Any Chile Heads out there in AC land?

vinyl_guy · « **on:** 20 Sep 2009, 02:41 am »

I mean GREEN Chile lovers, not chilli with beans and meat--although I love that kind of chili too.

One of my favorite foods is fresh green chile, especially that grown in the green chile capital of America -- Hatch NM.

I first discovered Hatch Green Chiles when my step son was 11 and playing in a regional AABC baseball tournament in Las Cruces NM. Every Labor Day weekend they celebrate the chile harvest with the Hatch Chile Fest--GREAT FUN!

Spokane is a long way from Hatch NM, but through the magic of the Internet I can bring fresh-picked Hatch green chiles (mild, medium, hot and X-hot) to my front door 2d day air (http://www.hatch-chile.com/default.asp?pageid=3939).

Today some friends and I got together for my 8th annual green chile roast. Besides having lots of fun roasting 70 lbs of fresh chiles from Hatch NM, I smoked some baby back ribs to enjoy with the chiles. Check out the pictures in my gallery. http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=2237

The chile roaster was purchased from Arizona Chile Roasters http://arizonachileroasters.com/Home_Page.html

We freeze the chile and have fresh green chile for Chile Rellanos, green chile and eggs, pork green chile sauce, different casseroles, etc all year long.

Any other Chile Heads who would like to exchange recipes, roasting techniques or secrets, locations of chile festivals, etc

Laura

jqp · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Sep 2009, 03:45 am »

I am growing jalapeno, cayenne and tabasco chiles this year - I plan to roast some jalapenos on my grill, just the shell, not the seeds and insides - they should not be so hot that way.

"A chipotle is a ripe jalapeño that has been smoked."

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Sep 2009, 04:11 am »

Gallery Link...

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=2237

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Sep 2009, 04:36 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 20 Sep 2009, 04:11 am

Gallery Link...
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=2237

Thanks Chris. I think all of the links in my post are fixed.

see you in Denver

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Sep 2009, 04:40 am »

Quote from: jqp on 20 Sep 2009, 03:45 am

I am growing jalapeno, cayenne and tabasco chiles this year - I plan to roast some jalapenos on my grill, just the shell, not the seeds and insides - they should not be so hot that way.

"A chipotle is a ripe jalape?o that has been smoked."

When I used to live in Denver I was able to grow some cayenne, jalapenos and serranos, but the growing season is too short and not hot enough in Spokane. Have you ever tried cutting a raw jalapeno in half, removing the seeds and filling the shell with peanut butter? It's a great appetizer.

Laura

turkey · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 03:31 pm »

I have a neighbor that gardens and always gives me some chiles. This year she had jalapenos and serranos, plus some peppers that looked disturbingly like penises.

I don't have any really special chile-related recipes. I just toss them into all kinds of things. Sometimes I use fresh chiles, sometimes hot sauces, and sometimes I use Rotel.

macrojack · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 04:11 pm »

At last! Someone brings up a subject my area is good for. Here in the Grand Junction area of western Colorado, the sun is hot, the summers are long and dry, and peppers grow like crazy. My wife, the master gardener, grows many more peppers than we use. They include jalapeno, anaheim, bells and some nasty little fire red Thai things. We have a deal with old Joe Valdez whereby we furnish the peppers and he roasts them all. Then we split the results. I've found that seeding and peeling after roasting improves the results.

As an aside, I had always assumed that Joe was from Mexico because he has a thick Spanish accent and a somewhat limited understanding of English. I asked him once where he was from in Mexico and he told me he was from New Mexico. I then asked if he had been born in Mexico. The answer I eventually got embarrassed me about my assumption. He was born in N.M. in 1927 and his family had been there since the 1500s, before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Oops!!

MaxCast · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 04:13 pm »

What is the best way to preserve a chili?
Can you freeze them? If so, to they have to be cleaned?
I realize freezing would take the fresh texture out of them, but they could still be used for dicing and spice.

srb · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 04:23 pm »

For those that like the flavor of Habanero, but find them often way too hot, I have a method for preparing "Dried Habanero" that I have used as a seasoning in everything (including chocolate!).

