Part 2

3½ pounds hot green chile 1½ pounds hamburger meat 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 quarts water salt to taste

Roast, peel, and dice green chile. In a heavy skillet, brown the meat and drain excess fat. In large heavy saucepan, cover chile and garlic with water and bring to boiling point. Mix in the meat and simmer, tightly covered, for at least 3 hours. Add salt to taste.

GREEN CHILE STEW

Rosella Frederick of Cochití is known for her good cooking. One of her specialties is her green chile stew. For feast days, she usually makes enormous pots of stew outside over an open fire in order not to heat up her spotless kitchen. She has cut down her recipe to family size for us.

2 pounds lean chuck Lard or cooking oil ½ medium onion, chopped 4 medium potatoes (optional) 4 medium zucchini (optional) 12 large green chiles, roasted, peeled and cut in pieces or 1 7-ounce container frozen chopped green chile or 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chile 1 teaspoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon salt 6-7 cups water

Cut the meat up into very small pieces—about 2-inch cubes—and brown in a little oil in a large, deep heavy pan. Add the onions. Peel and dice the potatoes and brown them with the meat. (Rosella does not flour the meat because it makes the stew too thick for her family’s taste.) When the meat and onion and potatoes (if used) have been browned, drain off any excess fat. Add the zucchini, if used, the chiles, garlic salt, salt and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least a half hour. Ladle into bowls and serve with homemade bread. The stew should be eaten with a spoon, like a hearty soup. Serves 6.

RED CHILE SAUCE I

This is Mark Nohl’s traditional recipe made from whole dry red chile pods, the kind that hang on every door-side ristra in New Mexico or are bought in big plastic bags at supermarkets and roadside stands.

Wash and remove seeds, stems, and white veins (the more seeds and veins you leave in, the hotter the sauce will be). Place pods in a large kettle and cover with boiling water. Cook the pods until they become plump and tender. Remove pods and run them through your blender or processor (in the old days they used a food mill or fruit press). Strain the mixture to remove pieces of skin and stray seeds. Add some of the water you used to cook the pods in order to get the consistency of tomato paste. To this add 3 tablespoons fat, several cloves of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes. This is your basic red chile sauce and is the smoothest you can make. To this you can add pinto beans, meat, onions, or tomatoes to construct your favorite New Mexico recipes, or use as is to go over burritos or enchilada plates.

RED CHILE SAUCE II

3 tablespoons olive oil or lard 1 clove garlic, minced ½ cup New Mexico chile powder 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups water salt to taste

Saute the garlic in oil. Blend in flour and chile powder quickly with a wooden spoon. (Be careful not to burn the chile.) Blend in water and cook to desired consistency, adding more water as desired. If you have stock instead of water, so much the better. Add salt to taste.

SALSA

2 tomatoes, medium size 1 Bermuda onion, medium size 1 clove garlic ½ teaspoon salt 2 or more green chiles

Use fresh chiles (roasted, peeled and seeded) or frozen or canned chiles. Chop the chiles, tomatoes and onion very fine. (Don’t lose the juice of the tomatoes!) Mash the garlic with the salt. Mix well. Add more chiles to suit your taste. Allow flavors to blend at least an hour before using. Store in refrigerator or freezer. Use on tacos, eggs or hamburgers or as a dip for tostados. Makes about 1 pint.

PUEBLO RED CHILE STEW

This recipe comes from Santa Clara Pueblo from the Joseph Lonewolf family.

10 pounds stew beef 2 gallons water 2 tablespoons salt 5 pounds potatoes 2 cups red chile powder ½ cup blue cornmeal

Cut meat in 1-inch cubes. Cover with water and bring to a boil in a large kettle. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, for about 4 hours. Meanwhile, peel and cube potatoes. Add potatoes and salt and cook for 1½ hours. Measure red chile powder and cornmeal into bowl with enough cold water to make a paste. Stir slowly into stew. Mix in well, to thicken broth. Simmer for a half hour, then keep warm. Theresa Lonewolf figures on serving about 75 people on a feast day, but of course not everyone eats a lot of any one dish. If this were the main dish at a picnic or supper, it might serve 25 to 35 persons.

