October 2, 2011: Green Chile Sauce Recipe

If you’re a green chile fan like I am, you know that these hot peppers reach their peak right around Labor Day. In fact, the famous Green Chile Festival in Hatch, NM – the self-proclaimed Green Chile Capital of the World – always occurs on Labor Day weekend. For those of us who didn’t make the festival, grocery stores and certain civic groups are always roasting green chiles around this time. The smell of roasting chiles is better than the finest perfume, to my nose!

So if you stocked up on fresh or roasted green chile when it was available, chances are you’ve got quite a bit of it on hand. If so, this recipe for green chile sauce is perfect. Make a huge batch and then can your leftovers so you can enjoy homemade green enchiladas any time of the year!

A meal worthy of any Mexican restaurant - beef burrito smothered in green chile sauce with a side of Spanish rice.

Green Chile Sauce

2 T. vegetable oil or bacon grease (the bacon grease really adds to the flavor)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ cup finely chopped yellow or white onion

2 T. flour

1 cup coarsely chopped green chiles (about 4 – 5)

½ cup peeled and seeded tomato, chopped

2 ½ cups chicken broth

1 t. dried cilantro (or 1 T. fresh, minced cilantro)

1 t. cumin powder

1 t. garlic salt

½ t. black pepper

Heat the oil or grease to medium in a saucepan. Add the garlic and onions and cook for a couple minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute longer. Add the chiles and tomatoes. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and add the spices. Stir frequently until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute to thicken sauce, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 10-15 minutes, to heighten flavor.

Tip: Green chile sauce is quite versatile – you can use it to smother a burrito, make enchiladas, heat with Velveeta for a quick chile con queso, or make huevos rancheros for breakfast.