Green chile cheese steak
The song of the cicadas, the beginning of football and the arrival of Hatch green chiles always signal the end of summer for me. While I usually try to make it home every August so I can enjoy these things, this year I’ve had to stay in New York, holed up in my apartment writing recipes for my new book.
Okay, that’s not actually a burden, as I do love to write. And I’m pleased to say that now that the recipes are on paper the fun part starts to happen—I head into the kitchen and start cooking. But let’s get back to those signs of late summer. While New York City doesn’t celebrate football quite like Texas does, there are plenty of cicadas clacking away and the other day I even found some Hatch chiles.
Now, this time of year in Texas and New Mexico you’ll see large roasters spinning in front of fruits stands, stores and restaurants signaling the presence of Hatch chiles. This was not the case here in New York, nor were the shelves stocked with limited edition treats made with the chiles, as you’ll also see during the season.
But despite the lack of fanfare, after a long hunt I found nestled in a corner of the produce section a small basket of the precious chiles. And while sometimes perishable things that travel long distances don’t hold up so well, as I picked up a handful I noticed that the bright green chiles were firm and fragrant. These chiles were fresh and good.
The checkout people weren’t familiar with the chiles, so I explained that the Hatch chile was an Anaheim chile grown in Hatch, New Mexico. Hatch refers to the chiles place of origin, not its type. So if you see a chile labeled as a Hatch that’s been grown in say, Florida—it’s not truly a Hatch chile, instead it’s a Florida Anaheim. I also told them about the annual excitement people feel about these chiles, as there’s just something about the dirt in Hatch that makes these chiles taste so good.
When I got home, I began roasting them and my apartment smelled like green chile heaven. While it’s my inclination to throw them into just about anything, there was one dish I thought their addition would be especially welcome—in a cheese steak sandwich. Imagine this—tender slices of rib eye topped with a luscious sauce thick with cheese and chiles, all nestled on a soft bun. These sandwiches take little time to make and are perfect for game day or a lazy late-summer afternoon.
This summer I’ve missed y’all as I took a break from my computer. Now that I’m back in the kitchen, however, I look forward to spending more time with you as I get busy again. But first, I’m going to have another green chile cheese steak, as they are simple, satisfying and very, very good.
Green chile cheese steak
Ingredients
Ingredients for the green chile cheese sauce:
- 6 Hatch or Anaheim green chiles
- 2 jalapeño chiles
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 2 cups 8 ounces shredded Muenster
- 2 cups 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Salt to taste
Ingredients for the sandwiches:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into slivers
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless rib-eye, thinly sliced
- 4 8- inch hero buns, toasted and buttered
Instructions
- Roast the Hatch and jalapeño chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place the chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tight and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes. After the chiles have steamed, take them out of the bag and gently rub the chiles to remove the skin. Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles and then dice.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In an ovenproof skillet, melt the butter on medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the diced chiles. Evenly distribute on top the cream cheese and the shredded Muenster and Monterey Jack, then pour in the half-and-half. Bake uncovered until the cheese is bubbling, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with the cilantro and gently stir to combine everything. Add salt to taste.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat up the butter on medium heat. Add the onions and while occasionally stirring, cook until fragrant and almost translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Lightly salt and pepper the rib-eye slices and add them to the skillet. Cook the meat with the onions for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is just starting to brown.
- To assemble the sandwiches, evenly divide the meat and the onions between the toasted and buttered buns and top the meat with the cheese sauce.
The green chile sauce sounds like it would be quite tasty on many things – quesadillias, eggs, pizza etc! This sandwich will go in my line-up of game-day food! Central Market here in Texas just finished up their hatch green chile days and it's always fun and delicious to see the many ways they incorporate this pepper into tasty food – love the green chile and cheddar scones they make.
The cream cheese makes it more like queso … but less like a real cheese steak. Shaved rib eye is a good idea, though. You might try it with just provolone …. Next time you're in Philadelphia, you might trek out to Dalessandro's at 600 Wendover Street off Henry Avenue, just a short block from the Walnut Street Entrance to the park … it used to the paragon but now that it changed hands … who knows?
Missed ya, Lisa1!!
I have 25 lbs of Hatch Chili Peppers arriving through the Bountiful Baskets org…what I would like to know from you is; Have you ever canned them, and if so, do you have any suggestions or know where I get information on the time and size of jars? I have canned for a very long time, but have never canned chilies, so was just wondering if you had. Our freezer is pretty full already, so freezing them is out.
I can't wait to get started on putting them up for winter. We already have made 20 qts of spaghetti sauce, and the hubby will make his homemade salsa to can. I'm sure some of the HCs will make their way into the salsa.
Thanks for all of your posts, recipes and the time you spend on this wonderful blog. I always look forward to seeing your ideas and using them. I absolutely love your tortilla recipe!!!!
Take care, Lisa… have a wondeful day.
We have hatch chilis all over the place here! They're in the local market and there are some people selling them by the side of the road. They are really wonderful and now I have a new way to use them…
There is a similar deal with Green River melons. The species is the same, but the soil or the air or something in Green River is special and the melons are sweeter than anywhere else on earth.
I'd send you one if I thought it would get to you unharmed!
xxoo,
RMW
I went to visit my Grandma in El Paso last week, and we took her up to Ruidoso, NM. Stopped for a snack in Alamagordo and the Little Ceasar's there were advertising a Pepperoni and Hatch Green Chili pizza! Didn't get to try it, but I bet it was delicious. 🙂