A recent trip to New Mexico taking me through Hatch, the “Chile Capital of the World” was inspiration enough to bring home the flavors of green chile sauce. The current and abundant harvests of fresh tomatillos, and a variety of green chiles provide the perfect opportunity to capture these flavors at the height of ripeness.
Bay Area farmers’ markets offer all the ingredients needed to prepare this Green Chile Sauce. In addition to tomatillos, my sauce includes Anaheim (aka New Mexico chile), poblano and jalapeno peppers for a fuller range of chile flavor.
I grilled pork tenderloin, seasoned with a New Mexico green chile dry rub; and served the sauce liberally with it to achieve the classic taste combination in the midst of summer.
This sauce goes with everything! I’ve made it three times in as many weeks, serving it with chicken, over eggs, and my new favorite – on a grass-fed burger. My friend, Ginger, and I took it upon ourselves to taste “famous” New Mexico Green Chile Burgers several times during our trip to Las Cruces, NM. Our favorite was found in Hatch. (Natch!) It was a very simply prepared burger with a thick, charbroiled patty, melted cheddar cheese, generous green chile sauce and a bit of yellow mustard served on a soft, toasted bun. Oh. My. Word. Please try this sauce on a burger. Your taste buds will do a happy dance.
Tomatillos are a fruit, related to the gooseberry. They have a natural tartness and cooking brings out their sweetness. I was after a fresher version of chiles verdes to make on a warm day. This sauce is barely cooked, which results in the best of both along with fresh chile taste.
An advance tip:
Wear rubber gloves when handling hot chiles to avoid the discomfort of getting any juice on your face or in your eyes.
Chiles Verdes with Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Adapted from Diana Kennedy, The Essential Cuisines of Mexico
6 – 8 medium tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed to remove any stickiness
4 medium Anaheim chiles
3 medium poblano chiles
1 – 2 jalapeno chiles, to taste
1/ 2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 tablespoons water or chicken broth if needed
Char the chiles in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until skin blisters on all sides, being careful not to burn through to the flesh. Work in batches as needed; do not crowd the chiles in the pan. Place the charred chiles into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for at 10 minutes. Meanwhile, char the tomatillos, rolling them around in the pan until they are evenly browned and they begin to soften. Transfer the tomatillos to a blender or food processor and puree. This should yield about 1 cup. Set aside.
Remove the charred skins from the chiles. The skin should peel off easily after steaming them under the plastic wrap. Slice the chiles lengthwise, spread them open and remove the seeds and veins. Dice into about 1/ 4-inch pieces. This should yield about 2 cups.
Heat oil in a sauce pan and add onions and garlic. Cook until transparent, stirring occasionally. Add the pureed tomatillos and bring to a boil. Add the chopped chiles and bring to a bare simmer. Add the chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Adjust consistency by either cooking further to thicken; or adding liquid to thin as desired. Refrigerate any leftovers. The flavor will improve overnight!
Dry Rub Seasoning for Pork: 1 teaspoon each of New Mexico green chile powder and cumin; 1/ 2 teaspoon each of garlic powder and salt; 1/ 4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Combine all in a small bowl; sprinkle liberally over the pork and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Can substitute ancho chile powder for green; or prepared chile powder mix for all (adding salt and pepper to taste).
