Part 1

NEW MEXICO MAGAZINE’S A TASTE OF New Mexico Kitchens

CONTENTS

MAIN COURSES FRIJOLES 3 FRIJOLES 4 FRIJOLES REFRITOS 4 CLASSIC NEW MEXICO RED ENCHILADAS 5 GREEN CHILE ENCHILADAS 5 CHICKEN SOUR CREAM ENCHILADAS 6 POSOLE SANDOVAL 6 THE SHED’S POSOLE STEW 7 POSOLE ORTIZ 8 DELLA’S TACOS 8 CHICOS 9 QUELITES 9 CHALUPAS EL PARAGUA 10 ARROZ CON POLLO 10 CALABACITAS 11 HUEVOS RANCHEROS 12 RED CHILE BURRITOS 12 GAZPACHO NEW MEXICO 13 TAMALE PIE 13 CHILE PIE 14 CHILE PREPARING FRESH CHILE 15 GREEN CHILE SAUCE 15 THE OWL BAR’S GREEN CHILE 15 GREEN CHILE STEW 16 RED CHILE SAUCE I 17 RED CHILE SAUCE II 17 SALSA 18 PUEBLO RED CHILE STEW 18 GREEN CHILE SOUFFLE 19 FAVORITE FOODS TOSTADOS 20 NACHOS 20 CHILE CON QUESO 20 BILL’S GUACAMOLE 21 CHUNKY GUACAMOLE 21 ROSWELL BEAN DIP 22 AVOCADO SOUP, LAS CRUCES 22 BREADS FLOUR TORTILLAS 23 QUICKIE TORTILLAS 23 SOPAIPILLAS 24 HONEY BUTTER 24 CHILE BREAD 24 NAVAJO FRY BREAD 25 BLUE CORN BREAD 26 PAN DE LA REINA 26 DESSERTS EMPANADITAS 27 PINK ADOBE FRENCH APPLE PIE 28 HARD SAUCE 28 BAKED EMPANADAS 29 BISCOCHITOS 29 PIÑON COOKIES 30 PIÑON FUDGE 30 DRINKS RANCHO DE CHIMAYO COCKTAIL 31 ROSALIE’S APRICOT BRANDY 31 GLOSSARY 32

INTRODUCTION

New Mexican cooking is unique to New Mexico. Stacked enchiladas topped with an egg and smothered in pungent red sauce, tender sopaipillas, rich and meaty posole stew, green chile, and blue corn tortillas. These dishes have been mainstays of New Mexicans for generations, some remaining classics and some having changed with time, but all retaining their original essence.

In New Mexico Magazine’s _The Best from New Mexico Kitchens_, we give you a big helping of good New Mexico cooking from Indian-Spanish basics to haute cuisine. In our second cookbook, _More of the Best from New Mexico Kitchens_, we offer variations on classic New Mexico dishes, forgotten favorites of the pioneers, and familiar recipes with new twists. They range from the supremely simple to more sophisticated versions. We have specialties from restaurants big and small—places you may have visited yourself—and from good cooks all over the state.

As a special premium for new subscribers to New Mexico Magazine, we have put together _A Taste of New Mexico Kitchens_, a small sampling of favorite New Mexican recipes from both cookbooks. We want to share these recipes with you—the subscribers of New Mexico Magazine—with our compliments.

FRIJOLES

One would think that a boiled bean is a boiled bean. But it’s not that simple, of course. Each cook thinks his or her way is the best—and only—method.

Those who advocate the overnight soak will do it this way: Take 2 cups of dry pinto beans, pick them over, and wash them. Cover with cold water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse well. Put in a large pot with about 8 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of lard. Bring to a boil and simmer gently, covered, for about 1½ hours, then test for tenderness. Stir in 2 teaspoons of salt. Depending on how long the beans were soaked and how high your altitude is (the temperature at which things boil goes down as altitude goes up), you may have to cook the beans for up to another hour, adding more water if needed. Serve beans, broth and all, in bowls. Top with red or green chile salsa.

