Green chile

Cook it at home: Roasted green chile stew

Roast the chiles yourself if you can; frozen roasted Hatch or Pueblo chiles work all year. This is a vegetarian version, the way Santo serves it; add browned pork shoulder at step 3 for the Denver style.

Pans and tools

• Heavy pot or Dutch oven
• Broiler, grill or gas burner for roasting
• Bowl and plate to steam the chiles
• Whisk

You’ll need

• 2 lb (900 g) fresh New Mexico or Pueblo green chiles (or 1 1/2 lb / 680 g frozen roasted chiles, thawed)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cups (1 L) vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, in 1/2-inch (1 cm) dice
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Warm flour tortillas, to serve

Steps

1. If using fresh chiles, roast them over a gas flame, on a grill or under a hot broiler, turning, until blackened all over, 8 to 12 minutes. Seal in a bowl under a plate for 15 minutes.
2. Rub off the skins, pull out stems and most seeds (keep some for heat), and chop the flesh coarsely.
3. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and golden at the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and oregano and stir 1 minute.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 2 minutes so it loses its raw taste.
5. Whisk in the stock a little at a time so no lumps form. Add the chiles, tomatoes, potato and salt.
6. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until the potato is tender and the stew coats a spoon, 35 to 45 minutes.
7. Stir in the lime juice. Taste for salt and heat.
8. Serve in bowls with warm tortillas, or ladle over a breakfast burrito of scrambled eggs, potatoes and cheese.

Contains: ['gluten'].

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