Chile Colorado Food

CHILE COLORADO

Steps:

• Cut the meat into large stewing pieces about 1 to 2 inches across. Salt well and set aside.
• Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles, tear them into pieces and put into a large bowl. Pour boiling water over them and cover. Let this stand until the chiles are rehydrated, about 30 minutes. Once the chiles are soft, put them in a blender with enough of the chile soaking water to make a puree the consistency of ketchup. If you want -- and I recommend this -- push the sauce through a fine-meshed strainer (into another bowl) to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin.
• In a heavy, lidded pot or Dutch oven, heat the lard over medium-high heat. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and brown it well. Do this in batches and take your time. Remove the meat as it browns and set aside.
• Add the onions to the pot and cook them, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to brown on the edges. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Return the meat to the pot and mix in all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the meat is tender.
• Serve with tortillas or over rice, garnished with queso seco, cilantro, maybe some raw onion, avocado and hot sauce.

CHILI COLORADO - RECIPE

Steps:

• Make the sauce first by dry toasting the dried peppers in pan about a minute per side, until the skins blister a bit.
• Set them into a bowl and cover with hot water for 20 minutes, until they are very soft.
• Transfer the peppers to a blender with oregano, cumin, a bit of salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the soaking water. Blend until nice and smooth.
• Strain the sauce and set aside.
• Heat a large pot to medium heat and add the olive oil.
• Add the onion and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Toss the cubed chuck roast in the flour with a bit of salt and pepper to coat them.
• Add the garlic and coated beef to the pan. Brown the beef on all sides, about 5 minutes or so.
• Add the red sauce and stock and bring to a quick boil.
• Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors develop. Longer is better.
• If you'd like to thicken the chili, remove the cover and increase the heat. Cook until the moisture cooks out and your preferred thickness is achieved.
• Serve!

CHILI COLORADO

Steps:

• Spread the flour out on a plate and coat the beef cubes one by one in it, dusting off the excess. Don't skip this step because the flour also helps to thicken the sauce at the end.
• Brown the beef in a heavy-bottomed pot in the oil over medium-high heat. You want a lot of color on them because color equals flavor.
• Pour in all the spices, the tomato paste, and the water. Bring this to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, and cook low and slow for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the beef is tender and falling apart. A good test is to take a piece and try to mash it on your cutting board with a fork. If it falls apart, you are golden.
• Serve it just by itself with mexican rice and refried beans or use it as a burrito filling.

CHILE COLORADO

Steps:

• Place chiles and 3 cups water into a medium stockpot, and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes to soften.
• Strain into a bowl, reserving the cooking liquid.
• Place the chiles and some of the liquid into a blender, and puree until smooth.
• Add more liquid as necessary to form a smooth sauce.
• Pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds and the tough skins; set aside.
• Cut the roast into 1 to 2 inch chunks.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper.
• Dredge the beef chunks in the seasoned flour; set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Saute onion until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add beef chunks a few at a time, so as not to overcrowd the pot, and cook until evenly brown.
• Remove cooked meat, and continue browning remaining meat.
• Return reserved cooked meat to the pot.
• Stir in pureed chile mixture.
• Add beef stock to just cover beef chunks, or to personal preference.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to lowest setting, and simmer for 3 hours, or until meat is tender.
• If necessary, adjust with more stock during cooking.
• Serve with chopped onion, sliced green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream and corn and/or flour tortillas.

CHILE COLORADO

Steps:

• Place chiles and 3 cups water into a medium stockpot, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes to soften. Strain into a bowl, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the chiles and some of the liquid into a blender, and puree until smooth. Add more liquid as necessary to form a smooth sauce. Pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds and the tough skins; set aside.
• Cut the roast into 1 to 2 inch chunks. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the beef chunks in the seasoned flour; set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beef chunks a few at a time, so as not to overcrowd the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Remove cooked meat, and continue browning remaining meat. Return reserved cooked meat to the pot. Stir in pureed chile mixture. Add beef stock to just cover beef chunks, or to personal preference. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to lowest setting, and simmer for 3 hours, or until meat is tender. If necessary, adjust with more stock during cooking.