GREEN CHILE SOUFFLE

This happy marriage of green chile to a souffle was engineered by Edna Turner of Santa Fe.

5 egg whites 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 cup hot milk ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon dry mustard Dash cayenne ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 4 egg yolks Pinch salt 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ¼ to ½ cup chopped green chile

Place egg whites in a 4-quart bowl and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 1½-quart souffle dish generously. Sprinkle bottom and sides evenly with Parmesan cheese. Melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat in heavy saucepan. Add flour and stir with wire whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture foams and bubbles. Remove from heat, add milk, and beat until smooth. Beat in salt, mustard, cayenne and Worcestershire. Return to heat and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until mixture is quite thick. Remove from heat and add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour this mixture into a large bowl. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Add 1 large spoonful to the egg yolk mixture and blend. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the cheese and the chopped chiles (frozen, fresh or canned) to the egg yolk mixture and blend well. Spoon remaining egg whites on top and fold in with a rubber spatula. Pour into souffle dish and smooth with spatula. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Run a silver knife in a circle about 1 inch from the edge of dish. (This will enable the crown or “hat” to form when done.) Place in center of oven and reduce to 375 degrees F. Bake 34-40 minutes, or until knife inserted in the side comes out clean. Serve immediately.

TOSTADOS

Cut fresh or canned corn tortillas into triangles and deep fry in oil at 380 degrees F until they are crisp. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. These are the original “corn chips.” Use with dips, soups or beverages.

NACHOS

Prepare tortillas as above. While they are still hot, sprinkle with onion or garlic salt and chile powder. Or—sprinkle the chips with grated longhorn cheese, chile powder and garlic salt, then heat in the oven until the cheese melts. Or spread each chip with a bit of mashed beans, season with red chile powder or a bit of fresh chopped green chile, sprinkle liberally with grated longhorn cheese, add a touch of garlic salt and broil until cheese melts.

CHILE CON QUESO

2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 medium onion, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon flour 1 13-ounce can evaporated milk 1 pound longhorn cheese, grated Salt to taste ½-1 cup chopped green chile

Saute minced onion and garlic in butter in large heavy saucepan. Blend in flour with wooden spoon. Add milk and cheese. Stir constantly until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth and thick. If mixture seems too thick to use as a dip, blend in a little water. Mix in the chopped green chile (fresh, frozen or canned) to suit your taste. Serve in a chafing dish with tostados, corn chips or raw vegetable sticks to dip in the mixture.

BILL’S GUACAMOLE

6-8 ripe avocados ¼ cup finely chopped onion 1 large tomato, diced ½ cup chopped green chile 2-3 minced jalapeño peppers 1 clove garlic, minced Dash of cumin powder 1 teaspoon lemon juice Salt to taste

Peel and pit avocados. Mash coarsely with a fork, leaving bits of whole avocado. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve on lettuce or as a dip with tostados.

CHUNKY GUACAMOLE

1 large ripe avocado 1 medium tomato 1 small onion 1 small bell pepper 3 long green chiles Juice of ½ lemon Salt to taste

Chop all the ingredients fine. Do not mash. Use fresh roasted and peeled chiles, but, if they are not available, use canned or frozen. Mix together with the lemon juice and add salt to taste. Serve as a dip or as a salad with lettuce and corn chips.

ROSWELL BEAN DIP

This old favorite has a number of variations. We like this one.

2 cups refried beans 1 cup sour cream ¼ cup taco sauce

Mash beans well or run through blender. Mix in sour cream and taco sauce. Serve with corn chips or vegetable sticks. No taco sauce? Try chopped green chile. Or enchilada sauce. Or chile powder to taste. Or a minced jalapeño.

AVOCADO SOUP, LAS CRUCES

Maggie Gamboa of Las Cruces is a famous cook in southern New Mexico. Not only does she cater for parties, but she teaches cooking—including a chile gourmet class.

