Chilies for Christmas

It’s Christmas in Santa Fe year-round. In homes and restaurants all over town, just about every dish is covered in a holiday-hued duo of sauces made from New Mexico’s ubiquitous chilies.

Diners in restaurants order the duo: “Give me the Christmas.� Or just, “Red and green, please.�

According to Patricia Greenhouse, a fourth generation New Mexican and author, the two chili sauces “form the basis of 99 percent of the dishes� served in Santa Fe restaurants. (Most places use the Spanish spelling, chiles.)

“They are used in enchiladas, huevos rancheros, to smother burritos and stuffed sopaipillas, and in a bowl with meat or beans and known simply as a bowl of red or green,� she said. Locals even spoon them over eggs in the morning.

The chilies are harvested in the fall in this area, which is known to have the world’s shortest growing season (90 to 120 days), said Katharine Kagel, owner of Cafe Pasqual in Santa Fe and author of “Cooking with Cafe Pasqual’s.�

During that harvest period of about two weeks, the Santa Fe farmers market is fragrant with the aroma of roasting chilies, turning in large wire drums over propane flames. Once charred nicely, the chilies are packed into bags to steam, and then can be easily peeled and used, or frozen for later.

Every cook has a different take on the green and red sauces, Greenhouse said. Some thicken their sauce with a flour and oil roux, others leave it thin. Some make the red sauce from dried red chili powder, rather than whole pods. The green sauce usually combines the chopped chilies with onion, garlic, salt and chicken broth. But some cooks just use water to thin the mixture.

Whatever the method or additions, these sauces are spicy and addictive. For a holiday flavor boost, try them over sliced, roasted turkey or chicken or pork tenderloin. Christmas really can be year-round, Santa Fe-style.

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Roasted pork tenderloin with red and green chili sauces

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Makes: 8 servings

2 pork tenderloins, about 2 pounds total

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon each: paprika, coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Red chili sauce, see recipe

Green chili sauce, see recipe

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Rub pork with oil.

3. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper; pat down so it adheres on all sides.

4. Roast until meat thermometer reads 150 degrees. Let rest 8 minutes.

5. Cut on the diagonal into 1-inch slices.

6. Serve with red chili sauce over one-half of each serving and green chili sauce over the other half.

Nutrition information

Per serving: 166 calories, 38% of calories from fat,

7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat,

75 mg cholesterol, 0 g carbohydrates, 24 g protein, 292 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

Green chili sauce

Prep: 1 hour

Cook: 6 minutes

Makes: 2 cups

Known in New Mexico as just “green chile.� Use New Mexican green chilies or Anaheims for this sauce. The sauce will keep four days in the refrigerator. Adapted from a recipe from New Mexico native Patricia Greenhouse.

12-15 green chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, chopped

1 onion, chopped fine

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chicken broth or water

Place chilies, half of the onion, and the garlic and salt in a skillet. Add broth; heat to a boil. Lower the heat; simmer until onion is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of the onion; heat 1 minute. Taste for seasoning. Puree in a food processer or blender, if you like.

Nutrition information

Per 1/4 cup serving: 35 calories, 4% of calories from fat, 0.2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 199 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

New Mexico red chili sauce

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 7 minutes

Rest: 20 minutes

Makes: about 2 cups

This is Patricia Greenhouse’s favorite way to make red chili sauce.

6 dried New Mexico red chili pods, washed, dried

2 cups boiling water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. Spread the chilies on a baking sheet.

3. Roast in the oven until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Cool. Stem, seed.

4. Place in a blender; pour boiling water over, pushing the chilies down until covered.

5. Blend 2 minutes.

6. Let sit 20 minutes.

7. Add salt.

8. Blend to puree, adding more water if too thick.

Nutrition information

Per 1/4 cup serving: 36 calories, 23% of calories from fat, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 78 mg sodium, 3 g fiber