Red Or Green Chile Recipe

Choose red or green: For red chile, remove stems and seeds from dried New Mexico or Guajillo chiles. For green chile, roast the fresh Hatch chiles over an open flame or under a broiler until charred on all sides.

Preparing dried red chiles

For dried red chiles: heat 2 cups of water until simmering. In a heatproof bowl, add the cleaned dried chiles and pour hot water over them to cover. Place a plate on top to submerge and soak 20–30 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid. Drain, reserving liquid, and discard seeds/stems.

Preparing fresh green chiles

For green chiles: after charring, transfer chiles to a resealable plastic bag or covered bowl to steam for 10–15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel off blistered skin, split open and remove most seeds (leave some for heat if desired), and roughly chop.

Roast aromatics

In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. Sauté the chopped onion until translucent and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Remove half the onion mixture for blending (keeps texture) and leave the rest in the skillet.

Blend chile paste

Combine rehydrated red chiles (or chopped roasted green chiles), reserved soaking liquid (for red) or 1/2 cup water (for green), the reserved half of the sautéed onion, garlic, cumin, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender. Blend until completely smooth, adding up to 1/2 cup additional water or broth to achieve a pourable sauce consistency.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. If using raw pork or chicken, season the pieces with 1/2 teaspoon salt and brown them in the hot oil in batches until seared on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

Cook chile sauce

Carefully pour the blended chile sauce into the hot pan (it may splatter). Sauté the sauce for 3–4 minutes, stirring, to develop flavor and reduce rawness.

Add broth and simmer

Add 4 cups broth and up to 1 cup additional water as needed to reach desired volume. Stir to combine. Return browned meat to the pan if using. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer 25–35 minutes for pork (15–20 minutes for chicken) until meat is tender and flavors meld. If using no meat, simmer 15–20 minutes to blend flavors.

Thicken and finish

If you prefer a thicker chile, mix 1 tablespoon flour with 1–2 tablespoons water to make a slurry and whisk into the simmering chile. Simmer 3–5 more minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and add vinegar: for green chile add 1 tablespoon vinegar to brighten; for red chile add up to 1 tablespoon vinegar or a teaspoon of sugar if overly acidic. Stir in cooked beans in the last 5 minutes if using.

Ladle chile into bowls over rice, for burritos, enchiladas, or serve with warm tortillas. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a lime wedge. Offer additional salt and pepper at the table.