New Mexican Chili

I was in New Mexico last week for a lovely family wedding. I got to relax with awesome folk and enjoyed yummy New Mexican cuisine especially spicy red and green chile flavors. My husband is a huge green chile fan, but lately I’m favoring the red chile. I was in the center of the chile capital, so I had some of the best. And there is nothing like red chiles grown in New Mexico. Especially roasted and travel friendly red chile pods I can bring home? Super yum!

In addition to buying unique ingredients on my travels, I look for cookbooks as my souvenir to remind me of the cuisines of the places I visit. (And tee shirts…there has to be a tee shirt for everything.) All my goodies were conveniently bought 30 minutes before I left Albuquerque. Airports are becoming more like malls and decent sources for last minute souvenirs, which is good for me since I try to avoid tourist traps.

A book titled “New Mexico’s Tasty Traditions” by Sharon Niederman caught my eye. I picked up the book and was pleasantly surprised to find it full of stories, history, and New Mexican food culture. The author documents her experiences when she first moved to New Mexico and archives the state’s culinary culture with lively photographs and mouth watering recipes. These kinds of cook books are my favorite. Food with experience and life.

A lot of popular Mexican and New Mexican food is not Paleo friendly, since cheese, beans, tortilla, and corn are favored. But there are a handful of meaty dishes spiced with New Mexican chile and spices. Those are the best.

This Paleo New Mexican Chili is inspired by a dish called “Chile Nightmare,” listed in the book. They included a spice trifecta of cinnamon, nutmeg, and red chile was unexpected. I had no idea that flavor affinity would be so awesome!!

And cashews. My new “Paleo beans.” When braised with the rest of the ingredients, they will soften to a consistency very similar to beans. More importantly, the cashews will soak up all the flavors from the chili and give a burst of nutty spicy yum.

I am fairly adapted to spicy food and I would consider this one “moderately spicy.” Maybe a rank 2 on a scale of 1-4. But dried red chile pods are unique. As dry roasted, they retain their spice and also provide a slight smokey flavor. You can find them in the Mexican food section or Latin grocery stores, and via online ordering. I used You can order New Mexican dried chile pods here and the red chile powder here. Chimayo chile blends (and on bulk Amazon here) are particularly my favorite.

Lots of good meat infused with tastes of New Mexico! Goes great with Paleo Skillet ‘Cornbread,’ too!

New Mexican Paleo Chili

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

75 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Paleo New Mexican Red Chili

Author: Sharon

Cuisine: New Mexican

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1½ lb of Pork Rump
• 1 lb of Beef Shoulder
• 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1½ cup of Raw Cashews
• ¼ cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 6 Dried New Mexican Red Chile Pods (about 1 cup of large chile flakes)
• ¼ cup of New Mexican Red Chile Powder (Anaheim, Sandia, or Chimayos)
• 2 teaspoons of Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons of Mexican Oregano (or sub regular oregano)
• 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Nutmeg
• 15 ounces of Tomato Sauce
• 1½ cup of Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• up to 2 extra cups of Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• 2 Tablespoons of Lard or Cooking Fat

Instructions

1. Set the oven rack to a level where your dutch oven pot can rest in the center. About the second notch up in a standard oven.
2. Preheat to 325F.
3. Chop the beef and pork meat into 1-inch cubes.
4. Cut the stems off the red chiles and discard. Finely chop the chiles or pulse them in a food processor until they are about the same size as the onions. You may keep the seeds in for a super hot chili :) I kept about half of them.
5. Heat your dutch oven pot on the stove top to medium high and add the cooking fat.
6. Add the beef and pork cubes and cook until brown. Remove the meat from the pot, while leaving the fat in the pan, and set the meat aside.
7. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook until the onions are almost translucent.
8. Stir in the apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pot.
9. Mix in the chopped dried red chile pods, and cook until the chile oils start to seep.
10. Add the cinnamon, oregano, nutmeg, red chile powder, pepper, tomato sauce, and cashews. Stir until combined.
11. Add and stir in the browned meat.
12. Add the 1½ cup of broth and mix until combined. The meat level should be above the liquid surface.
13. Cover the pot and place in the oven.
14. Bake at 325F for about 60 to 90 minutes. Cashews should be almost completely soft.
15. Add the chopped bell pepper. You may add extra broth at this stage until you are satisfied with the thickness.
16. Return the pot to the oven with a closed lid and bake for another 15 minutes.
17. Enjoy!

3.2.2885

Original article: New Mexican Chili

©2015 Plated with Style. All Rights Reserved.

The post New Mexican Chili appeared first on Plated with Style.