Finally figured out the secret to great green chile at the State Fair

I've been trying to make killer green chile for years and it NEVER came out right. Last weekend at the New Mexico State Fair I stopped by that little chile roasting stand near the midway. The old guy running it told me his trick: you gotta roast the chiles until the skin is BLACK, not just blistered. He said most people pull them too early. I went home and tried it with a batch from the Farmers Market on Central. I left them on the grill for a full 8 minutes per side until they looked almost burnt. The flavor was COMPLETELY different, way smokier and richer than before. Has anyone else gotten a cooking tip from a vendor or stranger at the Fair that actually worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley_thompson6d ago

Wait, did he tell you anything about what kind of wood or heat source he uses? I had a similar thing happen at the county fair a few years back with a guy selling corn on the cob. He said you gotta leave the husk on and throw it directly on the coals until the husk is completely black, and the corn comes out all steamed and sweet. I tried it with some corn from the grocery store and it wasn't the same, probably because the corn at the fair is just better. Anyway, your green chile story reminds me of how picky old timers are about roasting, they really know their stuff.

riley_price6d ago

He's onto something with the charring though. I tried it with a batch from the Hatch store on Fourth Street and went a full 10 minutes per side on my gas grill. The skin was totally black and peeling off in big sheets. That deep smoky flavor is real but you gotta be careful not to let the actual flesh burn. My wife thought I ruined dinner until she tasted it.

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