Denver/Boulder Green Chile Sauce Recipe

[sparkyr]

There has been NUMEROUS posts relating to this topic but have yet to find any recipes that do this topic justice. I grew up in the Boulder area but do not live there anymore so I need to learn how to learn to make my own Colorado-style (Boulder/Denver/Longmont) Pork Green Chile. It is a very specific type of Green Chile and is not the same as New Mexican style Green Chile. The green chile i'm looking for does not have tomatillos, potatoes, etc. so PLEASE PLEASE no posts about how green chile recipes from NM or SW Colorado will add this or that or how "I think green chile is better with blah, blah". I am just looking for a simple, basic recipe for the type of pork green chile I am talking about. Again, if you don't know EXACTLY what I'm talking about then please don't clutter up this post to discuss it.

Literally, every Mexican restaurant in this area has a similar type of green chile. Yes, they are all a bit different and everybody has their favorite but they are all very similar.
My Favorites are:
Deli Cioso (Longmont/Estes Park) BEST
Tia Marias (Westminster Area)
3 Margaritas (Chain)
Efrain's (Boulder)
Blue Bonnet (Denver)
Santiagos (Can buy their chile in grocery stores)

The best is if there are any employees or former employees of any of these restaurants that have a basic recipe. Otherwise, almost everyone in this area knows someone that has their "Secret" Recipe. I have tried to make a couple recipes i have found in various posts like petradish recipe in http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/281363#1496744 but the pork had the wrong texture/taste and it tasted way too chicken soupy.

And, yes, I did see Megan's post in http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/498371. She is looking for the same type of recipe but people digressed with discussions about different types of green chile sauces. Beyond just an ingredient list i want an actual recipe because I think the cooking times, etc. are critical with this. Thank you!

Please Help!

[valjayne]

THANK YOU ALL!! 3 yrs ago I moved to Utah and there is NO green chili at all !! I asked I got verde which is ok but... I lived in Johnstown and miss Deli Cioso and Santiago's so much!!
I'm starting the chili NOW!!!

[topazjai10]

Hi Sparkyr, here is a website. I don't know if you've tried this version. I've only had green chili sauce one time and this was pretty good dumped on top of Chimichangas. I know it's not a recipe but its available online. I hope it's close to what your looking for. http://www.stokeschile.com/

[kfdaal]

Hello, this is the recipe I know you want. My Father inlaw made it then my wife now ex wife, then my daughter, and like you I really missed it. I finally got my daughter Who now lives in Longmont colo to send it to me.
Hi Dad!
I finally had a chance to sit down and go thru the discussions in the link you sent me... some of those people are so far off it isn't even funny!!! hahahaha!! Sorry it took me so long to sit down and get this sent.
So I don't have a recipe, I was just shown how to make it... Goes like this:
Ingredients are basic:
Pork
Roasted green chili's
water
Jalepenos
salt
pepper
garlic
oregano
cornstarch
tomatoes (optional)
It is easiest to start off with a pork roast... I don't know...5 pounds or so..... Get one as lean as possible. Put the pork roast in a big ol' pot of water and boil it until the meat just falls off the bone. Take the meat out DON'T DUMP THE WATER!!! Let the water cool, I stick mine in the fridge so you can take the fat off the top. strain all the junk out of the water and that water/pork stock is the base of your chili. You will be putting the meat back in later on, for now... stick it in the fridge too so you don't burn your hands tearing it up when putting it in the chili.
Next you need chili's - your best bet is frozen roasted green chili's. They are every where here... not sure if you guys will have them in your freezer department or not. - HOPEFULLY. ROASTED is the key word, adds flavor. You can buy roasted green chili's in the can too... you want a good amount... a couple 18oz cans or larger or if buying them frozen you want a couple pounds. If they aren't already chopped up, chop them up before adding them to the pork stock.
Let your pork stock and green chili's mixture boil... for a long time... couple hours if you have it. Season it to taste..salt, pepper, garlic, little oregano, basically season, taste, season taste.. until you think it tastes good. You can also add your jalepenos at this time... chopped fine... fresh, roasted, or canned roasted will work. I usually use roasted canned. Add a little at a time.... until it is to "your hotness" preference
After it has boiled for a while AT LEAST an hour.. 2 or 3 if you have the time.... add your pork back in ... just break it up with your fingers and toss it in. season to taste. let boil for another hour or so. Some people add tomatoes to it.... half a 14 oz can or so.. I don't mom doens't and niether does grandpa... his sister did... it is just whatever you prefer.
shortly before eating you want to thicken with a cornstarch and water mixture. use 4 tablespoons of cornstarch to 2 or 3 tablespoons of water... add until it is as thick as you want it. check your seasonings... you might need to add more.
So that is pretty much it.. I think......