Most people do it this way: Pick over the 2 cups of dry pinto beans and wash them. Put beans, 8 cups of water, and 2 tablespoons of lard in a big pot. Some folks like to add 2 cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, 2½ if you are at a high altitude. Stir in 2 teaspoons of salt. (If you add salt too early in the cooking, your beans will be too tough.) Continue cooking, adding water as necessary, until beans are tender. Serve as above.

Another way to cook your pinto beans is in the pressure cooker. Pick over 2 cups of dry pinto beans and wash them. Put beans, 8 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of lard into a large pressure cooker. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 10 minutes without the lid on. Remove from heat, cover, and let the beans stand for about 2 hours, or until an hour before you intend to eat. Add 2 teaspoons salt, cover and bring the pressure up to 15 pounds. Cook for 10 minutes (15 or more at high altitudes). Allow pressure to drop normally. Serve as above, and think of the energy you’ve saved.

FRIJOLES

This is the basic bean recipe.

3 cups pinto beans 4 quarts water 1 clove garlic 1 cup diced salt pork Salt

Wash beans well, cover with water and soak overnight. Drain. Put beans, water, garlic and salt pork—but not salt—in a large heavy kettle. Cover tightly, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 1½ hours or until the beans are tender but not mushy. Add boiling water during the cooking if necessary and stir occasionally. When the beans are done, remove lid, turn up heat and cook until all liquid has been absorbed. Add salt to taste.

FRIJOLES REFRITOS

Many people think that beans are at their best on the second day, when they are served as refried beans. Philomena, who has a well-known restaurant of the same name in Los Alamos, recommends this classic method. To 2 tablespoons bacon drippings add 2 cups day-old cooked pinto beans. Use a potato masher for mashing and stirring beans as they fry. When beans are thoroughly hot, add 4 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese. Continue stirring until cheese has melted. Serve hot. Some New Mexicans also like to fry a small minced onion in the fat before adding the beans. Whatever method you use the resulting dish is delicious.

CLASSIC NEW MEXICO RED ENCHILADAS

12 blue corn tortillas ⅓ cup vegetable oil 3-4 cups red chile sauce (see page 17) 3 cups grated longhorn cheese 2 small onions, minced 4 eggs (optional)

Fry tortillas in oil until soft and drain on paper towels. Heat chile sauce. Layer tortillas on serving plates, topping each with grated cheese and minced onions and sauce. Stack 3 per serving plate and top with cheese and sauce. Put plates in oven to allow cheese to melt. Meanwhile, fry eggs in remaining oil. Top each enchilada stack with a fried egg. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

GREEN CHILE ENCHILADAS

6 blue corn tortillas 2 tablespoons oil 1 clove garlic 2 cups green chile sauce 1 tablespoon flour 2 cups grated longhorn or jack cheese ¼ cup minced onion Salt to taste

Heat the tortillas on a hot griddle and keep warm under a tea towel. Heat the garlic in the oil, then discard garlic. Blend flour into oil. Stir in green chile sauce (see page 15 for recipe) and heat thoroughly. If mixture is too thick, add water. Add salt to taste. Layer tortillas with sauce, minced onion and cheese on ovenproof plates. Sprinkle cheese on top. Place in oven to allow cheese to melt. Serves 2. For a real New Mexico touch, place a poached or fried egg on top. The egg has the quality of melding all the flavors.

CHICKEN SOUR CREAM ENCHILADAS

12 corn tortillas 4 cups green chile sauce 3 cups minced cooked chicken 1 pound jack cheese, grated ¼ cup minced onion (optional) Salt to taste 1 pint sour cream

Heat tortillas on a hot griddle and keep warm under a tea towel. Or heat the tortillas in oil and drain well on paper towels. Mix one cup of the chile sauce (see page 15 for recipe) with the chicken. Put ¼ cup of the chicken mixture on each tortilla and roll it up. Place in an oblong baking dish. Cover the enchiladas with the grated cheese. Add the onion, if desired, and salt to taste to the remaining chile sauce and pour over the enchiladas. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Smother with sour cream and return to oven for 10 minutes, or until everything is hot. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

POSOLE SANDOVAL

Posole is whole hominy, and in New Mexico it is cooked with pork into a thick stew. The first time you taste it, you may be unimpressed. The second time, well, you think that perhaps another helping would go down well. The third time—you’re hooked. Like the rest of us, you won’t think that Christmas Eve or a feast day of any kind is complete without a big bowl of steaming posole. Richard C. Sandoval, who grew up in Nambé, prepares his holiday posole this way. Richard uses frozen posole, but if you can’t find that, perhaps you can find dried posole. Failing that, you might make do with canned hominy, which, of course, won’t need to cook as long as the other varieties. But, as Richard points out, it won’t taste as good, either!