1 medium tomato 1 tablespoon minced onion 4 cups chicken broth ½ cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 large ripe avocados ¼ cup dry sherry salt and pepper to taste 1 banana (optional)

Peel, seed, and chop the tomato. Place first 5 ingredients in blender or processor and blend well. Heat this mixture in a saucepan and simmer for a few minutes. Peel and mash avocados and stir into soup. Add sherry, salt and pepper to taste, and heat well, but do not allow to boil. Serve hot or cold. Decorate each bowl with two or three thin slices of banana for an extra touch of flavor. Serves 6.

FLOUR TORTILLAS

2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking powder (optional) 4 tablespoons lard ½-¾ cup lukewarm water

Mix dry ingredients, then work in lard until mixture is crumbly. Stir in the half cup of water, adding more if needed. Knead dough on a lightly floured board, then make into small balls, about the size of an egg. Let these stand covered by a tea towel for about 15 minutes. Then roll out to the size of a salad or luncheon plate. Bake on a hot, ungreased griddle for 2 minutes. Turn and bake for 1 minute on the other side. They should have a brown-freckled surface. Use immediately, or keep warm until serving by placing between the folds of a clean tea towel. If necessary, they may be refrigerated in plastic bags and reheated—but they’re better when they’re fresh.

QUICKIE TORTILLAS

Angie M. García recommends this as a quick and easy method of making flour tortillas.

1 tube refrigerator biscuits Flour

Use plain or buttermilk biscuits. On a floured surface, pat out each biscuit to desired thickness—⅛ to ¼ inch. Place each tortilla on a hot griddle (475 to 500 degrees F) and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side until done. Makes 10.

SOPAIPILLAS

Although they are kin to fry bread and cousin to buñelos, New Mexico’s sopaipillas are unique. There’s nothing in the world quite like these light crispy bread puffs.

2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons lard ½ cup water Shortening for frying

Sift dry ingredients together. Work in lard and lukewarm water to make a soft dough. Chill in refrigerator. Roll out dough on a floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch squares. Deep fry in hot lard (or vegetable shortening) at 400 degrees F a few at a time. Brown on each side and drain on paper towels. Serve piping hot. To eat, poke open and pour in honey or slather with honey butter.

HONEY BUTTER

Cream 1 cup butter or margarine. Gradually beat in ½ cup to 1 cup of honey. (If your honey has begun to crystalize, you can use the larger amount.) Cover and store in refrigerator. Serve with sopaipillas. Good also on hot biscuits or toast.

CHILE BREAD

Here’s a surprising raised dough ring that will make chile lovers wake up and sing. Glenna Rose Autrey of Santa Fe dreamed it up.

1 package dry yeast ¼ cup warm water 4½ cups flour ½ cup melted butter 1 cup warm milk ¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg

1½ cups finely chopped onion ½ cup melted butter 3 tablespoons red chile powder or ½ cup chopped green chile

Dissolve yeast in water. Mix in 2 cups of the flour, butter, milk, sugar, salt, and egg. Beat for 2 minutes. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Turn onto a floured board and knead until smooth. Put in a greased bowl, turn over, and cover with a clean cloth. Put bowl in a warm place with no drafts and let dough rise until doubled—about 1 hour.

Combine remaining ingredients for filling. Punch dough down and roll into a 20x8 inch rectangle. Cut into four 20x2 inch strips. Spread filling on each strip and fold over lengthwise. Twist 2 strips together, then twist double strips together and form in a circle on greased cookie sheet. Cover with clean cloth and let rise until doubled. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with chile powder. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

NAVAJO FRY BREAD

3 cups flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1⅓ cups warm water Shortening

Use either all white or half whole wheat flour. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add warm water and mix. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Knead until smooth. Tear off a chunk about the size of a peach. Pat and stretch until it is thin. Poke a hole through the middle, and drop into sizzling hot deep fat. (Lard is the traditional shortening, but you might prefer to use vegetable oil.) Brown on both sides. Drain and serve hot. Eat with honey or jam.

BLUE CORN BREAD

From the northern part of the Navajo Reservation comes this unusual recipe. Obviously the recipe is not for the average American kitchen. But it shows the remarkable ingenuity of people who must use the ingredients available far from supermarkets.