COLORADO CHILI

Steps:

• Add olive oil to a large skillet over high heat. Season stew meat with salt and pepper and sear on all sides.
• Place in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add onion, green chiles, and bacon. Add seared stew meat.
• In a small bowl, whisk together tomato puree, Mexican seasoning, chili powder, salt and pepper and beef stock. Pour into slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 4 to 6 hours. Serve in bowls garnished with scallion

SALSA DE CHILE COLORADO

Steps:

• Heat a comal or a cast iron skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles and wipe them clean with a dry cloth. Place them on the comal and toast them, just until their aroma is released, 30 to 60 seconds. Be careful not to burn them. Place the chiles in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them soak until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain the chiles and discard the liquid. Place the chiles, oregano, garlic, and the 2 cups of water in a blender and blend to a smooth puree. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. Place the oil in a medium size saucepan. Heat the oil over medium high heat until it is rippling. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden. Add the chile puree and salt to the pan and reduce the heat to low. It may splatter as you pour it in, so be careful. Cook, stirring often, until the raw taste is gone and the flavor of the chiles has mellowed, about 10 minutes. Finish the sauce with the sugar and vinegar. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator up to a week or indefinitely in the freezer.

RED MEAT CHILI: CARNE CHILI COLORADO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• On a sheet tray or baking pan, place onion, tomatillos, tomatoes, and garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Place under the broiler or roast in a preheated 500 degree F oven until the vegetables start to get a little charred on the outside. Remove and set aside. On another sheet tray or baking pan, place the dried chiles, and toast in a 500 degree F oven for 1 minute or until the chiles start to release some smoke. Remove and plunge in to bowl with hot water and set aside.
• In a blender, begin pureeing the chiles and roasted vegetables in batches with chicken stock until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a saute pan, toast the cumin, coriander, and mustard for 3 minutes or until they start to smoke. Remove from pan and place in a small mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, to make a paste. Rub this paste all over the piece of flank steak and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Preheat a grill or grill pan on high.
• Grill the flank steak for 3 minutes on each side. Place the flank steak in a roasting pan and pour the pureed chile sauce over it. Add 2 cups of water, cover with foil, and cook in the oven for 1 hour until the meat becomes flaky.
• Remove the meat from the pan, shred the meat, and reserve the sauce. Place 6 of the tortillas onto a baking sheet. Put a small amount of the shredded meat on the tortilla and spoon over some of the sauce. Top with some cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 5 minutes and serve.

RED CHILE SAUCE (CHILE COLORADO)

Steps:

• Rinse chiles and split open, discarding stems, seeds, and ribs.
• Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over moderate heat, then toast chiles, skin sides up, in batches, about 30 seconds (be careful not to burn them, or sauce will be bitter). Transfer chiles as toasted to a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover bowl and soak chiles, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes.
• Purée chiles with three fourths of soaking liquid, reserving remainder, in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Pour purée through a coarse sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids, and discard solids. Whisk reserved soaking liquid into chile mixture.
• Cook onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano in oil in a large heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in chile mixture and simmer, partially covered, whisking occasionally, until reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Season with salt, vinegar, and sugar.

CHILI COLORADO

Steps:

• Place chiles and 3 cups water into a medium stockpot, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes to soften. Strain into a bowl, reserving the cooking liquid.
• Place the chiles and some of the liquid into a blender and puree until smooth. Add more liquid as necessary to form a smooth sauce.
• Pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds and the tough skins; set aside.
• Cut the roast into 1 to 2 inch chunks.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the beef chunks in the seasoned flour; set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add beef chunks a few at a time, so as not to overcrowd the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Remove cooked meat, and continue browning remaining meat.
• Return reserved cooked meat to the pot.
• Stir in pureed chile mixture.
• Add beef stock to just cover beef chunks or to personal preference. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer for 3 hours or until meat is tender.
• If necessary, adjust with more stock during cooking.
• NOTE: Serve with chopped onion, sliced green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream, corn and/or flour tortillas.

CHILE COLORADO

Steps:

• Place chiles and 3 cups water into a medium stockpot, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes to soften. Strain into a bowl, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the chiles and some of the liquid into a blender, and puree until smooth. Add more liquid as necessary to form a smooth sauce. Pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds and the tough skins; set aside.
• Cut the roast into 1 to 2 inch chunks. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the beef chunks in the seasoned flour; set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beef chunks a few at a time, so as not to overcrowd the pot, and cook until evenly brown. Remove cooked meat, and continue browning remaining meat. Return reserved cooked meat to the pot. Stir in pureed chile mixture. Add beef stock to just cover beef chunks, or to personal preference. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to lowest setting, and simmer for 3 hours, or until meat is tender. If necessary, adjust with more stock during cooking.