Green Chile Sauce (Denver: 2013, buy, restaurant)

[roadwarrior101]

I have relatives in the Denver area and visit there from time to time. I was introduced to the green chili sauce on enchiladas and became addicted. That is phenomenal! I'm just wondering why this hasn't taken off elsewhere? We have good Mexican food here in California, but nothing like this. Thoughts?

[Westerner92]

It’s New Mexican cuisine. Many of the strains of chiles they grow have been cultivated in the region since before Europeans came. The Spanish that settled the area mixed cultures with the Natives to a certain extent, and that Hispanic culture predates both Mexico and the US as nations, so they’ve got their own heritage that isn’t “Mexican”. The most popular strain that’s made it out of New Mexico is the Anaheim chile, but even then, it’s vastly underappreciated. Many Coloradans and Texans are starting to catch onto how good New Mexico chiles are.

[Mike from back east]

Sometimes the terminology confuses me; i.e., is "green chili sauce" the same things as "salsa verde" or are they different things. There seems a ton of recipes for both on the internet with a wide variety of ingredients. Here's one I found.

I'm sure this stuff comes in jars or cans at the supermarket, if anyone has a fave please post a reply.

FYI: Hatch chili season is almost here, you'll see a number of parking lots around town with people roasting them on-site and selling them.

[SkyDog77]

Mmmmm


https://www.505southwestern.com/sauces

[wpc691]

Originally Posted by roadwarrior101

I have relatives in the Denver area and visit there from time to time. I was introduced to the green chili sauce on enchiladas and became addicted. That is phenomenal! I'm just wondering why this hasn't taken off elsewhere? We have good Mexican food here in California, but nothing like this. Thoughts?

I love green chili. I can’t eat onions or garlic, so I have to make my own. For whatever reason, Anaheim chilies are hard to find in Florida, and I suspect maybe anywhere east of the Mississippi. When I do find them, I buy a bunch and make a big batch. They do not however, have the flavor of Hatch chilies.

[roadwarrior101]

I've had this in New Mexico and its different, although I understand they both originate from the same hatch green chilis. In NM, it seems more like just a salsa with these chilis (at least where I've been).

In Denver, its like a pork chili verde sauce but much more flavorful.

[recycled]

I found a good brand of New Mexico roasted green chile. I buy it in a 16 oz jar at the local Kroger (Fry's in AZ) grocery store for $4.50 or so. Costco also sells a giant sized (what else would you expect?) jar for about $5.75. It's called Hatch Valley 505 Flame Roasted Green Chile.

Ingredients: Hatch Valley Green Chile peppers, Garlic, salt, lime juice concentrate. Nothing else. No vinegar or tomatillos.

Note, there is an almost identical looking jar of 505 Green Chile Salsa that is sold right next to the pure Green Chile. The Green Chile salsa has added vinegar and tomatillos, so it is not pure green chile, but mixed with lots of other stuff. That is why the pure green chile is a bit more expensive. The jar in the middle of the picture in the web site below is the pure Green Chile, the good stuff.

https://www.505southwestern.com/

[beezle1]

Originally Posted by recycled

I found a good brand of New Mexico roasted green chile. I buy it in a 16 oz jar at the local Kroger (Fry's in AZ) grocery store for $4.50 or so. Costco also sells a giant sized (what else would you expect?) jar for about $5.75. It's called Hatch Valley 505 Flame Roasted Green Chile.

Ingredients: Hatch Valley Green Chile peppers, Garlic, salt, lime juice concentrate. Nothing else. No vinegar or tomatillos.

https://www.505southwestern.com/

I concur. Best green chile you can buy,

[Mike from back east]

Thanks for the brand name recommendations, hopeful for more to be posted.

[COcheesehead]

True green chili is made like a stew and served as a soup usually with a tortilla.

Some make it like gravy for topping and it becomes rather starchy and begins to drift from its original intent. The 505 stuff is like this. More of a dip.

Usually if a restaurant offers it as an entree it’s the stew version. If it’s offered as a side, it’s the gravy version.

Jake and Grill (are they still around?) used to have some of the best stew versions.