This sauce is wonderful served on its own, but paired with Red Chile Sauce (opposite) and served with eggs (Blue Corn Fried Eggs, page 219) or fish or pork or chicken, it becomes known as Christmas. Why? Christmas is known for its red and green colors! In New Mexico restaurant lingo (Sante Fe to be exact), Christmas means a plate of half-red and half-green chile sauces. The New Mexico terminology has spread to some other states in the Southwest, such as Arizona and Texas.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

　　7 tomatillos, husked and rinsed

　　2 poblano chiles, coarsely chopped

　　2 jalapeño chiles, chopped

　　1 small red onion, chopped

　　3 cloves garlic

　　3 tablespoons canola oil

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

　　1 tablespoon honey

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

Toss the tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeños, onion, and garlic in the oil on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until the vegetables are golden brown and soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.

　　

Step 3

Transfer to a food processor and process with the cilantro, adding a little water if necessary to adjust the consistency, until pureed. Season with the honey and additional salt and pepper if needed. The sauce can be made 1 day in advance and stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator. Heat gently before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson, (C) 2011 Clarkson PotterBOBBY FLAY, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine dining restaurants, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobby Flay Steak, and an expanding roster of Bobby's Burger Palaces. He is the host of numerous popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-winning Boy Meets Grill and Grill It! with Bobby Flay, to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star. Brunch @ Bobby's debuted on the Cooking Channel in fall 2010 and America's Next Great Restaurant debuted in March 2011 on NBC. This is his eleventh book. His website is BobbyFlay.com.