1 cup cedar ashes 1 cup hot water 1 pound blue cornmeal 1 quart water

The cedar ashes (really from juniper wood, locally called cedar) should be smooth and fine. Sieve if possible. Mix the ashes with hot water and remove any twigs or other bits of rough material. Add to blue cornmeal. Pour in water gradually, adding only enough to make a soft dough. Form into cakes about a half inch thick. Smooth the surface of the cakes with water. Cook on a medium hot grill on each side until the cakes are done. Use like bread.

PAN DE LA REINA

Alicia Romero contributed this delicious holiday bread recipe to New Mexico Magazine many years ago.

1 envelope yeast ½ cup warm water 1 teaspoon sugar 4 cups flour 1 cup butter or margarine ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 6 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon anise seeds

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Mix in 1 teaspoon sugar and just enough flour to make a soft ball. Cover and place in a warm place to rise for at least an hour. Add the remaining flour, melted butter, salt, sugar, eggs, milk and anise seeds and mix and knead until smooth and velvety. Cover and let rise to double its original bulk. Punch down and knead slightly. Pull off small pieces, mold into balls and place in a greased tube pan. Cover and set in warm place and let rise until double in size. Bake at 350 degrees F until it is brown and shining. Rub the surface with melted butter.

EMPANADITAS

Rich and delectable, these mincemeat turnovers mean Christmas to many a New Mexico boy and girl. This is Martha Montoya’s traditional recipe.

Filling

2 beef tongues 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon allspice 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 cup raisins 1 cup roasted shelled piñon nuts 2 tablespoons blackberry brandy

Cover well-washed tongues with water in a large kettle and simmer until tender—about 1 hour. Cool and peel. Retain 1 cup of the tongue broth. Grind meat in a grinder and place in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well with hands, using tongue broth to moisten. Let mixture stand while you prepare pastry.

Pastry

5 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons sugar ¾ cup shortening (part lard) ½ cup evaporated milk ½ cup water

Sift flour into a large bowl and add salt and sugar. Cut in shortening. Mix in milk and water to form a soft dough. Knead dough with hands for about 3 minutes. Form dough into balls about 1½ inches in diameter. Roll out on floured board. Place 1 teaspoon filling on half circle of dough, folding over other half circle to enclose. Pinch edges of dough together to prevent filling from leaking. Deep fry empanaditas a few at a time in moderately hot oil (350 degrees F) until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Makes about 4½ dozen empanaditas.

Empanaditas taste best when eaten warm. They may be placed on a cookie sheet and reheated in a 300-degree F oven.

PINK ADOBE FRENCH APPLE PIE

And here it is, that famous French Apple Pie. Rosalea of the Pink Adobe says she has no idea how many she’s made over the years. “Thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions.” Forget about calories when you eat this concoction.

2 cups flour ¾ cup lard 1 teaspoon salt cold water

1 pound apples ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ cup seedless raisins ½ cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons flour ½ cup (¼ pound) butter ½ cup chopped pecans ¼ cup milk

Work flour, lard, and salt together until crumbly. Add 6 or 7 tablespoons cold water until dough holds together. Form into 2 balls. Roll out to line and top a 9-inch pie pan. _Filling_: Wash, peel, core, and slice apples into pie shell. Sprinkle with lemon juice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Spread with raisins and white sugar. Mix brown sugar, flour, and butter. Spread over contents. Sprinkle with pecans and most of milk. Cover with pastry, prick with fork, and brush with remaining bit of milk. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 30 minutes. Serve hot with Hard Sauce.

HARD SAUCE

½ cup butter 1½ cup confectioners’ or powdered sugar 1 tablespoon boiling water 1 teaspoon brandy or rum

Cream the butter until light. Beat in the sugar and add 1 tablespoon boiling water. Then beat in brandy. Serve with French Apple Pie.

BAKED EMPANADAS

New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service is a gold mine of recipes. If you can’t eat deep-fried foods, you might want to try their version of baked empanadas.

