The scent of chile peppers roasting marks the fall harvest on the farmlands east of Pueblo. The Pueblo chile pepper is a huge part of the culture and cuisine in southern Colorado. It’s also the critical ingredient in green chile, a local specialty. The President got a taste of this local favorite, when he campaigned in Pueblo in August. He said, "I got to admit that we're saving some to take back to the White House. So I'm going to work with the White House chefs to see if we can figure out some of the secrets here." Pueblo celebrates its famous peppers with the annual Chile and Frijoles Festival, which starts today. Ryan Warner speaks with Mike Bartolo, who grew up on a farm outside of Pueblo and now supervises CSU’s agriculture research center there.
Pueblo Chile recipes provided by the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce
Green Chile
1 lb Sirloin Pork Cubed
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
8 Pueblo Chilies (roasted, peeled and diced)
5 Cloves Garlic
1 Can (16oz) Chicken Broth
½ tsp. Onion Salt
¼ tsp. Garlic Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
1-14 oz Can Chopped and Peeled Tomatoes
11½ Cups Water
1 tsp Chicken Base
5 tbsp Flour
Lightly brown pork in oil until glazed. Add ¼ cup water,
chilies, garlic, salt, garlic salt and pepper and heat thru. In
a blender add 1 ½ cups of water with flour blending until
smooth. In 8qt sauce pan add pork mixture, tomatoes, 10
cups of water, chicken broth, and chicken base. Bring to a
boil. Slowly add the flour mixture until desired consistency.
Let simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Salsa
2- 14oz Cans Diced Tomatoes (drained)
2 Medium Ripe Tomatoes (diced)
1 Bunch Green Onions (chopped including greens)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
¼ Cup Cilantro (finely chopped)
1 Cup Roasted Pueblo Chilies (peeled, seeded and
chopped) (1/2 Cup Pueblo Hot Green & ½ cup Pueblo Red
1/8 Cup Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
1 tsp. Granulated Garlic
1 tsp Granulated Onion
1 tsp Fine Sea Salt
Place all ingredients except granulated garlic, onion, and
sea salt into food processor. Pulse for 7-10 seconds or until
desired consistency. Pour into medium sized bowl. Add
granulated garlic, onion and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.
For a chunkier texture, finely dice and chop all ingredients
instead of using the food processor.
[Photos: George Vasquez, Extremeshots Photography; Mike Bartolo]