I take fresh Habaneros, then quarter them lengthwise. I scrape out the seeds and membrane, then chop up to a medium size. Next I pan toast in a dry pan over low heat, tossing frequently until dry, and the color is about half orange and half light brown.

Then I further process in a Krups-style coffee "grinder" (not the burr grinder, but the cheap ones with the "blender" blades), and make both flakes and powder, depending on the application.

Very tasty, and you can use a good amount to get a really nice Habanero flavor without going insane on the heat factor. The toasting really tames the intense heat while still giving a lot of flavor.

I also like to slice fresh Habaneros lengthwise into as fine of strings as your Santoku can cut, and put them on pizza!

Steve

turkey · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 04:32 pm »

Quote from: MaxCast on 20 Oct 2009, 04:13 pm

What is the best way to preserve a chili?
Can you freeze them? If so, to they have to be cleaned?
I realize freezing would take the fresh texture out of them, but they could still be used for dicing and spice.

You can do it either way. I usually de-seed them before freezing, but I know people that like to use the whole pepper, seeds and all in cooking too.

I have a bag in the freezer right now that has whole peppers in it because I got them right before going out of town and didn't have time to clean them. I'm sure it will work out just fine this way too.

You can also, of course, dry them. I've never tried it, but it should be the same as drying any other fruit or vegetable. There's a web page here that has some good info:

http://www.g6csy.net/chile/drying.html

I've dried peaches and apricots in the oven at about 150 degrees just on cookie sheets. That would probably work for peppers too if you just want to try it out.

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 04:47 pm »

Quote from: MaxCast on 20 Oct 2009, 04:13 pm

What is the best way to preserve a chili?
Can you freeze them? If so, to they have to be cleaned?
I realize freezing would take the fresh texture out of them, but they could still be used for dicing and spice.

What I do is wrap the chiles in cold wet towels after roasting. When they have cooled I bag them in ziplock freezer bags with the blistered skin left on, the seeds left in and freeze them. I have found that the skins come off easy when you start to thaw them and run them under cool water. I have used thawed chiles to make chile rellanos (the Big Jim's are very meaty and make great chile rellanos). I have also diced and sliced them for various dishes and used them to make pork green chile.

Glad to see there is interest in this topic.

Laura

MaxCast · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 05:47 pm »

thanks guys and gals.

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 06:45 pm »

Quote from: srb on 20 Oct 2009, 04:23 pm

For those that like the flavor of Habanero, but find them often way too hot, I have a method for preparing "Dried Habanero" that I have used as a seasoning in everything (including chocolate!).

I take fresh Habaneros, then quarter them lengthwise. I scrape out the seeds and membrane, then chop up to a medium size. Next I pan toast in a dry pan over low heat, tossing frequently until dry, and the color is about half orange and half light brown.

Then I further process in a Krups-style coffee "grinder" (not the burr grinder, but the cheap ones with the "blender" blades), and make both flakes and powder, depending on the application.

Very tasty, and you can use a good amount to get a really nice Habanero flavor without going insane on the heat factor. The toasting really tames the intense heat while still giving a lot of flavor.

I also like to slice fresh Habaneros lengthwise into as fine of strings as your Santoku can cut, and put them on pizza!

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for sharing. I am going to try this method this weekend.

Here's a recipe for a green chile casserole I make:

2 C each of cheddar, monterey jack & mozzarella cheese
8-10 sliced green chiles
Onion Powder
garlic powder
2 eggs
2 C milk
1/2 C flour

Combine the cheese and place 1/2 on the bottom of a greased (or Pam sprayed) casserole dish. Cover the cheese with the sliced green chiles. Add the remaining cheese. Mix the eggs, milk, onion powder and garlic powder to taste, and flour in a Kitchen Aid or other electric mixer. Pour the liquid over the chiles and cheese and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. Very yummy

Laura

turkey · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 06:51 pm »

