New Mexico chile is a family of long, mild to hot Capsicum annuum varieties bred in New Mexico, roasted green each autumn or dried red for sauces and strung into ristras.
What it is¶
"New Mexico chile" is the name for a group of long, fleshy Capsicum annuum varieties developed in the state of New Mexico: pods 15–20 cm long, smooth, gently tapering, ripening from bright green to deep red. Heat depends heavily on variety, from roughly 500 SHU for mild types to around 10,000 SHU for hot ones, with a few "extra hot" selections beyond that.
Two things to know about the names:
- Anaheim is a mild New Mexico-type chile grown in California, named after the town where a cannery first packed it. It sits at the gentle end of the range and is the "long green chile" most often sold in North American supermarkets.
- Hatch is a place, not a variety. The Hatch Valley, along the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico, is the state's most famous growing area, and "Hatch chile" means New Mexico chile grown there, whatever the cultivar. Mild, medium and hot Hatch chiles are all sold.
New Mexicans spell it chile, and the state's official question, adopted in 1996, is "Red or green?", asked of anyone ordering enchiladas or burritos. The answer "Christmas" means both.
Origins and history¶
Chiles came north up the Rio Grande with Spanish colonists at the end of the sixteenth century; Juan de Oñate's colonising expedition of 1598 is often credited, though chiles may have arrived with earlier travellers or through Pueblo trade. Local landraces were grown in the villages of northern New Mexico for centuries, and some, such as those of Chimayó, are still grown and prized.
The modern New Mexico chile is the work of the horticulturist Fabián García at what is now New Mexico State University, who in 1921 released 'New Mexico No. 9', a more uniform, larger, milder pod that could be grown and sold on a commercial scale. Later NMSU releases, including 'Sandia' and 'NuMex 6-4' in the 1950s and 'NuMex Big Jim' in the 1970s, shaped what is grown today, and the university's Chile Pepper Institute remains a centre of chile research. In California, Emilio Ortega is usually credited with bringing New Mexico chile seed to the Anaheim area in the 1890s and canning roasted green chiles, which gave the Anaheim its name.
The ristra, a long string or cluster of red chiles hung to dry on a porch or wall, began as a practical way of drying the harvest and is now an emblem of the Southwest. New Mexico law restricts the sale of chile advertised as "New Mexico chile" to chile actually grown in the state.
Flavour and aroma¶
Green chile, roasted and peeled, tastes grassy, earthy and almost buttery, with a smoky edge from the roaster and a warmth that varies from barely there to properly hot. Red chile is the same pod left to ripen: sweeter and deeper, with earthy, dried-fruit and slightly tomato-like notes once dried. Red chile sauce made from good pods is smooth, brick-red and gently bitter-sweet.
In the kitchen¶
Green chile¶
Every August and September, New Mexican supermarkets and roadside stands roast green chiles by the sack in rotating wire drums over gas flames, and households freeze them for the year.
- Green chile stew: pork (or beef), potatoes, onion, garlic and plenty of roasted green chile.
- Chiles rellenos: whole roasted chiles stuffed with cheese, battered and fried.
- Green chile cheeseburger: a New Mexico institution.
- Smothered: green chile sauce ladled over burritos, enchiladas, eggs and breakfast potatoes.
To roast at home, char whole chiles over a gas flame, on a barbecue or under a very hot grill, turning, until blistered all over (5–10 minutes), then seal in a bag or covered bowl for 10 minutes and peel.
Red chile¶
Dried red pods are toasted lightly, soaked and blended into red chile sauce, the base of flat stacked enchiladas, carne adovada (pork marinated and baked in red chile) and red posole. As a guide, 10–12 dried pods make about 750 ml of sauce. Ground red chile (chile molido) and coarse crushed chile (chile caribe) are pure chile, quite different from the blended chili powder, which contains cumin and oregano. See rehydrating dried chillies.
💡 Check the heat before you buy
Fresh and frozen New Mexico chile is usually labelled mild, medium, hot or extra hot. The variety matters more than the place: a mild Hatch chile is milder than a hot one from anywhere else.
Buying and storing¶
Fresh green chiles keep a week or so in the fridge. Roasted chiles freeze very well, and New Mexicans freeze them unpeeled, because the skins slip off more easily after thawing. Dried pods keep for a year airtight; a ristra hung outside for display gathers dust and fades, so cook from bagged pods. Ground chile should be used within six months to a year.
Substitutes¶
- Green: poblano (similar size, a little richer), Anaheim for mild, or poblano with a jalapeño for a hot version. Canned green chiles work in stews and sauces.
- Red: guajillo (tangier), California chile (milder), or a mix of ancho and guajillo.
- Ground: pure mild chilli powder or Kashmiri powder, not blended chili powder.
Pairs well with¶
Pork, beef, chicken, potatoes, pinto beans, corn, cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack), eggs, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, lime and tortillas.
Growing your own¶
New Mexico chiles are vigorous C. annuum plants, 60–90 cm tall, that crop well in a hot, dry summer. In Britain, sow indoors in February–March at 20–25°C, grow on in a greenhouse or polytunnel, or plant out after the last frost in the warmest, sunniest spot available. Stake plants, as the long pods are heavy. Pick green when full-sized and firm, or leave until fully red to dry for a small ristra: tie the stalks in threes along a string and hang in a warm, airy place. Seed is sold under variety names such as Anaheim, Big Jim, Sandia and Joe E. Parker. See growing chillies.