Don't worry, there won't be a report due next week if you read this. In celebration of Cinco de Mayo and the 10th year anniversary of Sam Houston U releasing me from it's tight grip with a diploma, I have a blog about that green sauce you like so much at your favorite Mexican restaurant.
Before we get into this, anyone that's from New Mexico is already about to give a lecture about how true chili sauce is made from hatch chilis, and back in NM blah blah blah blah blah. I get it, now can I talk about other chilies and you not be offended?
The green sauce sits in that same bowl that the red sauce does on the table. It's good, real good and I wondered what was in it. I asked around and got some answers but it seemed that everyone had their own version which had a lot of differences. It taste kind of creamy, is that sour cream or some secret ingredient found deep in desert plant of Mexico? I ordered a pint of it from my favorite Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda III, and I asked if it needs to be refrigerated. Well, their green sauce did, which means I didn't try to pack it in my checked bag to bring a little bit of home to my sister in North Africa. It also means there's something that needs to be kept cold in it, like sour cream.
Last summer, on a warm rainy day, I found myself at half price books in the cook book section. Yes, that happens sometimes. I found a book that has different Houston restaurant recipes in it and low and behold.... Ninfa's Green and Red Sauce recipe. This was right before 4th of July and I ended up making 3 batches over the long weekend for family and friend get togethers. And I've made it a few times since then.
It's not a quick recipe, the ingredients aren't found in every grocery store, and it makes a little bit of a mess. Luckily for me, mom was growing tomatoes last summer so I saved a few trips to Central Market for the green tomatoes. Basically, you cook green tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic over the stove. After you cool the sauce, you blend it with cilantro, avocados, salt and sour cream. Total start to finish, it's a 45 minute to an hour process, depending how much you cool it after the stove top.
Fast-forward to last weekend when I had a house get together over at a friends and was asked to bring chips or something. That green sauce came to mind, but I'm getting a little lazy and knew I wouldn't want to spent an hour making it on Saturday. I tried a short cut and it turned out pretty good. HEB has and Tomatillo Green Chili salsa and I blended it with 2 small avocados, about 6 oz of sour cream, a good hand full of cilantro and salt to taste. I used a hand blender, but a normal blender or a food processor would work too.
And there is the tale of chilies... sauces. Two green sauces, both very good, one came from the school of hard knocks and the other does just enough to get by in life. Oh, it's good as a dip or topper for tacos, fajitas or as a salad dressing.
