Grilled Pinon Lamb Chops

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Here is a delicious combination of ingredients from the Southwest –pine nuts, chile, and lamb. For an authentic, smoky flavor, grill them over mesquite wood or charcoal covered with mesquite chips soaked in water.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ground red New Mexican chile

  • 3/4 cup olive oil

  • 5 tablespoons roasted piñons or pine nuts

  • 1/2 cup tomato paste

  • 1/4 cup vinegar

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 4 lamb chops, cut 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients, except the lamb, in a blender and puree until smooth. Paint the chops with the mixture and allow them to marinate for at least an hour.

Grill the chops, turning them occasionally until done, about 7 to 10 minutes a side.

Pork Chops Ranchero-Style

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The addition of cumin and chiles give these pork chops a wonderful Southwestern flavor. You can grill them over charcoal, gas, or wood. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 1/4 cup lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup chopped onions

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 4 thick-cut pork chops

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients, except the pork, and marinate the pork in the mixture for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove the chops from the marinade and grill until done.

Serving Suggestions: The remaining marinade can be boiled for a few minutes and served on the side as a sauce.

Jalapeno-Stuffed Steaks

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Grilled steaks no longer have to be just a piece of plain meat. Any type of fresh chile or combinations of chiles can be substituted for the jalapeños in this recipe. The stuffing can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. An hour before cooking, slice the steaks and fill with the chile mixture.

Ingredients

  • 10 jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, chopped

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

  • 3 pounds trimmed fillet of beef, cut into 6 thick steaks

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Saute the chiles, onion, and garlic in the oil for a couple of minutes, until just soft but still a little crisp. Remove, cool, and mix in the cheese.

Slice into the steaks from the edge, creating a “pocket” for the stuffing. Stuff with the jalapeño mixture and fasten the opening with a toothpick, if necessary. Season the outside of each steak with the black pepper.

Grill over hot charcoal to the desired doneness.

El Pollo al Carbon

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The concept of marinating chicken in a spicy fruit juice and then char-broiling originated in Mexico and is becoming quite popular throughout the Southwest. The chicken is served with warm corn tortillas, fresh salsa, and a side of pinto beans. Customers then remove the chicken from the bones, place it in the tortilla, top with salsa, and enjoy. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 tomatillos, husks removed, chopped

  • ½ cup orange juice

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground habanero chile

  • 2 small chickens, cut in half lengthwise

  • Salsa of choice

  • Corn tortillas

Instructions

Saute the onion, garlic, and tomatillos in the oil until soft. Add the remaining ingredients, except the chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Place in a blender and puree to form a sauce.

Marinate the chicken in the sauce for at least 3 hours.

Grill the chicken, until done, basting frequently with the sauce.

Smoked Turkey Basted with Cascabel Oil

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This simple dish yields a complex taste. Serve the turkey hot with the chile oil and a salsa on the side, or cold on a bolillo roll. You can substitute anchos or pasillas for the cascabels.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 6 cascabel chiles, stems and seeds removed, crushed

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 10-pound turkey

Instructions

Heat the oil and saute the chiles and garlic until softened. Remove from the heat and add the oregano, salt, and pepper.

Split the turkey in half by cutting in through the breast and backbone. Brush the chile oil over the turkey and marinate for a couple of hours at room temperature.

Place the turkey sections, breast side up, on a grill in a smoker and smoke with indirect heat over an aromatic wood such as pecan, apple, or hickory. Baste the turkey with the oil every half hour until the turkey sections are done, approximately 4 hours.