2 pounds frozen posole 2 pounds pork roast, cut up dash of oregano 3-4 dry red chile pods, broken up salt to taste

Rinse posole well. Put posole, oregano, and chile pods in a large pot. Add cold water to about 2 inches above the corn. Heat to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Add the meat, reduce heat, and simmer for about 3 hours, until meat is cooked and kernels are soft but not mushy. (You might need less time at lower altitudes than Santa Fe’s.) Stir frequently and add water as needed. Salt to taste at end. Serve in bowls and pass the chile sauce. Or use as an accompaniment to a dinner of enchiladas, tamales, frijoles, and chiles rellenos.

THE SHED’S POSOLE STEW

1 pound lean pork shoulder 2 pounds frozen posole (hominy) Juice of one lime 2 tablespoons coarse red chile 3 cloves garlic ¼ teaspoon dried oregano 3 tablespoons salt

Cook the pork in a pressure cooker, with water to cover, for 20 minutes. Reduce pressure under cold water. Open pot and add posole, lime juice and chile. Add water—about twice as much as the amount of posole. Cook for 45 minutes under pressure. Reduce pressure under cold water. Remove the pork and cut up. Put posole, pork, garlic, oregano and salt in a large, heavy covered pot and simmer for 1 to 3 hours, or until hominy kernels have burst and are soft but not mushy. Serve alone or as a side dish. Freezes well. Note: These times are set for Santa Fe’s high altitude. At lower altitudes, where the boiling point is higher, you may wish to try shorter cooking times at first.

POSOLE ORTIZ

Everyone has his own special recipe for posole. This is the way Willie and June Ortiz prepare it at _La Tertulia_ in Santa Fe—and good it is.

2 cups frozen white posole (hominy) 1 quart water 1 pound pork shoulder or chops ⅛ teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns ⅓ cup chopped onion 4 dried red chile peppers, crumbled Salt

Mix all ingredients in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 2½ hours or until the kernels are soft but not mushy. Salt to taste. Serves 4.

DELLA’S TACOS

_Della’s Spanish Dining Room_ in Farmington is one of the most popular restaurants in northwestern New Mexico. But Della Chávez throws up her hands in dismay and laughs at the idea of writing down her recipes. One must watch to see how it is done, she says. This is how she prepares her tacos.

Take ground chuck and brown it in the frying pan, draining off excess fat. One pound of meat will probably fill six tortillas. Season the meat with _salsa_—made with chopped peeled tomatoes, garlic, salt, chopped onions, chopped red chiles. (The quantities, Della implies, will depend on one’s own taste.)

When the meat is ready, warm tortillas on a grill. Place in a bowl and cover with a towel. They’ll steam themselves soft. Fold the tortillas in half and stuff with meat. Pin with wooden toothpicks.

Fry the tacos in very hot deep fat (perhaps 375-400 degrees F) for just a minute. Turn over, then remove and drain. Remove toothpicks and stuff with grated longhorn cheese (perhaps a half pound for 6 tacos), shredded lettuce and finely chopped tomatoes, in that order. Serve.

CHICOS

Chicos are sweet corn kernels that have been dried and saved for winter. This dish is popular in the Spanish-speaking villages of northern New Mexico.

2 cups chicos 10 cups water 2 pounds pork 1 onion, minced 1 clove garlic ½ teaspoon oregano 4 chile pods 2 teaspoons salt

Wash chicos and soak overnight. Drain and cover with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour. Meanwhile, cut pork in 1-inch cubes and fry until brown. Drain fat. Stir in a cup or 2 of water (to gather up the flavorful bits at the bottom of the pan). Pour meat, garlic, oregano, washed and crushed chile pods, salt to taste and remaining water in with chicos. Cover and simmer for 2½ hours or until chicos are tender. (Or use the pressure cooker and cook for about 1 hour.) Serve in soup bowls. Serves 6.

