A Taste of New Mexico: Green Chile Stew

Green Chile Stew has always been more than just a dish - it's a warm memory simmered into a pot, a familiar scent that fills the kitchen and wraps around you like a blanket. It's one of those recipes that carries the weight of tradition without needing to be complicated. It connects me to where I come from, and to the generations of women who cooked with care, intention, and the ingredients they had on hand.

I grew up in Texas, but my roots run straight to New Mexico, where my mom was born and raised on a ranch in the Hatch Valley. She brought those flavors with her into our Texas kitchen - earthy beans, warm tortillas, and of course, the smoky, spicy flavor of green chiles. Green Chile Stew was her comfort food, and it quickly became mine. It was never just something we ate in the winter; it showed up year-round, because the craving for home doesn't follow the seasons.

There's something unmistakably New Mexican about this stew. It's rustic and unpretentious, made with pork, potatoes, and a generous helping of Hatch green chiles. The ingredients are simple, but the flavor is anything but. That's the beauty of it. When you're working with high-quality ingredients - especially ones that carry such strong regional character - you don't have to do much. The chiles speak for themselves.

We made regular trips to New Mexico when I was growing up, often timed with the chile harvest. I can still remember the excitement of pulling into a roadside stand and seeing the big roasting drums spinning over open flames, the scent of charred chile skins rising in the warm air. We'd load the car with bags of freshly roasted Hatch chiles, their smoky aroma lingering for days. Back home, we'd peel, chop, and freeze them to make sure we had enough to last until the next trip.

Even now, I return to New Mexico several times a year, and Green Chile Stew is always at the top of my list - whether I'm ordering it in a favorite Albuquerque restaurant or making it myself with chiles I've brought back across state lines. When I can't get there, this recipe becomes my way of going home in spirit.

It's a forgiving stew, open to variations and tweaks depending on what you have on hand. But for me, it starts with browning cubes of pork shoulder until they're just caramelized, then adding chopped onions and garlic to build the base. After that, it's about the chiles - roasted, peeled, and chopped - along with diced potatoes and chicken broth to bring it all together. A bit of oregano and cumin deepen the flavor, and from there it's just a matter of time. Let it simmer low and slow until everything is tender and infused with that unmistakable chile flavor.

The end result is more than the sum of its parts. It's a bowl full of comfort, layered with heat and warmth. It's perfect on its own or with a warm tortilla on the side, and even better the next day. This stew doesn't shout; it settles in, filling your kitchen with the kind of scent that makes people wander in, spoon in hand, looking for a taste before dinner is officially served.

For me, Green Chile Stew is a way to keep the past present. It's a reminder that food doesn't have to be fancy to be meaningful. It just has to be made with love and served with a story. Every time I make it, I'm reminded of who taught me to cook and why it matters. This isn't just a New Mexican recipe - it's part of my heritage, and I'm proud to pass it along, one bowl at a time.

Number of Servings: 6

 Prep Time: 15 minutes

 Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

 Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

 Course Type: Main Dish

 Cuisine Style: New Mexican

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds Hatch green chiles, roasted, peeled, and chopped
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

Brown the Pork:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork pieces and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside.

Sauté the Aromatics:

In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.

Combine the Ingredients:

Return the browned pork to the pot along with the roasted Hatch green chiles and cubed potatoes. Stir well to combine.

Add the Broth and Seasonings:

Pour in the chicken broth, ensuring that the ingredients are well-covered. Stir in the oregano and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the pork is tender and the flavors have melded together.

Serve:

Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot, accompanied by warm flour tortillas or a crusty bread.