[pilotmiketx]

I didn't wade through all the responses, but I think the secret ingredient that you are missing is "masa harina" or "harina de maiz". It's Mexican corn flour that is used to make tamales and corn tortillas. Do not use bleached flour or any other kind of wheat flour. Wheat flour, like beans, has no business near chili. Also do not try to substitute "corn starch" or cornmeal. Totally different. It thickens, but it also adds a delicious earthy flavor that brings out the chile flavor.

I let mine cook in a crockpot for around 8 hours. I don't add the masa until about 6.5 or 7 hours into it. Make a slurry by whisking a few tablespoons into some cold water or stock, then whisk into the chili. Wait a while for it to thicken (30 minutes or so) and then add more if it's not too your liking. It'll take a lot more than you think, so make the first application a good one and as long as you don't like it thick like gravy you should be alright.

Also try not to use canned chiles. I've seen frozen Hatch peppers in the freezer section of the gourmet grocery store, so I know at least one company is roasting and then freezing their peppers. I also have several red and green chile powders that I get in Santa Fe, but they can be mail ordered. A mild or medium Hatch green chile powder will add a concentrated bit of chile flavor without the heat.

[paulj]

What style of green chile are you talking about? New Mexico? Colorado? Other?

[wildwildwest]

First of all, green chile recipes are NOT Mexican. Mexican food is far more complex... When you think/taste/feel green chile recipes,like it or not, they are originally from New Mexico. The recipes that you think/taste/feel in Colorado are from New Mexico. And, like gumbos in Louisiana (where I'm from) green chile recipes (from stews and enchiladas to sauces) are vast in nature. Depends on the family. Some use ground beef, some use pork, I like chicken. What's not to like?

There is a "cajun" restaurant here in Albuquerque that uses so many tomatoes in their shrimp etouffee, I couldn't eat it. I thought "if you grew up eatin' that, I feel sorry for ya." But there are many types of South Louisiana dishes too. Again, depends on the family. Dark gumbos, light gumbos, thick gumbos, thin gumbos... seafood, chicken, sausage... you get the picture. Depends on how you was raised!

[Ravinzo]

Sparky, I too am a huge fan of Deli Cioso Green Chili in Longmont....particularly on a burrito, double or tripled smothered hot with extra cheese and ground beef. In the absence of a recipe to approximate this kind of green chile sauce, the closest commercially available concoction I've found is 505 Southwestern Green Chile Sauce, which I believe was mentioned in a previous post. I understand that you would much prefer a recipe, but please give it a try...it really does come close to the Denver/Boulder/Longmont style of Green Chile of which you speak. Lately I've been using it in a slow cooker over chicken breasts served on rice. Ravinzo

[chizad26]

My secret Recipe:
I have studied hard how to make green chilie, this is my own recipe and it tastes great, it has a very similar texture and flavor to places like Cubby's, Santiagos, and Tamale Kitchen. This has been my secret recipe and i can't believe i'm giving it away, but it's not like i'm ever going to open my own mexican restraunt, so i'm not too worried about it.

the key with making green chilie like these companies is your making a sauce, not a stew or soup like most green chilie recipes.. my recipe i made was in attempt to copy tamale kitchen. it's not exact but tastes very good and has the exact same texture!

when i make green chilie, i don't measure so i'm just guessing here! best to use ground pork because i blend the ground pork for flavoring. you suprisingly use very very little bit of ground pork, it's just for flavoring (almost like a boluion flavor). your main flavor should be the green chile!

Here is my recipe!

4-5 (or as many you prefer) roasted green chlie) finely chopped
3/4 of large onion chopped (you can adjust to flavor)
1 can of whole tomatoes
1 1/2 to 2 minced garlic cloves (depending on their size)
about 1/16 of pound of ground pork (this is just for flavoring!)
about 3 tablespoons of flour
salt, pepper, garlic salt (to flavoring)
around 2-3 tablespoons of vegitable oil
about 1 tablesppon of ground red chilie (pure red chilie, nothing else added)
1 cup water (adjusted to desired thickness)
1st step:
cook pork with a splash of oil for about 3-4 four minutes
add a little more oil fry the onion and garlic
after everything is brown, add about a tablespoon of oil and flour, brown flour into the meat and veggies (looks so yummy!).
add in the whole tomatoes (without the juice, but save it for latter) and brown with everything.
add all ingredients into blender and add the juice from the tomatoes, plus some extra water and blend on max speed until everything is liquefied). this makes your sauce! place this sauce back onto the stove and bring to a boil. add the rest of the 1 cup of water.
while the sauce is heating up, take your finely chopped green chilie and add to your pan.
bring to a simmer and let it bowl for at least an hour. add salt, garlic salt, and pepper to flavor. add water if it becomes too thick.

