Red or Gravy? The Holiday New Mexican State Question

If you’re not from around here, or familiar with this part of the world, there’s a good chance you may have never heard of a classic New Mexican Thanksgiving tradition. Picture your typical Thanksgiving table, everyone passing the turkey and stuffing, then along comes the gravy boat, and then along comes the red chile. Sometimes instead of gravy, sometimes with the gravy, and some even like it mixed into the gravy. No matter how it’s served, red chile is a common feature on the New Mexican Thanksgiving table.

Red chile is deeply rooted in New Mexican culture – far more so than our Pyrex dishes and roasting pans. Its ancestral roots reach far back to the Mayans and Aztecs of ancient Mesoamerica. Interestingly, only a few archeological finds point to chile being grown or present in the American Southwest  before the Spanish arrived. Many believe that chiles traveled north with Don Juan de Oñate on his way to found Santa Fe (read about his thanksgiving adventure here!). Once the Spanish settled, crops we consider staples today – like beans, squash, corn, and of course, chile – began to thrive in New Mexico. And for those of you wondering: yes, green and red chile come from the same plant, the red is just more mature (I talk more about chile varieties on a previous blog: you can find it here!).

Here in New Mexico, we hear our state question “Red or Green?” year round. Personally, I like red for breakfast, and green for everything else. But when Thanksgiving rolls around, it’s red chile’s time to shine – perfectly complementing the turkey and mashed potatoes.  

If you decide to try it, be sure you’re searching for red chile sauce, not red enchilada sauce. Enchilada sauce is thicker, usually milder, and made with extra spices and ingredients that change the flavor. Of course, you can absolutely make red chile from scratch (soak the pods, blend, season, etc etc), I’ll be honest, I never have. Why? Well, because New Mexico spoils us with delicious ready-made options like Bueno and Eva’s Blue Ribbon Chile. They’re delicious, reliable, and stress-free!

So next time you host a holiday feast, consider adding this New Mexican flare to your menu! And while I’ll never be able to give up gravy, I love the cultural spark that red chile brings to the Thanksgiving table – and it happens to be my husband’s favorite mashed potato topping.

Happy Thanksgiving Recovery Day,

Mountain Girl