( hot,medium or mild or a combination)
• 1 to 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• Kosher Salt and  Freshly Ground Pepper
• 4  extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

If you want your casserole to be more like a souffle, separate the yolks from the whites. Whip the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir  the yolks, cheese, chiles, salt and pepper into the grits until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Then fold in the egg whites. Place the mixture in a buttered casserole or souffle dish and cook at 350 degrees F. for approximately an hour. When the tip of a knife inserted in the center, comes out clean, the souffle is done. This won't be like a cheese or dessert souffle, light and airy; but it won't be as dense as it would be if you simply stir in the whole eggs.  Either way, the dish is delicious and satisfying.

If you have any left over, you can spread it in a pan and put in the refrigerator. In the morning you can cut into squares, dip in egg and breading and fry for breakfast. Some even like the left-overs better than the original dish.

Fresh Parched Green Chile Creations

Here are a few of the ways I’ve enjoyed serving fresh parched green chiles.

 

Green Chile Herbed Chevre Pinwheels

 

Salmon, Lemon Chive & Jalapeno Cream Cheese Wrap

Poblano, Jalapeno, Red Pepper, Corn, Scallions & Crème Fraiche Potato Toppers

Bowl O' Red Chili Served in a Fresh Parched Poblano "Bowl"

Strawberry Green Chile Salsa Fresca

Green Chile Passover Macaroons

Jalapenos may be gently “roasted” for enhancing their flavor before serving. The skin is thin, and does not need to be removed.  Here are lightly roasted jalapenos stuffed with red chile & garlic seasoned chevre.

Enough to get you started on your own ideas . . . Janet