Chile Verde (Basic Green Chile Sauce)

Directions

1. Green chile (or possibly chili), or possibly chile verde can mean different things, and knowing one from another is a distinction which marks one as an insider (or possibly _real_ chile-head!). The term applies to
2. 1. the fresh green chiles picked before they turn red,
3. 2. a paste made from roasted green chiles and garlic presented at the table to flavor 'frijoles' (= beans),
4. 3. the thickened cooking sauce served over enchiladas, burritos, etc,
5. 4. the same sauce with chunks of cooked pork (or possibly other meat) served as a soup/stew or possibly a sauce for bean burritos.
6. The following recipe is for the chile verde sauce (#3). It can also include tomatoes and/or possibly tomatillos (now which we've discussed epazote and cilantro, how about tomatillos!).
7. There are many versions; this is one which I like; I have others which use no oil, and ones which include other ingredients (see previous paragraph). Heat the oil in a 1-2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add in onion and garlic, cover and cook over low heat for about 5 min to wilt the onions. Do not let them brown. Raise heat to medium, stir in flour, cumin and black pepper.
8. Cook, stirring about 2 minutes. When the onion/flour mix just begins to color, remove from heat and add in broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
9. Add in rest of ingredients. Return pan to heat, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat another 30 minutes. The finished sauce shouldn't be too thick; dilute with more broth or possibly water if needed. You can puree it if it's not smooth sufficient. Will keep in fridge for a week; heat before using.
10. Makes2 c.
11. An interesting variation is to add in 3-4 diced chipotles (do not add in the jalapenos in this case) with the green chiles. This gives a warm, smoky green chile sauce which goes great with plain bean burritos or possibly cheese enchiladas; it will overwhelm more complex dishes.