Red or Green, Albuquerque is Home

I moved to Albuquerque back in 2007. With two children in tow, my husband at that time and I had rented an apartment sight unseen that was located off the I-25. After living in the swampy, wetlands of Bay City, Texas, and dealing with hurricanes Rita and Katrina, we were ready for the desert.

Driving through until we arrived, it was late at night and coming off the freeway, the sparkling lights of the city that evening did not do Albuquerque the justice it so well deserves. Arriving around midnight, luckily there was someone at the office expecting us, and we were let in to our two-bedroom, one bathroom abode. Since the children were ‘crapped out’, it was easier to wrap them in blankets, throw pillows under their heads, and let them dream on the freshly steamed carpets.

The floor sucked! Kids are malleable and bend and fold, sleeping easily almost anywhere. I on the other hand, stopped ‘popping up’ in the mornings many years ago. Two boys came bouncing over to our area of slumber around six in the morning. All I could think was, “WHERE is the coffee!” Bags under my eyes from driving for hours the previous night, I hugged and smiled at my two lil’ turkeys, and rolled myself over to crack every bone into an upright, standing position.

Getting dressed into fresh clothes, and splashing some water on the face, I walked outside to assess our new surroundings. I made my way down a hallway reminding me of a hospital. The fluorescent lights swaying overhead enhanced the pale-green, paint-chipped walls reinforcing the institutionalized perception. Thankfully, the gloomy feeling inside that hallway was in complete contrast to what I witnessed upon opening the eastern door.

Pushing the heavy metal door open, I looked towards the mountain range that was totally new to me. A glow shifted and changed the colors of the sky, while a rolling fog slowly cascaded over the Sandia crest. Peaches, cyan, and lavenders were softly caressing the now watermelon-colored mountains. The Sandia Mountains, were living up to their reputation and name.

It was still cool out. I took a deep breath. The first thing I noticed was I no longer felt as if I was breathing under water! Crisp, clean, thinner, fresh air with low humidity, I appreciated every inhaling and exhaling experience that morning. It was, dare I say...breathtaking. But I still needed my coffee fix!

We headed out by seven thirty (finally) and found a local place to eat breakfast. Arriving in town that previous evening, we had seen the signs advertising Blake’s Burgers, and decided to check it out. Oh my goodness. The breakfast burritos we bought were AMAZING! They were some of the largest burritos I had ever encountered, filled with hash browns, eggs, cheese, and sausage or bacon (I had both on mine). When taking our order, the individual at the register asked me something I had never heard before, “Do you want red or green?”

“Uh....red or green what?” I responded with a confused look on my face. She smiled genuinely and said, “You must be new to Albuquerque“.

“Yup, got in last night. So what’s this red or green about?” I redirected the conversation back to my curiosity, prodding further.

“It’s all about the chile! Do you want red or green chile?”

“Chili? Green Chili?” Why would I want chili on my burrito? That sounds disgusting! The visuals dancing through my mind were highly unpleasant. What could possibly be put in chili to turn it green? Remember, I had just moved from Texas. “I think I’ll have red” I said, still perplexed and a little fearful as to why anyone would endorse green chili.

English can be complicated even to those of us born and raised here. Chile and chili, pronounced the same, are two ENTIRELY different foods. When in New Mexico, be careful when ordering foods. Misinterpretations on ‘chile’ or ‘chili’ can easily happen here.

Back in Texas, when a waiter or waitress asked if you wanted any chili with something, you were served a bowl of meat, onions, cheese, possibly beans, all in a chili sauce. I had learned this understanding of chili back in California, and it translated to the same meaning and same food in the Lone-star state. Not in New Mexico! This was definitely not what was being offered here. And I really wasn’t sure what I was getting my stomach into; at least there was coffee!

We received the four burritos and made our way over to the booth. With the first bite into that sixteen ounces of glorious high protein indulgence, my world of flavors and eating changed FOREVER! I closed my eyes, and half the burrito was already gone by the next time I opened them again. Looking down, smothered inside with now melted, saucy cheese, was a beautifully smooth, red sauce; an edible endorphin rush that had me smiling the next several hours.

I had started lightly perspiring from the heat that was building up with each bite. It was good enough for someone like me to ALMOST say “F*** it to the coffee!”...almost, not quite. All of us finished every last bite of our burritos. If I had a second stomach, I would have in complete gluttony, with absolutely no guilt, ordered another. As it was, I felt like I needed a wheelbarrow to be rolled out of there after that meal. It was worth every penny!

