Various red and green Ristras
New Mexico has a unique cuisine of its own, with red and green chile at its heart. Chile is a term which usually refers to any of hundreds of chile peppers used in cuisines across the world to flavor and spice food. In New Mexico, however, chile means much more than that. Chile is the state's largest agricultural crop, but more than that, across the state of New Mexico chile is consumed at every meal, is celebrated in songs and at festivals, and is the subject of the Official New Mexico State Question, "Red or Green?". The question refers to the color of chile you want on your food. You are never asked "hot or mild?"
New Mexico menus may seem at first glance to be similar to well-known Mexican and southwestern dishes—enchiladas, tamales, fajitas, guacamole, chiles rellenos, huevos rancheros, burritos or tacos—but the use of chiles, in nearly everything but the desserts, sets New Mexican cuisine apart. Chiles are an ingredient in New Mexico; elsewhere they act more as a condiment.
New Mexicans hang strings of dried red chiles called ristras in front of their houses for decoration, good fortune, and a steady supply of cooking ingredients; the annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (the largest hot air balloon event in the world) often features an enormous ristra-shaped balloon; local gift shops sell chile pepper curios in every conceivable configuration. In the fall fall the air is filled with the seductive aroma of roasting chile, and the roadside stands are a ablaze with bright strands of ristras.
The green chile is chopped and sometimes thickened with a bit of flour to make a sauce, and the red chile pods are ground and simmered with water to make red chile sauce. Most dishes can be ordered with either red or green chile sauce, but if you want to try both, ask for "Christmas."
Typical New Mexican specialties include:
Posole: a stew that begins with the dried corn product itself called “posole." The cook soaks the posole overnight, then simmers with pork, onions,garlic,oregano and chiles to make an economical and highly nutritious stew.
Green Chile Stew: small chunks of pork stewed with onions, potatoes, garlic and green chiles.
Red Chile Stew: many recipes, all using dried red chiles (the kind used for the ristra) that have been soaked in hot water to soften before being pureed with spices and aromatics like onions and garlic.
Calabacitas: corn and squash (both native American staples), simmered with chiles.
Carne Adovada: pork marinated in a red chili sauce with onion, garlic,coriander, Mexican oregano and vinegar. Available as a main dish, side dish, filling for a burrito, in restaurants, in supermarkets, all over the state.
Sopaipillas: dough fritters that when deep fried puff up into squares, hollow inside. Sopaipillas are frequently enjoyed stuffed with meats, chiles, refried beans, or other combinations, or consumed alone as an accompaniment to main courses in which case they are often eaten with a few drops of honey (very yummy).