QUELITES

If you have access to wild spinach, that’s really what you should use in this recipe. But most people make do with the “tame” kind.

½ pound fresh spinach or 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach 1 tablespoon shortening 3 tablespoons chopped onion ¼ teaspoon crushed red chile Salt to taste

Wash spinach well, chop and steam about 10 minutes or until tender. Saute the onion in shortening, mix in drained spinach, chile and salt, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serves 2 to 3.

CHALUPAS EL PARAGUA

In Española’s _El Paragua_, Luis and Frances Atencio make chalupas this way.

1 corn tortilla Vegetable oil ¼ cup refried beans Shredded chicken ¼ cup grated longhorn cheese ¼ cup guacamole Shredded lettuce ¼ tomato 2 tablespoons sour cream Black olives Onion rings Paprika

Fry the tortilla and place on an ovenproof plate. Spread with refried beans, then chicken, then cheese. Slide under broiler to melt cheese. Quickly cover with guacamole (mashed seasoned ripe avocado), lettuce, tomato cut in bits, and sour cream. Decorate with black olives and Bermuda or Spanish onion rings. Dust cream with paprika. Serve immediately. Serves 1.

ARROZ CON POLLO

This traditional Spanish recipe is one that Scottie King has adapted and serves often to her delighted guests. As Scottie points out, the dish can be prepared ahead of time, as it improves with standing. This amount serves 4, but the recipe can easily be doubled.

1 chicken or fowl, cut up as for frying 3 cups boiling water 1 large onion, chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup raw rice, washed ¼ cup olive oil 1½ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon pepper 2 sprigs parsley, minced 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon saffron 2-4 canned pimientos, chopped oregano, basil, thyme (optional)

Put chicken in a large pot with boiling water and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes (40-50 if it’s a fowl). Meanwhile, mix onions, garlic, and rice. Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet, add rice mixture, and stir until oil is well mixed in. Cover and fry VERY gently for 10 minutes. Stir frequently and take great care mixture does not brown. Add remaining salt, paprika, pepper, parsley, bay leaf, and saffron to chicken pot. Add such optional seasonings as you like, correct salt if need be, then spread rice mixture over the top of chicken. Cover and simmer gently until rice is soft and chicken is tender when pierced with a fork—from 40 to 60 minutes. Add the pimientos just before serving. Serves 4.

CALABACITAS

This is one of the most popular vegetable dishes in New Mexico and deserves to be better known in the rest of the country. It’s delicious!

2 tablespoons oil or lard 1 clove garlic 1 medium onion 4 medium large zucchini 1 12-ounce can niblet corn, drained 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles or 2 fresh peeled chiles Salt to taste ½ cup grated cheddar, jack or longhorn cheese

In a large heavy skillet, saute the onion, garlic and zucchini in oil. Discard the garlic. Mix in drained corn, chopped chiles and salt. Cover tightly and heat through. Mix in cheese and serve. Serves 4.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS

Everyone has a special way of preparing huevos rancheros. This suggestion comes from New Mexico State University.

2 cups green or red chile sauce 4 eggs ½ cup grated cheese

Heat chile sauce in shallow frying pan. When hot, slip eggs into sauce from small dish or saucer, being careful not to break yolks. Cover and simmer over very low heat until eggs are poached to desired firmness. Serve on warm plates with remaining sauce poured over eggs. Sprinkle with cheese. Serves 2. Use canned sauce or your own mixture. For recipes, see pages 15 and 17.

RED CHILE BURRITOS

From Angie M. García comes another of her specialties—the beloved burrito.

4 cups cooked pinto beans 2 teaspoons bacon fat or vegetable shortening Garlic salt to taste 12 flour tortillas ⅛ to ¼ inch thick 1 cup grated jack or longhorn cheese ½ cup minced onion Red chile sauce (see page 17)

Mash beans and season with garlic salt to taste. Fry in bacon fat. Heat tortillas on ungreased griddle and cover with towel to keep warm. Spoon hot bean mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll, and place 2 on each serving plate. Pour heated red chile sauce over burritos and top with cheese and onions. Serves 6.

