Red or Green? - New Mexico’s hot love
Many of the Southwestern states of the USA have a long history and love of Mexican food, but each state has its own focus and adaptation… and its own deliciousness factor! Over in California (Cal-Mex) there’s more Hispanic influence, so dishes tend to be more tomatoey, with more veg, and are a bit milder. California grows lots of avocadoes so these also play a key part, along with saltwater fish. Then in Texas, beef is king - the early settlers didn’t have railroads to transport their beef elsewhere, so the traditional Tex-Mex dishes of chili con carne, fajitas etc are more beef-oriented (and often spicier).

But right in the middle, there’s New Mexico, where the cuisine is somewhat older and simpler. The Spanish settled in New Mexico in the late 1500s, introducing foods like pork and sugar, and this influence combined with the Native Pueblo Indian crops that grow well in the dry heat (corn, beans and chillies) to make a cuisine with distinctly different heritage.


But the best part of New Mexico’s food is the chilli. Man, do they love them! (Here it’s spelled chile.) The town of Hatch is famous for its production of the New Mexico chile which is harvested in 2 rounds: some when green, and some when red (the green harvest has just started).
They’re so important, the official state question is ‘Red or Green?’ and you get asked this everywhere - which type do you want with your food? (Or you can ask for ‘Christmas’, if you want half of each)
The fresh green chiles are roasted over a flame until softened, and the stalk and blackened skin removed before they’re made into a delicious sauce with just onion, garlic, cumin, Mexican oregano and some chicken stock. Often this has pork or beef stirred into it too.

Chiles Rellenos - big green 'big jim' chiles stuffed with cheese, battered and deep fried, then bathed in chile sauce (add eggs as a token gesture for breakfast)


A stack of corn tortillas, fried eggs and green chile - the perfect breakfast! The red chiles are dried hanging on strings called ristras, and then used to make the red sauce.

Carne Adovada - a rich stew of pork marinated in red chile sauce with vinegar, garlic and Mexican oregano


Regional speciality - blue corn tortillas. Used in enchiladas especially; Picaros, or taquitos - chicken and cheese in a corn tortilla, rolled and fried, with salsa and guacamole
They love chiles so much here, you’ll even typically North American foods (burgers, sandwiches, etc) served with red or green sauce!


An American favourite, chicken-fried steak, with green chile; New Mexican eggs benedict - poached eggs on English muffin, with a green chile meat patty, and spiced chorizo hollandaise!
To learn more about the New Mex cuisine, and how to use these dried red chiles, I went to visit Modesta Estudillo in Winslow, Arizona. Mody’s parents moved to New Mexico from Guanajuato, Mexico before she was born, and she grew up in their corn tortilla factory. Now Mody lives a few hours’ drive away, in Arizona, where she’s famous all around town for her tamales.


Tamales are a delicious parcel shaped like a burrito. The filling varies (even sweet ones exist!) but pork is most common. The sauce may be red or green, and around the filling there’s a paste of ground corn (masa) spread on corn husks.
Proud son Bobby estimates that in her life Mody’s made over 200,000 of these delicious parcels - she made her first batch at age 10. Today she’s making a mere 10 dozen, plus what it takes to feed about 15 people for lunch - there’s a whole kitchen separate from the house ready for this huge operation, full of steamers, grinders and fridges.


People tell me: “These are fiesta tamales! Most tamales you can get are smaller, not much sauce or meat, just a bit of paste. These ones...are something else!” Someone sends them to their dad for Christmas, someone else won’t eat any other tamales, and people all over town requested them as soon as they heard she was making a batch.
Although Mody doesn’t make tamales often any more she’s pulling out all the stops for our visit - it’s a 3 day process if you do it right!


For the masa: grind the corn kernels, then mix with lard, lime juice, and a ladleful of the red sauce (to add some specks of colour) to a spreadable paste. *Yes, lard, and huge amounts of it! These are not a health food*
Day 1 - Wash and dry the corn kernels. Prepare your dried red chiles by removing the stalks and seeds.
Day 2 - Steam or boil the pork for a few hours until thoroughly cooked. For the red sauce: soak the chiles in hot water for a few hours, change the water (this keeps it bright red) and soak a few more hours. Blend the soaked flesh with a bit of garlic and cumin, and some water from the meat.
Day 3 - Soak the corn husks in cold water for around half an hour. Take a softened husk and spread the smooth side with a layer of the masa. Spread some meat in the middle, add a large dollop of the sauce, then fold in the bottom and sides and place in a steaming basket. Repeat about a hundred times(!), then steam the tamales for around an hour and a half.


Mody works so fast she needs two assistants to keep up with her! (Sombreros for effect.); The finished product - truly delicious. There’s no taste quite like it.

Thanks to Mody and Robert for hosting us, and for passing on your love of everything chile!
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