Making Colorado roasted chiles is a family affair

(Photo: Courtesy of Frank Guerrero)The Guerrero family lives in Bailey, Colo., a mountain community off U.S. Route 285 and the kind of place a lot of Coloradans want to be in the summer. But the Guerreros haven’t spent much time there lately: Frank and Kimberly -- as well as their three older daughters -- are constantly traveling around the state to sell chile peppers, which they prepare on one of the four chile roasters that Frank Guerrero and his father welded themselves.

They roast and sell the peppers at farmers’ markets in Denver, Stapleton, Evergreen, Dillon, Vail and Minturn, and they talked with "Colorado Matters" host Ryan Warner as part of the show's series Fish to Focaccia, about Coloradans who create food for farmers’ markets. They also shared their recipe for old fashioned green chile.

Old Fashioned  Green Chile

• 2 lbs. cubed pork
• 2 cloves of diced fresh garlic
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup of  flour
• 2 -3 fresh diced tomatoes
• 1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 ½ cups  of fire roasted peeled  and diced green chiles (about 20 chiles)
• 2 diced onions
• Salt & pepper to taste.

Brown pork in skillet with garlic and pepper; add flour and brown.

In crock pot, mix pork, garlic, tomatoes, water, green chilies and onion. Simmer for at least 2 hours. Water can be added to thin down and flour can be added to thicken. (You can also cook it in a large pot on the stove at low heat.)

Makes approximately 3 quarts. Serves 8-10.