New Mexico Chili (Questa, Hatch, House: buy, restaurant, food)

[Dobelover]

Whats the Chili situation like in New Mexico....I always hear about the glories of Texas chili, but what about in New Mexico. What is a traditional New mexico style chili, tomatoes, beans,beef, chorizo, no beans, etc?

[jaxart]

I think the one unique ingredient in much of New Mexican food is cilantro. A taste I don't particularly like. But it's hard to find restaurant served salsa that doesn't have it as an ingredient.

As for chili - as in "chili con carne" - I prefer the chili verde that is a combination of green chilies and beef.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Dobelover

Whats the Chili situation like in New Mexico....I always hear about the glories of Texas chili, but what about in New Mexico. What is a traditional New mexico style chili, tomatoes, beans,beef, chorizo, no beans, etc?

Cilantro, a littel cuman, meat (often pork) and green chilies as well as tomatoes, but generally no beans. I really prefer Texas or Ca chili wiht the beans as well.

Nita

[ABQConvict]

Umm, I didn't know there was a New Mexico style chili. Usually when you get chili in a restaurant it is Texas style. I would assume that eastern New Mexico, being within the cultural sphere of west Texas would be the place to try New Mexican chili.

Pico de Gallo uses a lot of cilantro but that is a type of Mexican relish that is a fairly recent import to New Mexico. I don't know of much traditional New Mexican food that uses cilantro. I love the stuff, though. When I make pico de gallo I use a whole bunch of cilantro.


ABQConvict

[Towanda]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

Umm, I didn't know there was a New Mexico style chili.

Me neither!!!!

[catman]

I didn't either. I found that out when I was in a little restaurant in Questa and ordered tamales & chili. The waitress asked, "Green or red?" I ordered green and they were great, but no beef was involved in the chili. I would miss Texas style chili if I couldn't find it, though.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Towanda

Me neither!!!!

ask a Mexican who loves to cook and was born and raised in NM. That is how I found out the difference. Of course there are 2 chili subjects: chile as in Hatch and chili as in cooked.

Nita

[jaxart]

Speaking of chili con carne, I really like a product that came on the market about five years ago.

Campbell's Chunky Chilis

I always buy the FIREHOUSE Chili with chipotle chile pepper. There are several others in the category. Very different texture from other popular brands of chili, IMO.

[lobo]

I just watched Throwdown with Bobby Flay on the Food Network. Flay had a "green chile cheeseburger throwdown" with proprietor Bobby Olguin from Manny's Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, NM.

Flay's burger looked good until he added vinegar to his chile (which wasn't all NM chile). In the end the judges rated Olguin's burger the best! Now I've got to get out there and have me one of those burgers. I've eaten at the Owl Cafe in San Antonio, but I've never been to Manny's. That activity is now on my "to do" list if we go to the Bosque del Apache to see the bird migration.

[Towanda]

Manny's is awesome!