New Mexico Red Chile Enchilada Chili

In New Mexico, red chile means the pod, not the shaker — and that distinction is the whole soul of this chili. Instead of chili powder, you toast and rehydrate whole dried New Mexico red chiles and blend them into a pure, glossy, earthy sauce, the same base that goes over enchiladas from Santa Fe to Las Cruces. The result is intensely, cleanly chile-forward: no muddle of a dozen spices, just beef, aromatics, and that singular red-chile flavor, deep and a little smoky. It's simpler than most chilis and better for it, a regional classic that tastes like nowhere else.

Warm flour tortillas are the New Mexico standard; it's also excellent over eggs (the "enchilada" nod) or smothering a burrito.

Use good New Mexico chile pods — Chimayó if you can find them. Add a pod or two for more heat; this is medium as written.