3 ounces cream cheese ½ cup butter or margarine 1 cup flour 1 cup thick applesauce

Cream butter or margarine with cream cheese until fluffy. Add flour and mix until a smooth ball is formed. Wrap well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator ½ hour before using. Roll out dough on a floured board to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut in approximately 3-inch rounds. Place 1 tablespoon of applesauce on each round. Fold over and seal. Flute edges. Bake at 375 degrees F 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. May be served with ice cream if desired. (This dough is very tricky and hard to handle.)

BISCOCHITOS

This is New Mexico’s traditional cookie.

6 cups flour ¼ teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 pound (2 cups) lard 1½ cups sugar 2 teaspoons anise seeds 2 eggs ¼ cup brandy ¼ cup sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Cream lard with sugar and anise seeds until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in flour and brandy until well blended. Turn dough out on floured board and pat or roll to ¼- or ½-inch thickness. Cut into shapes. (The fleur-de-lis is traditional.) Dust with mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees F or until browned.

PIÑON COOKIES

Marian Meyer gave us this marvelous cookie recipe using New Mexico’s favorite nuts.

4 eggs 1½ cups granulated sugar ½ teaspoon grated lemon rind 2½ cups sifted flour ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar 1 cup piñon nuts

Put eggs and granulated sugar in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Beat with rotary or electric beater until mixture is lukewarm. Remove from water; beat until foaming and cool. Add lemon rind and fold in flour and salt. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased and floured cookie sheets. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and nuts. Let stand for 10 minutes. Bake in moderately hot oven (375 degrees F) for about 10 minutes. Makes 5 dozen cookies.

PIÑON FUDGE

3 cups sugar 1 13-ounce can evaporated milk 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup piñon nuts

Melt 1 cup of the sugar in heavy pan, stirring with wooden spoon, until dark brown. Add rest of sugar and stir in milk gradually. Cook to hard ball stage (a drop forms a hard ball in cold water). Remove from burner. Add vanilla. Beat until creamy. Fold in nuts. Pour into buttered 8-inch pan. When firm, cut in squares.

RANCHO DE CHIMAYO COCKTAIL

This apple cocktail was created by Arturo Jaramillo, owner of the famous Rancho de Chimayó restaurant. A thoroughly New Mexican drink, it makes good use of Chimayó apples and cider.

1½ ounces tequila 1 ounce homemade New Mexico sweet apple cider ¼ ounce lemon juice ¼ ounce crème de cassis

Shake all ingredients together, chill, and serve with a wedge of New Mexico apple over the rim of the glass. Serves 1.

ROSALIE’S APRICOT BRANDY

Rosalie Howland says this is great to sip and is superb as a topping for vanilla ice cream.

1 pound dried apricots 1 pound sugar 1 quart vodka

Mix together in a glass container and store for 6 to 8 weeks in a cool dark place. Shake every other day or so, so flavors meld.

GLOSSARY

Biscochito New Mexico’s traditional cookie.

Burrito A flour tortilla wrapped around a filling of beans, meat, or both with grated cheese and chile sauce on top.

Calabacitas Zucchini.

Chicos Cooked sweet-corn kernels that have been dried in the sun.

Empanadita A deep-fried mincemeat turnover.

Enchiladas A cornmeal tortilla, either blue or yellow corn, wrapped around or layered with meat, chicken, or cheese, and covered with red or green chile sauce.

Frijoles Beans (usually pinto beans).

Frijoles refritos Cooked pinto beans that have been refried.

Huevos Eggs.

Piñon nuts The nuts from the cones of the piñon tree.

Posole White corn kernels that have been treated with lime to soften the kernel’s tough outer skin to facilitate cooking; hominy.

Quelites Spinach, including wild spinach.

Sopaipillas A deep-fried bread that puffs up to resemble small pillows.

Taco A corn tortilla that has been deep fried, folded in half to hold meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Tamale Thick masa harina paste wrapped around a red chile sauce with pork meat filling enclosed in corn husks and steamed before eating.

Also published by New Mexico Magazine

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Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.