Like i said this recipe isn't exact but play with it and i promise you will love it! place it on burritos or anything else you like :)

[Mmonster]

Don't know if you've found this already, but here's a link to the Santiago's site. They have images of their chile labels and you can read the ingredient list.

http://eatatsantiagos.com/chile.htm

Looks like tomato is included...

[mvkirby]

Denver Boulder area and traveling south from there I've see 4 kinds of green chili - those with tomatoes, those more recently with tomatillos, and variations using chicken/turkey. The green chili I consider to be the most authentic is a chili made our of green chiles based on pork without a lot of junk like tomatoes and tomatillos...where did they come from? I never heard of them before about '97 when they started popping up all over the place.

Sauce/soup...Almost all the older restaurants in the area have an ala carte section on the menu, and usually in those sections you order a bowl of green or a bowl of red, generally served in a shallow bowl with refrieds and tortillas. The old timers would fold and dip the tortillas into the beans and then scoop the chili to their mouths. I don't think the newer more tex mex style restaurants have that option. Regardless, it's the same thing as the sauce, and IS sometimes called stew, sometimes called pork green chile, and sometimes called green chili or chili verde. Regardless, it's a very thin green sauce with shreds (or sometimes squares) of pork floating around, and as mentioned before, sometimes tomatoes or tomatillas. Generally, the "green" flavored with tomatoes and their juice use cornstarch as a thickener, and have a shine to them that you don't see in other green chilis. Part of the reason I know all this is that I love green chili so much I don't ever order anything else except for maybe an occasional rellano. Even restaurants that don't serve a bowl of green will sometimes make one up for you if you ask.

Ok here's my recipe that I put together from eating local green chili in different places around Denver, inclulding the homes of some very good Mexican cooks. I don't live there anymore and have to buy all my chilis in little cans except the one time a friend came out in August and brought pounds and pounds of roasted green chiles for me off a steet vendor in Denver...anyway, here it is: Vary it depending how stewlike or how souplike you want it.

Chili Verde - Mom's Green

2 lbs of pork roast and up to 4 pounds, preferably bone in
water to cover roast
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 t pepper
1 T chili pequin (you can decrease this or increase to desired heat level)
4 T bacon grease (you would traditionallly use lard, but most the lards available don't have flavor like they used to in the old days.
3/4 c flour
12 cans of 7 ounce green chile
1 large onion chopped
1 t garlic powder
4 cups of chicken broth
4 cups of beef broth - I think the chicken broth is a little week by itself but all beef broth would really give it a beefy flavor.
1/2 t chili rojo
3/4 t pepper
1 12 t salt

Place roast in a large stockpot with water to cover, garlic, two teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon peper and chili pequin. Simmer gently till tender, 2 to 3 hours, depending on the meat, strain stock, remove meat and shred.

Heat bacon grease, saute onion, stir in flour, forming a thick paste, then slowly add broth, whisking constantly. Add rest of ingredients and simmer for at least two hours while flavors blend and green chili becomes soft.

Hope you like it.

[paulj]

So basically it is pork in a gravy that a good Thanksgiving cook would recognize, except that it is heavy in green chiles.

[mvkirby]

Exactly...you're making a roux, then adding the pork and liquid back in with the green chiles and reducing it down. Very heavy on the green chiles though, as they are a major component of the chili verde, not just a flavoring. A good Thanksgiving cook would recognize the process, although the sauce itself is thinner and has less body than gravy, and is chunky from the chile. Kind of like the same process you'd use in an etouffe if you've spent any time in New Orleans. (Not as thick, though)

I just searched all over the web for a photo that looked how I think green chili should look and found only one on Food Network's Diner's Drive In and Dives from a diner in Nevada of all places. But to me, this is what I think of when I think of Green Chili from Denver area. (It has tomatoes in it..mine doesn't) and I haven't tried the recipe, coz it looks like an abomination, but the photo shows the consistency of what I think a great green chili should have. There is a review from Timothy (Timetao) from 12/3/2008 that details out how his family makes their green chili, which is almost exactly how I make green chili when I do occasionally make it with tomatoes.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/di...

English, I"m assuming is his second language...don't let that scare you off.

