If Your Parents Fed You This Spicy Meal As A Kid, You Probably Grew Up In Colorado

Head to the Southwest region of the U.S. and chiles play an instrumental part in local cuisine. Most famously, the regional dishes of New Mexico and Arizona come with a dash of spice by way of chiles such as green hatch (which is great on ice cream) and chiltepin. In nearby Colorado, peppers are prominently featured in local cuisine, too — with chili verde being an especially nostalgic favorite.

Equal parts stew and sauce, this hearty classic shifts through many recipes with the employed peppers defining the palate. Most often, the complex fruity-spicy-smoky notes of mirasols harvested from Pueblo, Colorado, are utilized in the dish. Others might source hatch chiles for their beloved hot and earthy flavors, or even mix the two pepper types together. You also see renditions with anaheims and jalapeños. Chili verde dependably packs some heat, easing Colorado youngsters into spicy food from an early age.

Unlike the beef employed in a slow cooker chili, Colorado's beloved dish employs cubed pork paired with aromatics such as garlic, onions, and tomatoes — an ingredient that doesn't often appear in New Mexican versions. Turned liquidy with broth and optionally thickened with cornstarch and flour, the stew's consistency makes for malleable enjoyment. Spooned over everything from burritos to burgers, it's one of the Centennial State's most beloved meals.

Whether you call it chile verde or green chili, this cherished stew is passed down through family recipes, featured in festivals, and ladled out at easy-going diners. Especially in the southeastern Colorado cities of Pueblo and Colorado Springs, the dish occupies an important cultural status, reflecting the local pepper-growing industry. Here, the locally grown and unique-tasting mirasols (often referred to as Pueblo chiles) are simmered into the stew. 

Locals often enjoy the chili smothered onto a burger, thus creating the Slopper. This heart-warming classic is Colorado's answer to Minnesota's original hot dish or Springfield, Illinois', horseshoe sandwich (an original dish tied to regional enjoyment). To outsiders, the idea of a soggy burger might confuse — but that's because the magic's in the chile verde. Spicy, vegetal, tangy, and meaty, the thick liquid transforms the familiar flavors of patty and bun into a new form.

Chile verde is often consumed in other ways, too. It's often spooned over breakfast and savory burritos, beans and rice, fries, or simply consumed standalone with tortillas. For Colorado residents, green chili makes a frequent appearance — a type of dish that inspires homesickness once out of the state.