Most visitors to the New Mexico respect the same old enchiladas and tacos that they could find anywhere. But the inhabitants know the real treasures in the district joints and the family kitchens through the state. From the ancient Native American ingredients to creative fusion dishes, these hidden jewels present the true soul of the cuisine of New Mexico. Prepare to discover flavors that will always change the way you think about southwest food.
1. Carne Adovada (pork cooked slowly in red Chile)
Imagine pork so tender that it collapses with a soft boost of your fork. It is the magic of the authentic teen car, where pork shoulder pieces bathe in sauce in pure red chili for hours.
The Café de Mary & Tito in Albuquerque has perfected this old technique, using only dried peppers in New Mexico in a deep and smoked paste. No tomatoes or burning loads the intense flavor here.
This classic winner of James Beard America represents generations of the wisdom of new Mexico cuisine, transforming simple ingredients into something extraordinary thanks to patience and tradition.
2. Frito Pie (New Mexico style)
Forget everything you think you know about Froto Pie. The version of the New Mexico transforms this humble snack into a legitimate meal that residents are looking for after the end of evenings.
In Five & Dime General Store of Santa Fe, they serve it just inside the Fritos bag, garnished with green or red chili, melted cheese and fresh dice. The heat of Chile acts slightly the bag, creating a edible bowl.
Unlike the versions of Texas loaded with Chile Con Carne, the new mexico maintains it pure and simple, leaving the complex flavors of Chile shining through each crunchy bite.
3. Green chili chili chili
The traditional Mexican pozole obtains a distinctly new Mexican cure with the addition of roasted green peppers. This is not something that you will find south of the border.
El Modelo to Albuquerque serves smoking bowls of this hearty Hominy stew, where a tender chicken mixes grains of dodus corn and pieces of green chili roasted by fire. Each spoonful offers heat that propagates your tongue to your toes.
Green chili adds a smoky heat that the traditional red pozole simply cannot correspond, creating a unique Mexican comforting food to which the inhabitants turn during the cold winter nights.
4. Sopaipillas in plush (tasty, not sweet)
Most tourists only know sopaipillas only pillows pillows for dessert drunk with honey. The inhabitants, however, know that the real treasure lies in the savory stuffed versions which make a full meal.
The Sopaipilla factory in Albuquerque creates these golden pockets with fried bread, then pins them with seasoned chopped beef, fried beans and cheese before stifling everything in red or green chili sauce.
Each bite combines the crisp exterior with a copious garnish that satisfies like no ordinary Taco could never. It is a comforting food that fills both the stomach and the soul.
5. Pankes of blue corn piñon
Blue corn is not only for tortilla croustilles in New Mexico. The Santa Fe pantry transforms this old grain into soft pancakes that have a breakfast taste that you have ever experienced.
The molded piñon nuts of local pines add a rich and buttered crunch that perfectly completes the earthy sweetness of blue corn flour. These are not your typical pancakes.
Served with real maple syrup or local wild flowers honey, each bite connects you to ingredients that have supported people in this high desert for thousands of years. It is breakfast with serious cultural roots.
6. Calabacitas Congeso
The summer squash has never had such a good taste until new Mexican cooks include the perfect combination of calabacitas, corn and green chili all linked to melted cheese.
The Tomasita in Santa Fe raise this humble swimming of vegetables in something magical. The fresh squash is jumped with sugar corn grains and diced green chili, then finished with generous quantities of local cheese.
While most restaurants serve it as an accompaniment dish, intelligent inhabitants command it as their main dish with a stack of hot flour tortillas for recovery. It is comforting food that happens to be vegetables.
7. Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo
Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo is a delicious turn on the classic chili dish. The green peppers are filled with a salty mixture of chopped beef and potatoes, creating a generous and satisfactory meal. The garnish is seasoned with spices which add a flavor depth, while the melted cheese on top offers a creamy contrast. This dish is a favorite among the inhabitants for its rich taste and its comforting qualities.
Served with one side of rice and beans, Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo represents the heart of the home kitchen of the new Mexican. The combination of textures and flavors makes it an exceptional dish that visitors rarely have the experience. It is a testimony to the creativity and ingenuity of the new Mexican leaders who are proud of their culinary heritage.
8. Gile Chile Philly Cheesteak
The proximity of the south of New Mexico with the transplants of Philadelphia and the local Chilean farms has created this improbable fusion which works perfectly.
Stripes Burrito Company in Las Cruces loads their version with a soft local beef, grilled onions, melted cheese and generous quantities of roasted green chili on a roller of crisp hoagie.
The smoked heat of green chili plays beautifully against the rich cheese and salty beef, creating a sandwich which honors both the tradition of philadelphia and the new Mexican ingredients. It is a well -made regional fusion, without losing the soul of one or the other kitchen that inspired it.
9. Biscochito ice cream sandwich
The official cookie of the state of the new-mexic obtains a modern makeover which would make the grandmothers proud and slightly scandalized.
Paleta bar with Albuquerque Sandwichs Creamila Cream in Vanilla between two traditional biscochitos with anise anise
The delicate aniseed flavor of cookies and the friable texture give the perfect contrast to cold and smooth ice cream. Each bite offers childhood memories of festivals mixed with the innovation of contemporary desserts. It is the nostalgia that you can eat, a delicious bite at the same time.
10. Fried chicken with red honey
Nexus Brewery in Albuquerque took the southern fried chicken and gave him a distinctly new Mexican personality who creates serious dependence.
Their cooking makes chicken fries with golden perfection, then the drizzle with infused honey from chili ground ground, creating a sugar heat combination that strikes all the pleasure centers in your mouth.
The crisp coating holds magnificently against the frosting in Chile, while the meat remains juicy inside. It is a comforting food that pans cultures, proving that sometimes the best innovations come from the combination of beloved traditions in an unexpected way that makes sense.