I had figured out what the red chile was. It was very similar to enchilada sauces I had enjoyed in my past, but not exactly the same. Derived from the green chile pod and allowed to grow longer and turn red on the plant, it is dried and converted to a powder for making the red sauce. The heat range can be really diverse depending what type of chile is used.

Heat still playing and building up on the back of my throat with this sauce, I didn’t end up with a very hot batch on my burrito, but it was still noticeable. So what was the ‘green’ like? I learned it is completely different from the offered red sauce and from my first bite later that evening, I was hooked like an addict to crack. Burgers, pot-pies, burritos, beans, chili, there are any number of things that can and will compliment green chile.

After we ate breakfast, the family returned to the apartment. I looked up more information regarding New Mexico’s infamous question, “Red or green?” This question comes down to one fruit they (now we), pride ourselves on; the Hatch chile pepper. There are several different types of Hatch chiles. Some are very meaty, large, and put out a medium heat, known as “Big Jim’s”. Others, like the New Mexico are more mild. Just be careful of the Lumbres. These chiles are not for the individual new to eating hot foods and may likely melt your lips right off your face.

Grown in the Hatch Valley region, Hatch chile is not only a “stamp of approval” for chile standards, but is a household name representing quality and pride. This region has been called by many as the “Napa Valley of green chile” (505Southwestern, 2020). As the “Chile capital of the world” (Chili Pepper Madness, 2013, 2019), when harvesting is at its height in September, roasting chiles fills the Albuquerque air permeating everything with a smoky-sweet perfume. Your stomach will inevitably growl hungrily upon first whiff.

We had finished moving our furniture and packed boxes into the apartment. The day had past swiftly and we were all hungry again. With absolutely no interest in cooking yet, and not knowing any other relatively cheap places in town, returned to Blake’s for their burgers. When we ordered, this time we were asked if we wanted “green” on that. Had I not looked up the meaning of “Red or green” earlier that day, I would have assumed the server was referring to lettuce, pickles, and other veggie toppings.

I opened the wrapping paper encasing a juicy, scrumptious burger smothered in chopped green chile, cheese, bacon, and loaded vegetables. I was grateful I had worked hard that day, it made it easy to put that whole burger down my gullet, including the season fries and lemonade. Every bite, was totally EPIC! Our family on the first day of arriving to Albuquerque, had found our favorite little fast food joint and had learned a out “Red or green”. I just wish someone would have warned me that the heat going in catches up to you again on the way out. I think this is a secret joke among the natives, laughing about tourists and newbies falling in love with chile. No one says anything about the “end result”, but EVERYBODY who lives here knows what goes in....I think locals built callouses on their backsides through years of eating chile!

Green chile, now flowing through my veins, is a regular part of my diet. No, we don’t put chile in EVERYTHING, but yes, we have a deep freezer for storing a year worth of chopped green chile. We do keep a few whole chiles frozen for making chile rellenos. Most of the time, all the chile is ate before half the year is out and our family is stuck in March getting the frozen bags from the grocery store.

Later in my years, after a rocky divorce, I met and fell in love with more than the green chile; a man who was born and raised in Albuquerque had found my broken heart. That first year together, he introduced me to roasting Hatch green chile as a family.

Obtaining approximately a hundred pounds of Big Jim’s, we break out the beer, and while one individual toasts and sweats the chiles to remove the skins, the other chops and bags the chile. If you choose to take up this tradition, may I suggest latex/rubber gloves. Otherwise, you may regret rubbing your eyes or any other body parts- Oooooohhh...the pain!

I have learned, there is really nothing like getting together with family and roasting chiles all day, while tossing back a couple of IPA’s from the local Santa Fe brewery. After ten to twelve hours of roasting, sharing drinks, talking, and achieving a yearly goal together that we can all feel proud of, there is a certain peace and comaradory that cannot be found in the regular hustle and bustle of life. Everyone who participates leaves with green chile and smiles.

I moved to Albuquerque to get away from the hurricanes pounding at Texas’ doorstep. Arriving to Albuquerque, I learned New Mexico is a collection of beautiful individuals that like it hot with their desert and food! I learned about a completely new and eclectic culture. A culture that embraces family through traditions, food, and whether or not you want “Red or Green”!



Sources:

https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/sweet-mild-chili-peppers/hatch-chili-peppers/

https://www.505southwestern.com/news/the-ultimate-guide-to-buying-hatch-green-chiles