Anaheim Chile Salsa Verde
Anaheim’s are very popular in Southwestern US Cuisine. Also called “New Mexican Chile”. These were developed by Dr. Fabian Garcia in New Mexico about 100 yrs ago who was seeking a chile pepper that was bigger, fleshier, and milder.
They got the name “Anaheim” when a farmer named Emilio Ortega brought these seeds to the Anaheim area in the early 1900′s. This chile can be roasted and peeled and used in recipes or stuffed to make chile rellenos just as the Poblano Chile.
Ingredients:
6 fresh green Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, stemmed and seeded (about 3/4 lb.)
3/4 pound fresh tomatillos
1 cup chicken broth
2 garlic cloves
1 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs
Instructions:
Roast the chiles and cover for 10 minutes. Peel the chiles, then remove the stems and seeds. Remove husks from fresh tomatillos and rinse under warm water to remove stickiness.
In a saucepan simmer the tomatillos, broth and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the chiles to mixture and allow the ingredients to cool slightly.
In a blender pulse the chile-tomatillo mixture until coarsely chopped. (Salsa may be made up to this point 2 days ahead.) Allow ingredients to cool uncovered before refrigerating. Cover until ready for use.
Bring salsa to room temperature or reheat before proceeding. Just before serving, pulse the salsa in a blender with the cilantro leaves until the cilantro is finely chopped. Season with salt.
Makes about 3 cups.