New Mexico Recipe….Red or Green?

I am sure you have heard me say at one time or another…red or green.

Red or Green? That is the question asked by your server when eating out in New Mexico, so my next comment is a question for the server…  which is hotter today?

We are talking chile of course and contrary to popular belief, the “hottest” one can be either one, red or green.

The hotness depends on when the chile was picked and the red color indicates the pepper is more mature and has had more time to develop capsaicin, the compound responsible for heat, resulting in a sweeter and spicier flavor. However, a specific variety’s heat level depends on the chile’s seed, climate, and soil conditions, so some red chiles could be milder than a very hot green chile of the same variety. 

Did you know Red or Green is New Mexico’s official state question?

“In 1996 the New Mexico State Legislature passed a House Joint Memorial declaring “Red or Green?” as the official state question.  This refers to the question always asked whether one prefers red or green chile when ordering New Mexican cuisine.  This measure was passed to signify the importance that the chile industry has on the economy of the state.  New Mexico produced 99,000 tons of chile in 2000, valued at nearly 49 million dollars, the number one cash crop in terms of sales in the state.  With the adoption of this state question, New Mexico is acknowledging the financial gain and national recognition that chile generates for the state.”

How I Make Huevos Divorciados!

So today, I am serving up a New Mexican breakfast (desayuno) using both sauces, with red and green (recipes are below).  That is why it is called  Huevos Divorciados..and yes the word “Divorciados” is just what you think it is…Eggs divorced…which is a bit silly because I had never heard it described quite like that in all the years I lived among my relatives and the locals in New Mexico…. Most likely, a restaurant decided it needed a name and came up with it to please the tourists. …but “c’est la vie.”  Yes, I know that is French when we are talking about Spanish, but it makes my point and is probably more understood than the Spanish word Que Asi  Sea or perhaps Que Sera Sera as in the song of the same name.  The point is…Red or Green Chile Sauce/Salsa can be used together or all by itself and at least one is usually on the table for any meal in a New Mexican home.  I especially like it with breakfast.  Wakes up the senses for sure.

On this plate you will see small-sized potatoes with chorizo, refried beans, (tho they can be regular whole pinto beans), chorizo which is a spicy Mexican sausage, eggs and 2 corn tortillas. 

Garnishes include Jalapeno pepper, limes, red onion, avocado slices, cherry tomatoes, green onions and crema (similar to sour cream but thinner and less tart) or you can use sour cream.  Sour cream or crema can be used to balance the heat of spicy foods or just as a topping.  Of course the garnishes are optional.

For the potatoes, cut them into little cubes, add chopped onion and either chopped green chiles or red pepper flakes.  Again, the red or green.  The chorizo can be cooked separately or crumbled and fried with the potatoes.  If you might be short on time, you could fry your potatoes the previous day and just heat them up, but I find I can bring it all together pretty quickly.

Along with the potatoes are the ever present refried beans….and the star of the plate is the two, warm, corn tortillas holding eggs fried sunny side up, which is the way the Captain prefers his eggs, but I prefer over-easy eggs. Any fried egg will work.  Serve the eggs with red or green chile sauce to the side of each egg.  Yummy!

Let me show you how easy and quick this breakfast is to put together.

I  like to start the potatoes in a small skillet and when they are almost done… (I crumble in the amount of chorizo I choose)….or you can fry the chorizo in a separate skillet.  It only takes about 2-3 minutes to cook the chorizo.  Of course you can use any breakfast sausage, bacon or ham, but Chorizo is a favorite and it comes with a thin skin that needs to be removed before frying. Just crumble it in a skillet, much like hamburger/ground beef…or shape it into patties if that is your preference.

I fry the beans in a bit of bacon grease (you can use oil), chopped onion and garlic. You can use canned refried beans if you don’t have a pot of fresh pinto beans, but they still must be fried in the bacon grease/oil.  My friends, the flavor from a pot of freshly made pinto beans is so so so good. For two people, I Just add a couple ladles of beans, Knorr tomato and chicken bouillon and gently mash with a potato masher or fork.  I used a fork today…Click Here for my complete recipe to make refried beans from scratch.  The post is titled Pinto Beans/Refried Beans Step By Step.

Next, you can warm the corn tortillas in the microwave or as I prefer… in a little oil in a small skillet.  You are not frying the tortillas or trying to make them crisp unless that is your preference.  I just like to soften and warm them and give them a little color.   So they are only in the oil for just few seconds on each side. This is the skillet you are also going to fry your eggs in.

Then it is just a matter of assembling the plate while the 2 eggs are frying.  I place the potatoes with chorizo and beans on the plate, followed by the warm tortillas (pat off any excess oil).  I lay the tortillas flat as they will hold the eggs and the red or green chile sauce. 

After placing a cooked egg on each tortilla, you will add red sauce to one egg and green sauce to the other.  Add a few garnishes if desired like a sprig or two of cilantro, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado slices.

You will notice there is no shredded or dry cheese on this plate.  Surprise! No, not really.  You may or may not know that most Spanish and Mexicans do not use cheese of any kind, on or in their foods.  If you go deep into Mexico to a taco stand, you won’t see a taco with cheese.  Cheese was added by the “Gringo”, (American or foreign English speaking person).  My guess is to add additional flavors.  The cotija cheese that many Mexican restaurants sprinkle over their refried beans is another of the Tex-Mex contributions to Mexican cuisine.  And speaking of beans, in New Mexico and most of Northern Mexico (above Mexico City), the pinto bean is the bean of choice over the black bean.  The further south you go, into Central and South America, the black bean is prevalent.  Again, the “Gringo” had a great influence in offering the black bean to their menu….and it was originally at upscale restaurants.  Now, there is a choice of bean on almost any Mexican Menu. In New Mexico, most of the older inhabitant’s homes, have a pot of pinto beans simmering on the stove with home made tortillas in a cloth covered basket nearby, for that ever present snack no matter the time of day.

Garnish as desired.  Happy Desayuno!  Red and Green Salsa Recipes Below!

Blessings Always

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV 

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”