Hatch Green Chile Varietals Explained

Randy's out in Hatch, New Mexico this week, standing in a real Big Jim chile field after scouring the valley to track some down. While he's there, he lines up the different chile varietals Fresh Chile Company grows and uses in its products, breaking down what makes each one unique, from mild to "hotter than everything else on the table." Then, because no trip to Hatch is complete without it, he grabs a hamburger from the Valley Cafe and shows you exactly how much green chile a burger really needs.

The Hatch Chile Lineup

  • New Mexico 64, a mild chile, very green and thick meated
  • Machete, a mild varietal with great flavor, sold on its own in the 575 brand and blended into Mild Pure Green
  • Big Jim, long and lighter green, the chile Randy and the team scoured Hatch to find this season
  • Miss Juny, a hot chile developed by Jim Lidle (creator of Big Jim) and named after his wife, June
  • Matador, Randy's personal favorite, thick walled, deep green, and hot, hot, hot, used in 575 Matador Hatch Green Chile
  • Lumbre, meaning "fire" in Spanish, the hottest of the lineup, even hotter than Matador and Miss Juny
  • Charger, a thick-walled, medium heat chile Randy didn't have on hand that day, great for grilling and stuffing

Building a Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger

  1. Start with a good double-meat burger, cooked medium rare, from a spot like Valley Cafe
  2. Add cheese while it's hot
  3. Spoon on Fresh Chile Company Hatch Green Chile, about one jar per burger if you're doing it right
  4. Top with a Hatch onion if you've got one
  5. If you want more heat, swap in the 575 Matador cut, or try a Red & Green blend for a different flavor

If you haven't had a green chile cheeseburger from right here in the 575, you haven't lived. Load it up, don't be shy with the chile, and enjoy it next to a field in Hatch if you can manage it.

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About The Fresh Chile Cookin' Cookbook

The Fresh Chile Cookin' Cookbook features recipes shared by our amazing community of Hatch Chile fans. Join the Fresh Chile Cookin' Facebook group to submit your own recipe and be featured in the next edition!

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