Winter in Ruidoso: A Cozy Guide to Culinary, Scenic, and Cinematic Delights
Alto Lake with Sierra Blanca in the distance. Photo by Mark Stambaugh.
Winter in Ruidoso is a special time of year. The crisp mornings are often adorned with a glistening layer of frost, painting a picturesque scene. As the sun rises, the mountainous landscape reveals itself, with the evergreens standing proudly amid the blue sky and white expanse of the Sacramento Mountains and the Sierra Blanca peak, taking on a serene, wintry charm.
To give you a glimpse of Ruidoso during this special season, here’s a cozy recipe, a tasty pizza spot, a scenic stroll, and a delightful movie idea to be enjoyed curled up under a cozy blanket beside a Ruidoso fireplace.
SOMETHING TO MAKE
This dish is hearty enough to warm you on a cold winter night.
Green Chile Stew
Servings: 8
Be warned: it’s not your average stew. This dish will bring the unique and bold flavors of New Mexico right to your kitchen table. Serve it with a warmed stack of flour tortillas or homemade cornbread.
“...A bowl of comfort, green chile stew always strikes us as much greater than the sum of its humble parts.”
Ingredients
1½ to 1¾ pounds beef chuck or pork butt (shoulder), cut into ½-inch cubes
2 medium onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 1¼ pounds red waxy potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, and diced
5 cups beef or chicken stock
1½ tablespoons salt or more to taste
3 cups 505 Southwestern brand Hatch Valley Roasted Green Chile sauce
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen, 1 cup carrot chunks, or 1 diced red bell pepper, optional.
Directions
Sear the meat in a Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until it browns and the liquid accumulated from the meat mostly evaporates.
Stir in the onions and garlic and cook for several minutes, until the onions become translucent. Pour in the stock and scrape the mixture up from the bottom to loosen browned bits.
Sprinkle in the salt, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook uncovered for 1¼ hours.
Stir in the chile and any of the optional ingredients and continue cooking for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the meat is quite tender, the vegetables are soft, and the flavors have blended together.
Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
SOMETHING TO DO
Enjoy a winter sleigh-ride through Ruidoso with Grindstone Stables.
Get into the festive spirit with enchanting winter sleigh rides in Ruidoso. Pulled by majestic horses, enjoy the crisp mountain air while snuggled under warm blankets and enjoying the jingle of sleigh bells; this charming experience captures the magic of the season in the heart of New Mexico's winter paradise.
SOMEWHERE TO EAT
Cafe Rio Ranks as Highest-Rated Pizza in New Mexico.
Warm up your winter getaway with a visit to Cafe Rio Pizza in Midtown Ruidoso, where wood-fired pizzas, crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients combine to create the perfect respite from the chilly weather. Watch the chefs toss the pizzas — and devour the aptly named Kitchen Sink pizza, featuring pepperoni, Canadian bacon, salami, mushrooms, bell peppers, red onions, black olives, green olives, fresh jalapenos, green chile, Italian sausage, chopped beef brisket, andouille sausage, pineapple, and anchovies.
SOMEWHERE TO STROLL
Winter transforms Alto Lake into a serene snowy haven.
Just in case you find yourself traveling down Mechem Drive this winter, consider a very easy and quick stroll around Alto Lake. Alto Lake Recreation Area is a great place to pull your car up to the shore for a quick stroll around the lake (approximately 0.5 miles) or to hike the additional 2-mile natural surface trail that loops East beyond the Dam with benches and two separate bridge crossings which take you to a beautiful waterfall. It’s a beautiful spot with picture-perfect views of the towering Sierra Blanca peak as well as possible wildlife sightings. The forest is full of wildlife, including deer, elk, and free-roaming horses, even wild turkey, so it's worth taking your camera.
SOMETHING TO WATCH
As it is fast approaching the season for curling up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate in front of the fire, for something to watch, check out "The Christmas Classic,” a heartwarming feature film (2023) filmed in and around Ruidoso. This timeless tale of love, family, and the true spirit of Christmas is sure to become an instant holiday favorite.