"I don't understand how people come up with green chili w/pork, that have all kinds of thing in it that don't belong....Green Chili is pesant food. A real greed, (New Mexican) chili has no greed onoins, calantro, or greed peppers or black pepper for that matter. Any one that puts Greed Chili Enchilada sauce in there green chili knows nothing about good green chili. If You want a greed chili that is for real...Start with chicken stock, a little cumon, a pinch of oregano, and garilc to tast. bring to a boil and ad pork. The green chilis should be Hatch XXX or green Chilis tha are hotten then a jalapino. Jalapinos do not make good green chili. Add a can of tomatoes crushed let semmer for a least 2 hours. Thicken with corn starch. This recipe have been in my family for over 100 years...Remember pesent food is simple. Needless to say, the greed chili w/greed enchilada sauce is the worst recipe I have ever seen or tasted"

[bobjfs]

What I would like to know is the actual recipe used at Santiagos or, by my favorite, Tamale Kitchen. I don't mean to speak for sparkyr, but perhaps that's what was meant.

I'm on blood pressure meds, and in the last few years my favorite, Tamale Kitchen, kicked up the salt content quite a bit. I can't eat there anymore. So, it would be best to make the sauce myself so I can control the amount of salt that goes in.

I hope this makes sense. Anyway, if sparkyr needs someone to send you a batch of Santiago's Green Minnesota way from King Soopers, I'm happy to volunteer. 'o)

[MattinAurora]

Spark i am on the hunt for the same recipe you are... the orange-ish, thin-ish pork green chile that rules the scene in Denver. Not interested in prep tips, debate, any of that. People from the Front Range know exactly what we are talking about. I would prefer a chile similar to Santiago's or Alberto's in Greeley. C'mon, somebody step up.

[COporkguy]

I am glad to know that I am not the only one looking for this recipe! I would die to be able to make green chile sauce like Santiago's. It is a long drive to Denver from MN!

[snarvy]

I too am in search of a good green chili recipe. I'm from Denver and know exactly what type of green chili is being sought out based on the restaurants listed. Try this website...http://denvergreenchili.com/awards.aspx. As those from Denver know, there are always chili cook-offs and they've published the recipes of the winners on this site. Good luck!

[HomesickForColorado]

Hi! I created an account on Chow just to make this post. I lived in Colorado for 16-1/2 years and also fell in love with the green chile there. Since then, I moved to Kansas and now live in Kentucky and nobody in either place knows what green chile is. I’ve tried a couple of recipes but have not found one I like; so I’m searching too. But, I will offer this consolation prize … we buy “505 Southwestern™ All Natural Green Chile Sauce” in a jar at Sam’s Club in Denver when we visit. But, I noticed they have a website with mail order (see http://www.505chile.com/) . It may not compare to the many great restaurants in the Denver area, but we really like it! We add cooked pork to this green chile and mix it with hash browns and scrambled eggs to make some pretty tasty breakfast burritos (sorry no recipe … just experiment to get the ratio you like)! Keep looking for that recipe … so will I. Meanwhile, try 505’s green chile.

[janetms383]

I can clutter up a post if I want to

Do you want my recipe for Chili Verde?

[sparkyr]

Clutter away if it is a recipe that is similar to what I'm looking for!!

[Mtn.Bound]

I just had my parents bring me a 1/2 bushel of roasted hot and mild green chilis from Loveland CO and am looking for EXACTLY the same thing. the places you listed were/are my favorite places for Cheel-ay I lived in Longmont, Erie and Frederick/Firestone area (unincorporated Longmont) from 95-04.
Were you able to find what you are looking for? I even called Casa Alverez to see if they would share their recipe. They wouldn't but were more than willing to sell me a pint
I'm stuck in OH for now

[Chimayo Joe]

Here's a basic recipe if you're talking about the stew type green chile that's common in Denver. Some places also use corn starch as a thickener. You might play with that if flour isn't giving you the texture you want. Another thing that could be more relevent to you is that pork stock from stewed pork might be used instead of chicken stock at the places whose green chile you're trying to emulate.

http://denvergreenchili.com/coloradog...

[nateco]

That is a great starting point. Couple notes to supplement it though:

-The green chilies you choose really are key. Try to get hatch or pueblo. Otherwise, use a variety of chilies to try to get some complexity. A mix of poblano, pasilla, and jalapeno is a good starting point. Actually, a 100% jalapeno green chili is really tasty as well.

-Roast all of the green chilies until they are black, peel most of the skin, seed and de-vein unless you like it really hot. Also roast the other veggies (onions, tomatoes, garlic)

-A good flavorful lard, and lots of it I think that is the secret of Santiago's super tasty green chili.

-herbs and spices are optional, I can not taste any in most green chili. Options are Mexican oregano and cumin. But, keep it low.

In the end, it is a pretty simple recipe. Just start with the basics in Chimayo's link and these notes, and just play with it. Once you get your recipe down, make extra and freeze.

[Chimayo Joe]

Good call on the lard. The recipe I posted didn't say what to brown the pork in.

