new mexican food
Although many New Mexican dishes are quite similar to Mexican and Tex-Mex offerings, such as enchiladas and burritos, New Mexican food is actually very different. The most important difference is the particular variety of chili used. The New Mexico chili comes in several different varieties and is generally referred to as a “green chili” or a “red chili” depending on the stage of maturity at which it was picked. The green chili is minced and thickened with a little flour to make a sauce, and the red chili pods are ground and simmered with water to make the fiery red chili sauce.
However, the green chili, which is picked before it has had time to fully ripen, is the defining ingredient in New Mexico food because of its flavor. In recent years, the green chili has become increasingly common outside of New Mexico and remains a major ingredient in everything from enchiladas and burritos to cheeseburgers and bagels within the state’s borders.
Some typical New Mexican cuisines include Albondigas, which are meatballs, Atole – a thick, hot porridge made from corn, Biscochitos – anise-flavored cookies, Burritos – a white flour tortilla, filled with meats, beans, cheese, or a combination of these, and rolled up. They are usually served topped with chili sauce and melted cheese.
But there are countless other delicacies in New Mexico cuisine, such as the Capirotada – a raisin and walnut pudding, the Carne Adovada – marinated pork cubes cooked in red chili, garlic and oregano, the Chalupas or “little boats” – tortillas bowl-shaped fried corn filled with shredded chicken and/or beans, and topped with guacamole and salsa, Chicharron – pork skin, fried crisp, Chili con queso – melted chili and cheese mixed in a sauce, Chiles Rellenos – grilled , Peeled and stuffed chiles (often with cheese), usually battered and fried.
Then there is the chimichanga, a burrito fried and topped with chili and cheese, the chorizo, a spicy pork sausage, seasoned with garlic and red chili, the cilantro, a spicy green herb used in sauces, the empanada, an empanadilla usually filled with a sweetened meat or fruit mixture, Enchiladas: corn tortillas filled with meat, beans, or cheese, rolled or stacked and topped with chili and cheese sauce, Fajitas: grilled strips of steak or chicken that come with tortillas , sauteed peppers and onions, and other garnishes to make homemade burritos.
Some other beloved preparations include Flan – caramel custard dessert, Flautas – rolled up tightly, fried until crisp, Enchiladas, Frijoles (beans), Guacamole – mashed avocado, usually with chopped onion, tomatoes, garlic, lime, and chili. , Huevos Rancheros – corn tortillas, topped with eggs, usually fried, topped with chili and cheese, jalapeños – small fat chili peppers, very hot, often used in salsa.
Then there’s Menudo – a soup made with tripe and chiles (known as “breakfast of champions”), Nachos – tostadas topped with beans, melted cheese, sliced jalapeños, sometimes served “Grande” with ground beef or shredded chicken, guacamole and sour cream, Natilla – soft flan dessert, Pico de Gallo – sauce with chopped fresh chilies, tomatoes, onions and cilantro, Posole – a thick stew made with hominy corn slow-cooked for hours with red chili and pork.
Finally, you have some really exotic things like the Quesadilla – a cake made with a flour tortilla, filled with cheese or other ingredients, then toasted, fried or baked, Refritos – beans that have been mashed and fried, most often in lard, Salsa – usually a raw mixture of chili, tomatoes, onions, Sopaipilla – a puffed fried bread, eaten broken and stuffed with honey butter, or sometimes stuffed with meat, beans, cheese and chili sauce, Taco – a corn tortilla either crisp fried, or just softened and stuffed with meats, cheese, or beans, and chopped fresh lettuce, onions, and tomatoes and tostadas which are corn tortilla chips, also, an open corn tortilla covered with refried beans, sauce, cheese and chopped lettuce and tomato
