Authentic Santa Fe Holiday Recipes: Traditional New Mexican Favorites from The City Different

Nothing captures the holiday spirit in Santa Fe quite like the irresistible aromas of traditional New Mexican cuisine wafting from kitchens across The City Different. These time-honored recipes, sourced from renowned local experts like the Santa Fe School of Cooking and award-winning chefs, will bring the enchanting flavors of Santa Fe's holiday season to your home.

Red Chile Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Santa Fe School of Cooking

Ingredients (Makes about 3 cups):

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup pure ground New Mexican red chile powder
• 2 1/2 cups water or chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed
• Salt to taste
• Optional: freshly ground coriander seed

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir in the flour and chile powder, then slowly add the water, whisking to break up lumps. Add oregano and cumin, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt.

Green Chile Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Santa Fe School of Cooking

Ingredients (Makes about 2 1/2 cups):

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons flour
• 2/3 cup mild roasted, peeled, chopped New Mexico green chile
• 2/3 cup hot roasted, peeled, chopped New Mexico green chile
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• Salt to taste
• Optional: diced tomato, fresh cilantro, freshly ground coriander seed

Heat oil in a medium saucepan and sauté onion until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir in flour, then green chiles and optional coriander. Slowly stir in chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Season with salt.

Posole

Recipe courtesy of Cheryl Alters Jamison’s "Tasting New Mexico"

Photo Courtesy: Douglas Merriam

Ingredients (Serves 8):

• 6 dried New Mexican red chile pods, stemmed and seeded
• 1-1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder or loin, trimmed and cut into bite-sized cubes (or 1-2 pigs’ feet)
• Water
• 2 lbs frozen posole or 1 lb dried posole
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 6-10 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For frozen posole: Combine chiles and pork in a Dutch oven with 4 quarts water; simmer 30 minutes. Add posole and cook 30 minutes more. For dried: Add with chiles, pork, and 6 quarts water; simmer 1 hour. Stir in onions, garlic, and salt; simmer until posole is soft (30 minutes for frozen, 1+ hours for dried). Serve hot in bowls with liquid or drained alongside.

Carne Adovada

Recipe courtesy of Santa Fe School of Cooking

Photo Courtesy: Santa Fe School of Cooking

Ingredients (Serves 8):

• 1/3 cup peanut or vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 lbs pork loin or butt, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 cups diced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth or water
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 2 teaspoons chile caribe
• 3/4 cup NM ground red chile, mild or medium
• 1 tablespoon red chile honey
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• Salt to taste
• Optional: ground canela, ground cumin seed, toasted ground chile seeds, toasted ground pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown pork in batches; set aside. Sauté onion until golden, add garlic for 1 minute. Deglaze with 1 cup broth. Process coriander, oregano, chile caribe, red chile, honey, vinegar, salt, onions, garlic, deglazing liquid, and 2 cups broth until smooth. Combine with pork and remaining broth in ovenproof dish; bake 1 hour until tender. (Traditional method: Marinate overnight, bake 2-2 1/2 hours.) Serve over chile rellenos, rice, as burritos, or with beans and posole.

Chile Relleno del Cielo

Recipe courtesy of Hotel St. Francis

Ingredients (Makes 5 rellenos):

Chiles:

• 5 whole Anaheim green chiles, roasted and peeled

Mushroom Filling:

• 2 lbs white mushrooms
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 quart heavy cream

Chile Sauce:

• 1 cup demi-glace
• 1/2 cup freshly prepared pinto beans
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic
• 1/4 cup chicos (dried corn)

Slice chiles down the middle; set aside. For filling: Sauté onion, add mushrooms and cream; reduce until mushy, cool, and purée. Stuff chiles. For sauce: Simmer demi-glace, beans, garlic, and chicos until creamy. Plate sauce, top with stuffed chile, sliced side down.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe courtesy of Santa Fe School of Cooking

Photo Courtesy: Santa Fe School of Cooking

Ingredients (Serves 10):

• 3 cups red or green chile sauce (recipe above)
• 16 fresh corn tortillas, about 4 inches in diameter
• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 1/2 lbs Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion or sliced scallions
• 2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
• 1 1/2 cups diced tomato
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°F; oil a 9x12-inch baking dish. Spread 1 cup sauce on bottom, layer half the tortillas, chicken, 1/3 cheese, and half the onion. Repeat; top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes until bubbly and browned. Garnish with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. Serve with pinto beans and posole.

Biscochitos

Recipe courtesy of Cheryl Alters Jamison’s "Tasting New Mexico"

Ingredients (Makes 4 dozen):

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1 1/2 teaspoons ground anise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 lb lard, softened
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons sweet white wine, brandy, rum, or apple/pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup sugar + 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for topping

Sift dry ingredients; set aside. Beat lard and sugar until fluffy (8 minutes). Add egg and wine; beat. Incorporate dry ingredients in thirds to form stiff dough. Chill 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll to 1/4-inch thick, cut shapes. Bake 10-12 minutes until pale golden. Cool slightly, dip tops in cinnamon-sugar.

For more recipes from The City Different, bookmark our recipes page at https://santafe.org/Visiting_Santa_Fe/About_Santa_Fe/Santa_Fe_Flavors/index.html.