[gordeaux]

Hi sparkyr -

I'm a green chilephile. Lived in both ABQ, and Denver (a few years each.)

1. It simply sounds like you have some experimenting to do.

2. Pork shouldn't matter too much. You want a stewing/braising cut. I'd brown, then stew it. A different animal will yield different results in texture and taste EVERY time.

3. If the recipe you tried tasted "way too chicken soupy," you should realize this: A pepper grown in a different part of the country will taste WORLDS different. A big Jim, or an Anaheim grown in New Jersey will taste nothing like one grown in NM, or Az. Two peppers of the same exact species from the same field started at the same time, and harvested at the same time can taste worlds different. Also, the chicken stock you used might be completely diferent than the stock used by someone else

4. It seems like you know what you are looking for, just experiment a little bit.

You have a bunch of variables that are possibly working against you, but you sound like you know what you are looking for, do your own experimentation. You've tasted the ones you like, grab a recipe, and run with it. Way too chicken soupy? Add less stock, and a little more water. Pork was wrong texture/taste? What was the wrong texture/taste? Correct it. It's stew meat. You want a slow stew cut. Brown it, then stew it.

Again, once you tweak it to what YOU like, you'll be happy. Recipes are not written in stone unless you are baking. You can get the EXACT recipe from Deli Cioso, but when you make it, it might taste a LOT different unless you are getting the exact peppers, stock, that they are using. The methods of chile are all kinda similar, the products that go in are all very different. With the chile being the star of the sauce, then if you don't have the same chile, your sauce is not gonna be the same.

All that being said, when you can get some really decent chiles, here's a recipe that quenches my chile thirst BIG TIME.

Equal volume amounts of chopped white onion and roasted green chiles. Sounds like a lot of onion, but scale back to what YOU like. I have to use midwestern grown chiles (anaheims and big jims, mostly) which have a top end bite, and not too much of a body. The sweated onions kind of mellow out the top end bite of the chiles here. Like I said, I've been at this for a while, I'm stating here what nuances work for me to get a chile like those I recall from Denver, ABQ. YMMV - a LOT depends on where your chiles are from.

Let's assume that we are using 3 cups of chile/onion:

brown your pork cubes/chunks whatever YOU like, it might even be a large piece that is shredded at the end after being stewed. You've had the ones you liked, so YOU know what it was.Brown it, and set it aside.

Lower the heat and sweat those onions till they are limp (do not brown them)
Add in some olive oil - we're gonna make a nice little paste here to bring out the flavors of the spices. Add in:
two tbs of flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ancho
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp toasted onion powder

Once you start smelling the spices, then add in a chicken boullion cube, and mash it up into the oil and onions and spices and everything. This should be loose, add olive oil if needed. ok, so now you've got kind of a loose paste with onions in it. Add in as much fresh chopped/snmashed garlic as you'd like, I'd start with 4 cloves. Once your garlic has the kitchen smelling like a restaurant you want to eat at, then add in those chiles. Just warm the chiles up in the pan, and add in two cups of water. Once you are heated through to the point of a mild simmer, throw it all in the blender, and puree it. (I add cilantro to the blender, but that's me)

toss the blended liquid into a pot, add your meat, and let it stew stovetop, slow heat until your pork is your desired texture. This will depend in how big the pieces or piece of pork may be depending on what you chose from the places that you have liked chile from.
When it's done, salt it to where you need it to be, and add some lime juice to give it a slight tang.

You might think that recipe was very generic, but it gets me, and the peppers I can regularly get a very close rendition of the green chile I grew accustomed to in Denver & ABQ. No potatoes, no tomatillos. I think, even though it's probably not as EXACT as you'd like, we're somewhat talking about the same stuff. BUT, if you can't get SW peppers, everything gets thrown off, so you can have a place's EXACT recipe, but it really might not taste anywhere close to that same when you make it, so having the EXACT recipe would be just a guideline for you anyway - you prolly still have to tweak it out.

Reminds me, I have a 5 lb bag of roasted green chiles in my fridge from last season still.
It's HIGH time to make a batch. Been quite a while.

[paulj]

Is it possible that they don't brown the meat first in restaurants? Browning large quantities of meat without it stewing it is own juices requires care - either time consuming process of doing it in small batches, or using a large surface, or maybe in pans in the oven.

[gordeaux]

There's not a LOT of meat in these chile sauces at all. I'd assume a two lb shoulder would be sufficient for a 8qt pot. Green chile in NM / Denver is a sauce that goes on top of things, it's not like a bowl of Texas chili. It's a sauce that happens to have some meat in it, and not a bunch of meat in sauce.