Quote from: vinyl_lady on 20 Oct 2009, 06:45 pm

Here's a recipe for a green chile casserole I make:

2 C each of cheddar, monterey jack & mozzarella cheese
8-10 sliced green chiles
Onion Powder
garlic powder
2 eggs
2 C milk
1/2 C flour

Combine the cheese and place 1/2 on the bottom of a greased (or Pam sprayed) casserole dish. Cover the cheese with the sliced green chiles. Add the remaining cheese. Mix the eggs, milk, onion powder and garlic powder to taste, and flour in a Kitchen Aid or other electric mixer. Pour the liquid over the chiles and cheese and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. Very yummy

Laura

That does sound good. I'll have to try it.

Thanks!

srb · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 07:17 pm »

Quote from: srb on 20 Oct 2009, 04:23 pm

For those that like the flavor of Habanero, but find them often way too hot, I have a method for preparing "Dried Habanero" that I have used as a seasoning in everything (including chocolate!).

Quote from: vinyl_lady on 20 Oct 2009, 06:45 pm

Steve,

Thanks for sharing. I am going to try this method this weekend.

It probably goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. When preparing the extra hot varieties, I'll use a fork to hold the peppers while I cut and clean, so my hands don't come in contact. (I suppose some people may use gloves)

The fresh juice of the super-hotties can make the ends of your fingers raw and painful, not to mention the unfortunate accidental eye rub!

Steve

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 07:36 pm »

Quote from: macrojack on 20 Oct 2009, 04:11 pm

At last! Someone brings up a subject my area is good for. Here in the Grand Junction area of western Colorado, the sun is hot, the summers are long and dry, and peppers grow like crazy.

macrojack,

Your area also grows the best peaches I have ever eaten. I was visiting my mom who lives on a farm south of Loveland in early September and we had Pallisades-grown peaches every day.

We also enjoyed Rocky Ford cantalope too. Also the best I have ever tasted.

As another aside, how about those Broncos? A huge win in S.D. It does look like young Josh knows what he is doing and has the respect and support of the players.

Laura

jules · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 11:04 pm »

This might be slightly less purist but it's a useful way to store some heat and a versatile substance to have on hand:

~1 kilo chilies [I use jalapenos because they're fleshy]
a large piece of fresh green ginger [maybe 150gm but I never weigh it]
1/2 cup of dried black beans, soaked and washed
the rind and juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup of olive oil.

All the ingreds. have strong but complimentary flavours so there's more to this than just the chilies. I use small amounts in cooking for a variety of dishes. It's also useful when constructing wraps [or sandwiches if you prefer]

Chop all the ingredients finely with a knife or use a food processor if you want to avoid the eye watering experience.

Cook for approx 20 min on gentle heat.

Store in the freezer for long term [or fridge for shorter term]. I'm working on the texture in an attempt to avoid a crystals in the frozen form. I reckon that if I blend in the oil when it's cool (or semi-frozen) to produce something that's homogenized it will be more workable in the frozen state.

jules

mcullinan · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Oct 2009, 11:48 pm »

Would Chiles include Hot Peppers? Specifically Habaneros and Jalapenos. Tonight I sliced up a couple of each and I leave the seeds.. and I put them on Pizza! Yum! Oh man so good, you even cry a lil

Yup. That delicious!
Mike

srb · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 Oct 2009, 12:03 am »

Quote from: mcullinan on 20 Oct 2009, 11:48 pm

Would Chiles include Hot Peppers? Specifically Habaneros and Jalapenos.

Yes, they are all of the same genus, Capsicum, and are all "chile peppers". Just different species, and all delicious.

In my post above about preparing pan-toasted dried Habanero, I also mentioned I love them on pizza. I usually slice them very thin and put a lot of them on so that every little bite has one.

Steve

mcullinan · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 Oct 2009, 01:36 am »

There is definitely something addicting about that "my face & mouth is on fire" feeling with the hot peppers. I love it! I think we have a lot of Habaneros in the house, maybe I will make the flakes.
M