New Mexican food is very unique to the Land of Enchantment.
Eating around New Mexico can be a joyous experience. Tacos, Burritos, Sopapillas, Carnitas, Chicharrons, all available in almost every New Mexican restaurant. While many of our dishes share names with foods from other cultures, the way that we prepare them can be drastically different. Before diving into what makes an enchilada or sopapilla New Mexican, first you have to know about the base for most dishes: New Mexican Chile. There are two different types of New Mexican Chile, both of which come from the same pepper. The state even has an official question that gives you your options. Red or Green? Even though both types of chile come from the same plant, the differences between the two are stark and most people have a preference for one over the other. The chile starts as a long, green pepper, vibrant in both color and smell. While it’s called Green Chile, the actual colors may range from light green to orange to red, the important characteristic being that the pepper is still plump and hydrated. The flavor profile of Green Chile is acidic and fresh, qualities that make it a personal favorite of mine. It pairs especially well with more mild proteins such as pork, chicken, eggs, or fresh vegetables. Generally people may use Green Chile in a chicken enchilada, as a sauce to be poured over a burrito, or chopped up with garlic and salt to just be enjoyed over a plain, homemade tortilla.
Red Chile, on the other hand, has an entirely different flavor profile that is much deeper and richer. It has an earthy, bitter quality that people with a more developed palate may enjoy, and is generally paired with more hearty proteins such as beef, beans, or elk. Red Chile has been aged and dried until it’s just a dark red husk, filled with chile seeds. These peppers are usually dried on ristras, as pictured above, which is a good way to preserve the chile to be used throughout the winter. Because of the increased shelf life, many dishes that use Red Chile are seen as winter dishes, such as Posole, Tamales, or Menudo. However, since many people now have access to freezers within their homes, Red and Green Chile are no longer seasonal foods with many people enjoying both year-round by freezing the fresh Chile and grinding the dried chile into powder so both can be used whenever you want.
Interestingly enough, the spice level can vary between a mild, almost sweet, spice flavor all the way to a heat that is so intense and immediate that your tongue will be numb before you even get the chance to start chewing. While that may sound unpleasant, it’s actually the spice that makes the chile so addicting to New Mexicans, many of whom proclaim their preferred spice level like a badge of honor. Many of us started eating chile at a very young age, even if we didn’t particularly like it at the time, and I think that’s why so many people relish the burn with a kind of thoughtful reverence.
Now that I've laid the groundwork of New Mexican cuisine, I can explore it further in the future and share more of the dishes that remind me of who I really am. I hope you have the opportunity to explore it further with me and possibly try it for yourself one day.
Comments