Wednesday, September 14, 2011

What's Cooking Wednesday - New Mexico Green Chili

What I'm reading: True Grit (book club)

Thanks to Cicily for yesterday's most informative post.

The other day, I wanted to make this recipe for New Mexico Green Chili. However, I didn't have all the ingredients, and I was only willing to go as far as the local grocery store in Divide. When I couldn't find poblano chiles, I used what they had: Anaheim. And, after a little time with Google and Facebook, I determined they'd be acceptable substitutes.


Here's the original recipe with my notations. I made it with the beans as a vegetarian dish, but the recipe also says you can used cooked chicken. Or, I would imagine, any other meat of choice.

4 poblano chiles (I used Anaheims)
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
2 jalapeƱo chiles, seeded & minced (Mine were huge, so I used one. Heat varies from one pepper to the next. You might want to sample a bit to decide how much you want to use)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
½ c packed fresh cilantro, chopped (Substituted a little chopped parsley; I don't like cilantro)
1 t cumin
¾ t salt
2 lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters or eighths if large (see note and pictures below)
1 can vegetable broth
2 cans (15-19 oz each) white kidney beans,(My store only had Great Northerns) rinsed & drained
(or 12 oz. cooked chicken)



Roast poblano peppers, peel and cut into 1 inch pieces. (I also discovered during my research that poblanos and Anaheims are the chiles used for those cans of green chiles, so feel free to avoid all this work and use those. I probably will next time!)




To roast the peppers, put them in a hot (425) oven for about 30-45 minutes, until the skins are blistered. Then put them in either a paper bag or a bowl with a cover so the steam helps separate the peppers from the skin. Or, you can grill them or just stick them right on the burner if you have a gas stove. Or open a can!

Tomatillos aren't tomatoes at all. Like tomatoes, they're in the nightshade family, but they're more closely related to cape gooseberries



You have to peel the husk off and then wash them until they're not so sticky. There's kind of a foamy residue, so when the water is just about clear, I figure that's enough.

In 6 quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion, jalapeƱos, garlic, cilantro, cumin and salt. Cook 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatillos, broth and roasted peppers; heat to boiling over high heat.

Reduce heat to low; comer and simmer 20 minutes or until tomatillos are tender. Stir in beans and cook 5 minutes longer until heated through.

Followup - since this recipe is designed to serve 8, and there are only the two of us, I figured we'd have enough for at least two meals.  But I decided that for the next go-round, I'd change it up a bit. So, I made some pasta (little tube thingies) and then combined that with the leftover chili and some cheese and baked it in the oven until everything was hot and the cheese was melted. A great casserole.


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9 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

This looks so good! I'm getting hungry for lunch and it's only 8:15 a.m. here... :)

Unknown said...

Hm. Looks yummy. A bit different that what I expected, but then I am not very picky. Can it revisit the menu in November? ;)

Terry Odell said...

Elizabeth - we certainly enjoyed it, and the casserole we made from the leftovers as well.

Jess - assuming we can find the tomatillos, sure. (I bought a bunch of cans of green chilis at Costco, too)

Carol Kilgore said...

I love the idea of turning it into a casserole for Round 2. Looks yummy :)

Kay said...

Mmmm, Terry, that picture makes me hungry! I'm for sure saving your recipe to try out. We love green chilis at our house and I cook with them a lot. I've found the cans of Shurfine (we buy them at Lowe's grocery here) whole green chilis are wonderful and not overly spicey.

I tried several brands so that we'd have a back-up in cans when not in the mood to roast them. I usually roast chilis on my cast iron griddle that I no longer use for tortillas. It's just a lot of work & stinks up the apartment. LOL

We heat flour tortillas, put grated cheddar inside & when melted add a green chili. Easy quesadillas & so yummy!

Terry Odell said...

Carol - love leftovers, and by making the casserole, we probably got at least 2 more "above and beyond the original recipe" nights of eating.

Kay - I agree that roasting them can be a major undertaking.

Karen C said...

I know my husband will enjoy this dish - thank you; love the extra tip about the casserole, too.

DH makes a wonderful green salsa with tomatillos. He's one of those that just throws stuff in to make it -I have to have a recipe!

Terry Odell said...

Karen - I cook the way I write (except for baking, which is chemistry). I follow very loose guidelines!

Good for you, having a husband who can cook.

Becky McNeer said...

yum! i came across your blog while looking for something completely different. nice surprise! please link this to sunday supper stumble!
http://notyourordinaryrecipes.blogspot.com