Make New Mexican Red Chile

This post is specifically for my little cousin Sarah.

Hopefully, the chile you got is good and tasty.  So let's start!

1) clean your chile.  Take off the tops and empty the seeds.  Also, keep an eye out for any areas of mold.  If it's just a spot, take it off and keep the rest of the chile.  If it's too much, throw the pod away.

2) do a couple of water washes.  Fill your pan with clean water and move the pods around to clean off any dirt.  Do this a few times.  Warning: this is when you will start to choke and cough!!  LOL!

3) boil

4) once your chile is soft and has changed color, it's time to blend.

5) using tongs, put some pods in blender and a good amount of clean water.  (you can click on any image to make larger)  Take note of how much I put - do NOT try to rush by putting in too many chiles.  Trust me on this one!  Add garlic and salt.  Blend....blend....blend....blend.  Take your time here.  Allow it to FULLY blend.  This is also a good way to get rid of any extra little seeds so they don't get caught in your teeth.

6) repeat step 5 using up the rest of the pods.

STOP HERE FOR CHILE ONLY, OR CONTINUE TO MAKE WITH PORK

So put your blended chile aside.  Yes, this is the nice, bright color you are going for.  The darker red chile you see in some restaurants are usually made of powdered chile.  Not my favorite.

 1) Get a pork loin - trust me, this will save you time from cutting all the fat off.  BUT, you don't get chicharones from the loin.  So it's all up to you.  Cut into small squares.  Add some oil since it's lean and you don't want it to burn or dry out.  Cook it FAST.

2)  Once the meat is cooked and a little browned, add some flour.  Mix to make sure the flour covers the meat properly and it also soaks up the oil.

 3) Your meat should be nice and coated and a pretty color (I'm all about pretty colors!).

4) Add your chile to the pot and stir.  This is the messy part when the chile will pop all over the stove - but it's worth it!!  Bring to a boil until the little bubbles gather in the center.  NOTE: with the flour on the meat, the chile will thicken, so don't be afraid to add a little fresh water to thin it out a bit - which makes dipping the corn tortillas easier when making enchiladas.  You will want it thicker for posole and just eating.

I hope this helps!!  We miss you and look forward to seeing you next month!!!!