Delicious dish fuses cuisine, cultures in fun-loving Sante Fe
Red or green? I wasn’t sure which chile pepper to pick when a waiter asked what sauce I wanted with my heaping, hot plate of enchiladas in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
I had to ask what the difference was — a dead giveaway that I was a tourist.
That’s because chile is the backbone of New Mexican culture and cuisine — a flavorful fusion of Spanish, Mediterranean, Mexican, Pueblo, Native American and a little bit Cowboy. The state’s most abundant crop — which is similar to Anaheim peppers, but hotter — has an influence over this lively Southwestern city that’s palpable beyond the dinner table.
Bright red chiles were the first things that caught my eye in New Mexico’s capital. But its architecture and landscape really stand out. The majestic Sangre de Cristo mountains serve as a backdrop and red-orange adobe-style homes and retail shops dominate, some made from simply mud and straw.
Ristras (bundles of dried chile) hang outside pink Pueblo-style homes with adobe walls and flat roofs. They serve as decor, but this is also a drying method to preserve chile pods for future cooking after the fall harvest.Both chile varieties start out green, and those that are not harvested turn red and dry as they ripen. Green peppers are roasted and chopped, and typically are cooked with onions that are pureed into a chunky sauce. They range from mild to hotter than jalapenos. Red peppers are more piquant than green and can be roasted too, but they’re typically ground into a chile powder.
I wanted to eat chile like a local, so I headed to Tomasita’s (500 S. Guadalupe St.), a 40-year-old family-owned spot with authentic Northern New Mexican food. I ordered the enchilada, oozing with cheese, red chile and an egg over-easy on top, served with rice and beans.
If you prefer to go green, opt for a green chile stew with potatoes and beef or pork. If you can't decide when someone asks you: “Red or green?,” simply say “Christmas” and you’ll get a mix of both with your dish.
You can learn how to make your own chile at Santa Fe School of Cooking (santafeschoolofcooking.com), which offers green and red chile workshops ($78 per person), teaching students how to prepare flour tortillas, and sauces made from New Mexican chile powder. Or sharpen your Southwestern cooking skills with a tamale making class ($98 for three hours).
While Spanish and Mexican influence can be seen throughout this city in art and architecture, it’s blended with American culture in the kitchen. At the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, the U.S. won New Mexico from Mexico. The result is breakfast burritos, carne asada (roasted or boiled marinated steak) and huevos rancheros (eggs poached in chile).
Then there’s the Frito pie. Some of the best are found at a snack bar tucked in the back of the Five & Dime General Store (58 E. San Francisco St.), where you can also pick up kitschy trinkets. The Tex-Mex staple consists of pinto beans, red chile sauce and shredded cheddar cheese served over the corn chips.
To truly get a taste of this walkable city, sign up for a walking restaurant tour with Santa Fe School of Cooking. You’ll stop at four restaurants, including Sazon (221 Sheelby St.), just two blocks from Santa