Rosella Frederick of CochitÍ is known for her good cooking. One of her specialties is her green chile stew. For feast days, she usually makes enormous pots of stew outside over an open fire in order not to heat up her spotless kitchen. She has cut down her recipe to family size for us.

Cut the meat up into very small pieces—about 2-inch cubes—and brown in a little oil in a large, deep heavy pan. Add the onions. Peel and dice the potatoes and brown them with the meat. (Rosella does not flour the meat because it makes the stew too thick for her family’s taste.) When the meat and onion and potatoes (if used) have been browned, drain off any excess fat. Add the zucchini, if used, the chiles, garlic salt, salt and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least a half hour. Ladle into bowls and serve with homemade bread. The stew should be eaten with a spoon, like a hearty soup. Serves 6.