An Inspired Cook

There’s nothing I love more than Green Chile Sauce smothered over a favorite burrito, enchilada or navajo taco.  I have been experimenting for years trying to mimic the taste found at our favorite restaurants.  Here in NM you will find green chile sauce on the shelves of grocery stores, many from the restaurants that we frequently eat at.  Trying to replicate that magical taste has always eluded me; until now.  Nearly every recipe I find online or in cookbooks have the same basic ingredients of green chile, onion, garlic and salt with variations of spices, sometimes adding cumin or oregano.  I’ve made them all and although they are good, they just don’t have that perfect taste and appearance that I’ve longed to make.  When in doubt go to the ingredients listed on your favorite jar.  I was surprised to find that every jar of green chile in my pantry listed lime juice and no onion.  Of all the recipes I’ve tried there wasn’t a single one that added lime juice.  The moment I took that first taste, it was like the genie had been let out of the bottle.  Lime juice was the missing ingredient!

It starts with the best roasted green chile, and that means NM Green Chile.  I got my chile from Sichlers Farms this year.  I waited until later in the season to get a few red chiles mixed in for an Autumn roast.  These were previously frozen and thawed.

Remove the peel, stem and seeds.  When roasted properly the chiles will be easy to peel.

Dice the chiles.  I ended up with 4 cups which would be enough to make sauce to put up in the freezer.

Once the chiles were prepped, I poured 3 cups of chicken broth into a cast iron skillet and brought to a boil over high heat.

Add the 4 cups of diced green chile, stir with the broth and bring back to a boil.

Add the garlic powder.   You could add a garlic clove or roasted garlic if preferred.  Each form of garlic gives a different taste, I just happen to like the milder taste of the garlic powder.

Just a little pinch of sugar cuts the acidity of the chiles and brings out more flavor.

And the secret ingredient . . . Lime Juice!

Like the ingredients label says . . .

Reduce the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.  Taste the sauce and add salt if needed.  As the liquid evaporates the chiles will absorb all the flavors and thicken slightly.  I chose not to use a thickening agent, such as flour or cornstarch in the sauce, but will add cheese to melt into the sauce when I make burritos or enchiladas.  The cheese will thicken the sauce as it melts.

It’s a simple basic sauce without any extra spices or thickening but after all the trials and errors, it’s my favorite sauce by far!

Green Chile Sauce

4 cups New Mexico Green Chiles, peeled, stemmed, seeded and diced
3 cups Chicken Broth (I used Better than Bouillon diluted in water)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder ( Can substitute a clove of garlic or roasted garlic)
Pinch of Sugar
2 tablespoons Lime Juice
Salt to taste

Heat the chicken broth in a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet to boiling.  Add the 4 cups of diced green chile and stir until well combined.  Add the garlic powder, sugar and lime juice.  Bring chiles back to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer for 30 minutes allowing the liquids to reduce by half.  Salt to taste.

Use sauce to smother burritos or enchiladas and add grated cheese over top to melt.

Makes 6 cups of sauce.

Breakfast burrito loaded with eggs, bacon, country fried potatoes.  Cover in green chile and cheese, place under the broiler until cheese has melted.

Joe and I shared this big burrito, it was huge and so delicious!