[sparkyr]

gordeaux, thanks so much for your post. Part of my problem with the recipe i made was that it lacked flavor from the spices/green chiles and so the chicken stock i added just overpowered everything. I think your method of sweating the onions and adding spices to create a paste will go a long way in bringing out more flavor.

and yes, i need to track down some good roasted green chiles. the only other question i have is about adding tomato. A lot of recipes call for it, a lot don't. Since I'm not in CO now, it hard for me to remember if this is typical or not. i know it isn't a main component of the sauce. if so, would you throw some peeled canned tomatoes in the blender with the mixture?

[gordeaux]

I would not use tomato, but yes, I've had chile in the restaurants that had tomato in it. I don't prefer it that way, but if you do, then go for it, and scale back a little on your water. darn - this just reminded me i didn't pull that bag out of the freezer. I'm really jonesing now. I don't know what it is about green chile - many say it has some addicting component in it. You definitely get the cravings. I love the fact that it's almost "buttery" when you get it just right imo.

Good luck, hope it turns out a little better, but, you really gotta get some good chiles to get it close to what you are looking for, I think.

[Veggo]

A bowl of green at the Cricket has a lot of pork, and is not a sauce, it's a meal.

[gordeaux]

That's fine, and it sounds great, but I think it's not the sauce-y GC the op is seeking that is the typical "style" in them thar parts. The typical chile, is a sauce added to almost anything you order in any "SW Mexican" restaurant. You order eggs, they ask you "green or red"
You order a burger, they ask you "green or red"
You order enchiladas, they ask you "stacked or rolled" then they ask you "green or red"

It's not a "bowl of chili" chile, it's a topping / finishing sauce made out of roasted green chiles that the op is in search of

[Chimayo Joe]

I'd say the amount of meat(that and tomatoes) is the main difference between Denver and Albuquerque green chile. Albuquerque green chile that goes on chile rellenos, enchiladas, etc. has no meat at all(and no tomatoes). Denver green chile has quite a bit of meat and commonly tomatoes, too.

[gordeaux]

I would not generalize it that much, each joint has it's own ways within each town. I had plenty of green with pork in it in Abq, and plenty in Den that did not have a lot of meat in it, and no tomatoes.

[MazDee]

The first thing I noticed in the OP was browning the meat. Maybe it is done, but I never brown pork when doing a stew like this. I think it absorbs more of the flavors of the sauce without. On the other hand, I haven't had New Mexican stew and shouldn't even be posting here! Breaking all your rules, sorry!

[Veggo]

I bowed out of this one a while ago because pork green chili is not a suace, but a meal in itself, or a smother for mashed, and I was condescendingly castrated for being so stupid as to not understand the "sauce" part. What the OP is asking for does not exist. I stepped back in today to help another poster with chili peppers, with which I am comfortable. The flow of this thread has not been good from the start, MazDee. Don't take it personally.

[paulj]

Is this the only way Cricket serves it:
"Green chili cup with 1 tortilla / bowl with 2 tortillas"?

[gordeaux]

The op is not searching for pork green chili.
It's green chile that is the quest.
CHEE-lay. Pork is never mentioned in the name. In the cultures that serve this specific sauce, it's simply called green chile (CHEE-lay.) It's not something you go and order a bowl of in the areas that serve what the op is looking for, it's a sauce that goes on top of food. The op (and others that have spent time in these areas know exactly what this sauce is) which is why the op asked for people who are unfamiliar to kinda leave the postings about things that are not green chile out. I'd say that outside of these SW areas, if you say green chile, 99% of Americans will think you are referring to a pot of spicy stew with a bunch of meat, kind of like American red chili (note the I at the end.)

In parts of the SW red chile and green chile refers to a finishing sauce. Red is usually meatless and very earthy, and green is usually flavored with pork.

I'm not sure if veggo will consider this "castrating," it's certainly not meant to be. Nor have been any other of my posts in this thread. And I certainly did not say you were stupid, or imply that you were. I'd assume whoever posted that had the post removed.

[Chimayo Joe]

You can order a bowl of it with tortillas in most(possibly all) of the restaurants Sparkyr referenced in the original post.

[gordeaux]

If this is the case, and is the norm, then I'm way off. My Denver / Albuquerque living experiences were different, OR, the Denver GC I was accustomed to was more prevalent in Denver than in Boulder. The red/green stuff I was accustomed to was a sauce, and normally went on top of foods, and was not usually served by itself.

[sparkyr]

Gordeaux, you definitely know exactly what I am talking about. It is definitely a sauce. While you can get a bowl of it and dip tortillas in it at many of the restaurants I mentioned, people in this area generally know it as simply a green chile sauce that is used to smother almost all mexican food.

