green chile mayonnaise

Jen calls this New Magic Awesome Sauce, but I would beg to differ. I like to think of it as New Mexico Awesome Sauce. After all, it’s based on our signature ingredient, the green chile.

To be honest, I was worried about Dave’s reception of this stuff. Dave and green chile is like me and chocolate chip cookie dough. When we were peeling our mountain of roasted chiles back in September, he had a one-for-the-freezer-one-for-my-belleh mentality.

When I mixed green chile with mayonnaise, garlic, and lime juice, I diluted it from its pure state. How dare I! I gave Dave a bit to taste, and his opinion was, of course, more green chile! In the end, I ended up doubling the green chile in the sauce, but this is really a to-taste kind of thing.

What I forgot to consider in my concern over Dave’s opinion was that he’s happy whenever green chile is added to something. The same goes with garlic. The lime juice rounds out the flavors in this gutsied up mayonnaise, and besides, what’s to stop us from smearing more green chile right on top our New Mexico Awesome Sauce to make the ultimate green chile cheeseburger?

One year ago: Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Glazed Lemon Cookies, Wheat Berries with Caramelized Onions and Feta
Two years ago: Gallitos, Wheatmeal Shortbread Cookies, Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Medallions

Green Chile Mayonnaise (adapted from The Border Cookbook via Use Real Butter)

Makes about ½ cup

I realized when I went to mix up the sauce that I hadn’t roasted any garlic. Not interested in heating the oven for one or two cloves, I toasted it instead. Simply heat a dry not-nonstick pan over medium to medium-high heat and place the unpeeled garlic in it. Turn the cloves every few minutes until the peels are blackened in spots. It softens the flavor, although it won’t be as sweet as fully roasted garlic.

What, your local grocery store doesn’t sell bushels of Hatch green chiles in the fall, with a drum grill in the parking lot for roasting? Poor you. There are several good online sources, or you could perhaps try the little 4-ounce cans, or you could try using roasted and peeled Anaheim or poblano chiles instead. It won’t be the same, but it won’t be bad.

¼ cup roasted green chile, skinned and de-seeded
1 clove garlic, toasted and peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ cup mayonnaise

Add all of the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor or blender; puree. Chill for at least an hour before serving.