Hatch Chile Festival

L. Covington — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:36:51 +0000

Fresh Green Chilies at the Hatch Valley Chile Festival

Ever since I left Denver, Colorado in August 2002 and made my way to Brooklyn, there is only one thing I really missed: green chilies. Sorry East coasters, you don’t know what I am talking about unless you happened to spend some time in the Southwest and indulged in the these delicious, hot, and meaty green peppers. This love and constant craving finally drove me to hit up the Hatch Valley Chile Festival in the tiny town of Hatch, New Mexico this year.

For 38 years they have hosted chili roasters, venders serving up a slew of chili laced goodies, a chili eating contest, auctions, and Chili Queen crowning, and more chili themed events all on a dusty clearing between numerous pepper fields just a couple miles from town. From the moment you enter Hatch the scent of chilies roasting hits your nose and you can’t go anywhere without people peddling sacks of the fresh peppers as well as ristas (the stringed bunches of chilies), chili stew, and chili rellenos.

Green Chili Ice Cream at the Hatch Valley Chile Festival

Basically, I had landed in heaven. We spent all of Sunday chowing on chili ice cream, red chili laced popcorn, pecan and green chili brittle, corn soaked in green chili butter, chili beer, and so on.

Even when our car broke down on the drive back to Colorado in the small railroad town of Belen, New Mexico, I was still living high. Who cared the only place to eat was Pizza Hut? I took my jar of fresh green chili salsa and smothered my slice, letting the heat take away the pain of waiting for the mechanic.

Green Chili Smothered Burrito at the Hatch Valley Chile Festival

Craving: Shredded Pork Burrito

L. Covington — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:30:59 +0000

While spending time with my grandmother in Denver, Colorado, we did what we usually do–we went out to lunch. This is always an event because my grandmother can never make up her mind about what she wants to eat. So this time, I merely said “Mexican” and she twittered about this new place that had opened up in one of her favorite, now defunct, breakfast spots in Aurora.

El Tequileno was everything a Mexican restaurant should be: cheap, spicy, big, and meaty. I got this shredded pork burrito in green chili sauce. Superb! Right now, this is all I want, but know in New York, green chili doesn’t exist unless I make it. Oh well, at least I have found decent tacos.

(On a side note, my grandmother was just tickled when the owner of the joint flirted with me, which resulted in 50 percent off my meal and a free margarita. Now she wants to take me with her EVERYWHERE).

eat me drink me » green chili

Hatch Chile Festival

Craving: Shredded Pork Burrito