[Chimayo Joe]

It's substantial enough that some of those restaurants serve it as an entree. You can get it on a plate along with beans, rice, and tortillas. I don't recall ever seeing that with the green chile on the Albuquerque restaurants menus and wouldn't expect to.

[RondoChar]

I am trying to replicate a sauce for smothered burritos Tortilla Flats in Littleton, Co. served some 40 years ago and I would like some advice.
I sorta followed gordeauxs outline. I roasted 8 Poblano and 8 Anaheim which gave me about 1 1/2 cups. I also had 1 1/2 cups of white onions, identified as Mexican white onions, used Mexican lard instead of olive oil and pork stock for the liquid. The result was a good taste and minor heat, but unexpectedly there was a sweetness that I did not expect or care for. Do roasted peppers have a sweet taste or might that be the white onions. I have used the pork stock before and never noticed that characteristic.

[Veggo]

The only ingredient you mentioned that can have a "kick" is the poblanos, and they vary a lot. I do a cream of poblano with sweet corn and sweet shrimp soup. Sometimes it is very smooth, other times you might drop your spoon. Roasted anaheims are sweet, likewise the onion. I would recommend having a dish of minced, lightly sauteed jalapenos to fold in to attenuate the sweet and dial up the flavor you seek, as you cook and taste. It takes a while for their flavor to meld in. You are 5 months away from Hatches, (and only half of them have heat) but there is usually a way to get there from here with year-around jalapenos which are very versatile. I find habaneros to be too difficult for cooking, likewise serranos. If you have access to cubanelles, I think they have more flavor than anaheims. You may want to consider anchos or other dried peppers or pastes, or chipotle in adobado.

[mschow]

Veggo:
That recipe for the cream of poblano soup sounds excellent. Would you be so kind as to post it?
Thanks

[Veggo]

Sure, thanks for asking. It's my own concoction, so beware

4-6 poblanos, blistered and roasted enough to be easily sweated, peeled, cleaned, and pureed
1 lb large Florida pink shrimp, shell on, boiled 1 minute
4-6 ears sweet corn (Colorado Olathe corn is wonderful) cut from the cob and sauteed in grapeseed or vegetable oil until it begins to carmelize.
16 oz chicken stock
16 oz half and half
when shrimp cool, peel and cut in half lengthwise. Save shells and boil them in the chicken stock 3 minutes. Strain out shells and return shrimp-fortified chicken stock to pan. Fold in corn, sliced shrimp, half and half, and 2/3 of the pureed poblano, on low heat. Taste for heat; poblanos vary a lot (and so do people). Use remaining poblano puree, to taste. Garnish soup with cilantro leaves.

[srar75]

I'm trying to find the green chili gravy from the old Delta Inn on Denver/Arvada line that was used to smother their beef burritos. There was no pork evident, just a thickened gravy with green chilis in it. Sounds easy, but I am not experienced with mexican cooking. Been craving this on my burritos for 30 yrs here on the east coast!
This gravy can be used as a sauce on anything. MMM!

[gordeaux]

Ha - thread's been bumped. Made my batch. My favorite use is saucing a plate of tortillas, hash browns and eggs:

[paulj]

If this sauce is basically cubed pork, such as country style ribs, cooked in a gravy (with a roux base) with lots of green chiles, I don't think cooking times are critical. I don't know what texture the meat has, but I suspect cooking is long enough to make it pretty tender. And with sufficient cooking, the pork should be contributing enough of its own flavor, even if it starts with a chicken broth base. Consistency can be adjusted with more roux, or more broth, or by letting the sauce cook down.

If it is served through out the day as a sauce on various dishes, the restaurant probably keeps each batch warm for sometime. I wouldn't be surprised if they made one batch each day, but I don't have restaurant experience to say for sure. That kind of use, argues against critical timing.

The choice of meat, and how it is cut (chunks, cubes, dice) will have a lot to do with texture.

[sparkyr]

good point about the cooking time. it is definitely sauce like and just kept warm throughout the day. i guess the only reason why i said that is when i tried to make a batch i added cumin at the beginning of simmering and by the end it seemed to give it an almost "burnt" taste. not sure that it can be attributed to when i added the cumin though.

as far as the pork goes, i tried browning cubed pork butt in bacon grease but it just didn't seem right. i'm not sure if i should flour the cubes first before browning or choose a different grease or what. the pork just seemed to taste too "porky" and didn't absorb the flavors of the sauce. i simmered the sauce for several hours which i thought would fix that. As far as the consistency, in a good colorado green chile sauce the pork will have firm chunks that are extremely tender. when i did it, however, it became very tender but just kinda fell apart.

additionally, i didn't like the recipe i used because it didn't have enough flavor so that is why i'm looking for a real recipe instead of just one i made up. thanks for the imput!

