By There's a woman at the Billings farmers market who sells dried chiles — a Montana anomaly, someone who grows and dries New Mexican varieties up here in the high altitude, which she says requires a greenhouse and a specific variety selection. I found her in the fall and I've been thinking about her operation since. This week I drove to the market specifically to ask her about the growing — which varieties do best in Montana, what the heat unit requirements are, whether it's feasible to grow my own. She spent twenty minutes explaining the whole thing. She said the anchos and the pasillas are the most reliable. She said I'd need a south-facing greenhouse space, which I have in the form of the south-facing wall of the equipment shed.
I bought two pounds of dried anchos and two pounds of dried pasillas and drove home thinking about growing my own. It would close the loop on the elk chili in a way I find appealing — the elk from the land I hunt, the chiles from the land I tend, the beef broth from the cattle I raise. A recipe made entirely from what you produce yourself. That's a different kind of cooking.
The farrier business is steady. I had eleven appointments this week across four accounts, which is the busiest week I've had. My hands and arms were feeling it by Friday. This is the spring rush — everyone wanting their horses done before the summer show season, before the riding camps, before the trail ride season begins. I'll manage. The work is good work.
I posted a piece about dried chiles this week — what they are, how to use them, why they matter in chili. I didn't mention the elk. I didn't need to.
I bought those anchos and pasillas with the elk chili in mind, but the first thing I actually made with them was this — a Santa Fe-style chicken pizza that let me test the chile rehydration process and get a feel for the flavor before committing to a full chili pot. That’s how I like to learn a new ingredient: low stakes, something I’ve made before in a different form, so I can isolate what’s new. The smoky depth the dried anchos brought to the sauce told me everything I needed to know. The elk chili is going to be worth the wait.
Santa Fe Chicken Pizza Pie
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 pre-baked 12-inch pizza crust
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 cup hot water (for rehydrating chiles)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
- Fresh cilantro and sliced green onions, for serving
- Sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Rehydrate the chiles. Place the dried ancho chiles in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Let soak for 15 minutes until softened. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of soaking liquid. Roughly chop the chiles.
- Make the chile sauce. Combine the chopped anchos, reserved soaking liquid, tomato sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Place the pre-baked crust on a baking sheet or pizza pan.
- Build the pizza. Spread the chile sauce evenly over the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Scatter the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, and red onion over the sauce.
- Add cheese. Distribute the Monterey Jack and cheddar evenly over the toppings. Add jalapeño slices if using.
- Bake. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the edges of the crust are golden.
- Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest 3 minutes. Top with fresh cilantro and sliced green onions. Slice into wedges and serve with sour cream on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 410 | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 620mg