by Greg Roberts
Chilly, Chili, Chile, Colorado—You’ll see it spelled many different ways. Chile, I believe is the proper spelling. Chile Colorado is a popular and very hearty Mexican stew made of tender pieces of meat (venison, beef, or pork) simmered low and slow in a thick and flavorful red chile sauce made from dried Mexican chiles and dried spices. “Colorado” translates to “colored red” in reference to the rich red chile sauce the meat is stewed in. It is typically served over, or with, Spanish rice, but is wonderful served over creamed potatoes with a side of pinto beans. I was asked once, “Can you freeze the leftovers?” No one knows. There are never any leftovers.
I have always been interested in cooking. My family operated a steak and seafood restaurant in Shreveport, Louisiana by the name of Smith’s Cross Lake Inn. I worked in the restaurant for several years. I was also fortunate in that I was raised around Southern women that were excellent at country cooking. As I got older, I returned to Texas and became interested in Mexican Cuisine. I entered several chili competitions and salsa competitions. I won and placed in several different venues.
I went to Santa Fe, New Mexico a few years ago with a couple of good friends and I really enjoyed the fare. The food in Santa Fe was similar to the Mexican food that I had come to love in Texas, but it was different in that it had a distinct Native American, Mexican, and Spanish influence, and their use of peppers and spices were somewhat different. The food was absolutely delicious, and the star of the show is the Hatch Green Chile Pepper. I began experimenting with different New Mexican dishes and I loved a particular dish called Chile Colorado.
I prepared the dish on several occasions, and I finally got the recipe down. I also decided to incorporate my love of hunting and cooking, so I substituted the beef for some venison backstrap that I had in my freezer. I will share the recipe below.
Ingredients
• 3 dried Guajillo chiles- stems removed and seeded
• 3 dried Ancho chiles- stems removed and seeded
• 2 Pasilla chiles- stems removed and seeded
• Or in lieu of rehydrated peppers, you can use one jar of Hatch 575 Red Chile Sauce (16 ounce)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• ½ yellow onion chopped fine
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 3 cups of beef bone broth- 1 cup reserved (chicken or
vegetable broth can be substituted)
• Sazonador Total Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon of Smoked Paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of Mexican Oregano
• 1 package of Sazon Goya
• One lime
• 1 can of El Pato Hot tomato sauce (7.75 ounces)
• 2 pounds cubed beef or (2 pounds cubed venison
backstrap)
• 1 tablespoon of Masa Harina
Red Chile Sauce
In a large sauté pan or cast-iron skillet, toast the chiles over medium heat for 1-2 minutes to bring out the flavor of the peppers. Remove from the pan until needed.
Add olive oil to the hot pan and sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes then add the garlic and continue to sauté for 1 minute.
Add the toasted chiles, 2 cups beef bone broth to a stock pot.
Add the spices and 1 can of El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce (7.75 ounces)
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Turn off heat, cover the pot and let it steep for 45 minutes.
Reserve one cup of stock/broth. Add the remainder of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth at the highest setting.
Add additional liquid if the mixture is too thick for your blender. Strain if necessary. Reserve the remainder of the liquid till needed.
Toss the cubed meat in a bowl and season with Sazonador Total Seasoning, and salt and pepper. Dredge meat in Masa Harina and add juice of 1 lime.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and half of the meat and brown on all sides so they have a good sear, about 5 minutes. Transfer the browned meat into a bowl and repeat the process with the remaining uncooked meat. Do not crowd the meat.
When all the meat has been seared, return all the meat to the pot. Add in the red chile sauce, hot tomato sauce and reserved beef broth. Stir it to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture has begun to boil, reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for 2 hours.
Take off the lid and taste. Add additional seasoning, if needed.
Mix the masa harina with 2 tablespoons of the broth from the pot to make a slurry. Add the slurry back into the pot and mix well.
Raise to medium heat and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook for a longer time.
The dish is traditionally served with Spanish rice, beans and tortillas, but can be enjoyed with eggs and potatoes as well.