GAZPACHO NEW MEXICO

A delectable and cooling “liquid salad” from Spain—with a special New Mexico touch.

2 pounds tomatoes, peeled or 2 14½-ounce cans stewed tomatoes 1 cucumber ½ green pepper 1 large onion 1 clove garlic ¼ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon vinegar 1 cup tomato juice Salt to taste 1 4-ounce can diced green chile Ice cubes

Dice half the tomatoes, being careful not to lose any of the juice, half the cucumber, half the onion, half the pepper. Set aside in a large bowl or pitcher. Put the remaining tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and onion into a blender, along with the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, tomato juice, salt to taste and green chile. Blend for a few seconds. Pour into container with chopped vegetables. Mix well, cover and chill thoroughly. Serve with 2 or 3 ice cubes in each bowl. Sprinkle with garlic croutons or serve with hot garlic bread. Serves 6 to 8.

TAMALE PIE

This particular version is the specialty of a young Gallup girl who adapted it from an aunt’s recipe.

1½ cups leftover meat, chopped 1 cup leftover gravy 1 cup red chile sauce 1 small onion, chopped 1 can niblet corn, drained salt and pepper to taste garlic powder (optional)

3 cups water or stock ¾ cup yellow cornmeal salt to taste

Heat meat with gravy, chile sauce, onion, and corn and season to taste. Meanwhile boil stock or water and stir in cornmeal. Cook, stirring over low heat until mush is thick. Turn meat mixture into casserole and top with spoonfuls of cornmeal mush evenly distributed over surface. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes.

CHILE PIE

Not really a “pie,” this is more like a quiche without a crust. Delectable as a main dish for lunch, it could also make a light supper. And how about doubling the recipe, making it in a rectangular baking dish, and cutting in small squares to serve at a party?

4-6 whole green chiles 1 cup grated jack or longhorn cheese 4 eggs 1 cup scalded half-and-half or 1 cup evaporated milk ½ teaspoon garlic salt

Line a buttered 8- or 9-inch pie pan with chiles (fresh, canned or frozen). Sprinkle with the cheese. Beat eggs and combine with half-and-half and garlic salt. Pour over cheese. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 40 minutes or until the custard has set. Cut in wedges and serve. Serves 4.

PREPARING FRESH CHILE

Select plump fresh New Mexico-grown chile pods, either green or red. The variety of the chile will determine how hot it is. (See “Chile—New Mexico’s Fiery Soul” and the Nakayama Scale in _The Best from New Mexico Kitchens_.) New Mexico #6 and Anaheim are two of the mildest varieties, and Numex Big Jim rates #3 on a scale of 10. (The sizzling jalapeño is only #7!)

Slit pods lengthwise and remove seeds and veins, which make chiles far too hot for most palates. Place pods on a foil-lined cookie sheet under broiler. Or place pods on outdoor grill. Roast pods, turning frequently so they don’t burn. When chile skins are blistered and loose, remove from fire (tongs would be handy for this) and cover with damp towels until cool. Peel skins from stem downward. Chiles are then ready to use or to freeze for the future. If you want to save your own skin from being blistered by the chiles, you had better wear thin rubber gloves while you work.

GREEN CHILE SAUCE

¼ cup salad or olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced ½ cup minced onion (optional) 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup water 1 cup chopped green chile salt to taste

Saute garlic and onion in oil in heavy saucepan. Blend in flour with wooden spoon. Add water and green chile and mix well. Add salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

THE OWL BAR’S GREEN CHILE

The Owl Bar & Cafe in San Antonio, south of Socorro, has become world renowned—literally!—for its huge, juicy hamburgers. (It’s been featured in _New Mexico Magazine_, TWA’s _Ambassador Magazine_ and the _Washington Post_.) But the cafe is also known for its atmosphere and its green chile. The secret, says Rowena Baca, the owner, is in the simmering.