[Stef1964]

I grew up in CO Springs, CO. Lived next door to a wonderful lady, she was Spanish and Italian, she grew up in Trinidad CO. She made the best Pork Green Chile recipe I've ever had! I literally did work in her home or in her yard and she would pay me with a pack of Green Chile to pour over my breakfast eggs and potatoes,eaten also with some home made tortillas. For many years she would not share the recipe. Unfortunately she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died but, before she died I was invited to her home to learn how to make the World's best Pork Green Chili!! Here it is:
5 TBS. beef granuels
aprox. 3 TBS vegetable oil
3 or 4 lbs. of pork/cubed in bite size
1 large onion-chopped
aprox. 2 Cups Flour
1 Cups Cold water
3 Cups warm water
3 garlic cloves-minced or crushed
2 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS pepper
1TSP Salt
1-Large can Hatch Green Chile
2or 3 cans of roasted hot green Chile( depending on your taste)
This recipe does not call for any canned or fresh tomatoes as it is suppose to "be GREEN Chile."

add ,oil, pork, onions, minced garlic ,dry garlic to large pot, Heat on medium heat for about 45 to an hour stirring occasionally until pork is tender, Pour flour into pot with pork, simmer,constantly for about 10 minutes to brown the flour. Next, you pour in the bouillon stir and wait another 5 minuted. Now you can pour in your flour, cold water mixture.Stir for 5 minutes then add the 3 cups of warm water and continue stirring so the Chile does not become scorched, it will ruin the whole batch! This is where we add the mild and hot Chile's What ever is to your liking ,I like mine with a little kick, as someone else said when you have a slight runny nose it's got the right amount of kick I taste and add constantly! I can make a pretty good batch but it will never be as good as my next door neighbor ;> The end result is pretty good tho. Hope you all enjoy if you try my recipe.

[paulj]

Your use of flour looks suspicious. There is 1cup in the ingredients, but the instructions add flour twice. A quarter cup of flour is more typical for a roux to thicken 4 cups of liquid.

[Veggo]

Hit the Cherry Cricket in N. Cherry Creek, have a bowl of green, and see if it's not the best. If it is, grovel for the recipe. It is now owned by John Hickenlooper, Denver's visionary mayor, and it would be politically correct to fully disclose its secrets. The recipe and the restaurant go back to the 70's.

[sparkyr]

Yes, I'm sure it is great! However, I would like to keep this topic focused on recipes and not about listing or debating the restaurants the have the best green chile sauce. As I am not located in CO anymore, I can't go to restaurants and grovel for recipes. I will be sure to try it next time I am there though!

[Veggo]

Gotcha. I'll ask John if I can share the recipe.

[pbrmhl]

I know it's been over three years since you posted this, but I'm a 56 year-old Seattleite raised in Boulder (worked at Tico's!), and I'd love to have the Cricket's recipe! PM me if you can get it--I'll buy you a beer...

[bobjfs]

I wish I had that one. Here's the one I have:

SERVES 15
• 2-3 lbs pork roast (pre-diced pork works well for a faster preparation. Just brown with onions)
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil or lard or bacon grease
• 1 large chopped onion (not traditional) (optional)
• 1 head minced garlic (taste great, but also helps prevent heart burn)
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes, drained
• 2 cups diced green chilies (I use Big Jims, roasted, peeled and frozen by the bushel every fall)
• 3 large tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon jalapenos (optional)
• 5 cups water or chicken broth (broth is not traditional, but I like the flavor better)
• 1 tablespoons ground cumin (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons ground chili powder (or to taste) (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
1. Simmer roast in a large pan until meat is tender and removes from the bone easily. (You can also use diced pork, or pork cube steaks (cut to bite size pieces), browned in the pot with the onion and garlic before adding the rest of the ingredients).
2. Cool meat enough to handle.
3. Cube cooked pork into bite size pieces.
4. Process 1/2 of the green chilies until smooth.
5. In the same large pan, melt the lard or bacon grease (or heat oil).
6. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender but not brown.
7. Stir flour into the onion, garlic and fat until flour absorbs the oil or fat.
8. Add broth or water.
9. Cook and stir until mixture comes to boil and is slightly thickened.
10. Add cubed meat, drained tomatoes, chopped tomatillos, all of the green chilies and jalapeños if desired (taste first).
11. Add the spices a little at a time until you get the taste you like, bringing to a simmer before each addition.
12. Simmer for at least 1 hour (longer if you can afford the time), stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
13. If you want more of a stew type chili, add cubed potatoes 20 minutes before serving; serve with warm tortillas.
14. Serve over burritos and garnish with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.
15. Leave pork out for a vegetarian green chili sauce.