Thursday, September 10, 2009

Hatch Peppers

Hatch Peppers

In New Mexico, the claim to fame is Hatch, NM - the chile capital of the world. With Hatch's unique combination of temperature, rain and soil - breeders and botanists have developed a chile pepper that is uniquely their own.
Ristra of Hatch Chilis

Why HATCH?

Of all the pepper (chile/chili) centers in the world, Hatch, New Mexico, stands the tallest. Hatch's plant
breeders and botanists are most unique.

Hatch is widely known as the designer chile/chili headquarters because Mesilla Valley farmers are
constantly developing new breeds and various tastes to satisfy a steady throng of new converts.

They tailor-make chilis, which are then introduced to the locals and consumers from all over the US
and many, many countries around the world like NEW car models via e-commerce and the internet.

Here in New Mexico, many say just by tasting a chili/chile pod they can tell whether the pepper was
grown North, or South of Interstate 40 (formerly US Route 66), which runs from East toward Texas
and West toward Arizona.
Hatch, New Mexico, grows the best chili peppers in the world. They're the
equivalent of Maine Lobster or Gulf Coast shrimp.

You first need to roast them. You can do this in various ways, on a grill, over
an open flame on a gas stove, using a small propane torch, under the broiler,
etc., to char and then remove the skin. I like to do it on the grill
(anything to get out of the house).

On an outdoor grill, fire up enough charcoal to make a single layer under the
chilies. When coals are covered with gray ash, place the chilies directly over the fire.
Grill chilies, turning frequently, until their skins are blackened. Transfer chilies to
paper bag to steam until cool enough to handle. Peel chilies using rubber gloves if
your skin is sensitive (and DON'T rub your eyes), and cut chilies into 1/3-inch strips
called rajas. You can then use then immediately or freeze them until you are ready
to use them.

And here are some recipes using them:

HATCH GREEN CHILI SALSA

(Yield: 11/2 quarts)

2 quarts water

1/2 pound fresh tomatillos (see cook's notes)

1/2 pound fresh serrano chili peppers (see cook's notes)

1 pound roasted Hatch green chili peppers

1/3 bunch cilantro

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Cook's note: Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes with a papery, round husk.
Cook's note: To adjust the heat of the salsa, use more or fewer serrano chilies, as desired.

1. Place water in large pot and add tomatillos, serrano chilies, Hatch chilies, cilantro,
garlic and onion. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Strain liquid into a container and place solid ingredients in blender. (You may have to work
in batches.) Add 1/2 of the strained liquid to blender and blend until smooth.

3. Add lime juice and salt and blend 30 seconds. Chill before serving.

Presentation: Serve with chips, tortillas or in recipes calling for salsa. Can be stored in a sealed container for 4 days in the refrigerator.

(Nutritional information (per 1/2 cup): 16 calories, 0.18 grams fat, no saturated fat,
no cholesterol, 535 milligrams sodium, 10 percent calories from fat.)

Source: Steve Stanley, Chuy's Restaurant


GRILLED GREEN ONIONS AND RAJAS

(Yield: 6 servings)

3 fresh poblano chilies or large New Mexican chilies such as Sandias or Hatch

12 large green onions

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Dash of Maggi seasoning or pinch of salt (see cook's note)

Juice of 1/2 lime

Cook's note: Maggi seasoning is a dark brown, bottled sauce that resembles soy sauce
in looks and taste. It can be found in Hispanic markets and in the Hispanic section of
some supermarkets.

1. On an outdoor grill, fire up enough charcoal to make a single layer under the
vegetables. When coals are covered with gray ash, place chilies directly over fire.
Grill chilies, turning frequently, until their skins are blackened. Transfer chilies
to paper bag to steam until cool enough to handle.

2. Peel chilies using rubber gloves if your skin is sensitive, and cut chilies into
1/3-inch strips. Keep chili strips, or rajas, warm.

3. Trim any wilted portion of green from tips of onions. Rub onions with oil and
Maggi seasoning, if using.

3. Tear a piece of foil about 6 inches wide. Place it on one side of grill. Arrange
onions so that their green portions are on foil and bulbs are directly over fire.
Grill, turning frequently, until bulbs are soft and lightly browned, 5-10 minutes.
Squeeze lime juice over onions and sprinkle salt over them, if using.

Presentation: Serve onions with rajas and grilled meat.

(Nutritional information (per serving): 31 calories, 2 grams fat, 0.3 grams
saturated fat, no cholesterol, 46 milligrams sodium, 58 percent calories from fat.)

Source: "The Border Cookbook'' by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison
(Harvard Common Press, $14.95)


CHILI-RUBBED FRESH SALMON TACOS

(Yield: 2 tacos)

2 2-ounce salmon filets

Chili rub to taste (see cook's note)

1/2 to 1 tablespoon butter

2 flour tortillas

1/3 cup red cabbage, shredded

6 roasted Hatch green chili strips

1 to 2 tablespoons Jalapeno Lime Sauce (recipe follows)

4 to 6 fresh cilantro leaves

2 small lime wedges for garnish

Cook's note: Chili-rub spice blend can be found in the supermarket spice section.

1. Lightly dust salmon with chili rub.

2. Heat butter in skillet over medium heat and saute salmon, about 2 minutes each side
or until desired doneness. Meanwhile, heat or toast tortillas.

3. To assemble taco, fill tortillas with cabbage and 3 chili strips each. Place salmon atop
cabbage and chilies and top with Jalapeno Lime Sauce and cilantro. Fold tacos and serve
with lime wedges.

(Nutritional information (per serving): 262 calories, 13.5 grams fat, 4 grams saturated
fat, 46 milligrams cholesterol, 231 milligrams sodium, 46 percent calories from fat.)

JALAPENO LIME SAUCE

(Yield: 31/2 to 4 cups)

3 cups commercial Ranch dressing

1/4 cup roasted green chilies

1/4 cup pickled or marinated jalapeno chilies

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 bunch fresh cilantro

1/2 Roma tomato, diced

1. Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Chill and use as a salad
dressing or dip for tortilla chips.

(Nutritional information (per 1/3 cup): 165 calories, 16.9 grams fat, 2.5 grams
saturated fat, 18 milligrams cholesterol, 227 milligrams sodium, 92 percent
calories from fat.)

EL PASO GREEN CHILI SOUP

(Yield: 4 to 6 servings)

1/3 cup butter

11/2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

4 cups chicken broth

2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced

11/2 cups chopped roasted green chilies, such as New Mexican Hatch chilies

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup half-and-half

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Optional: freshly minced cilantro, for garnish

Optional: toasted thin corn tortilla strips, for garnish

1. In large saucepan or Dutch oven, warm butter over medium heat. Stir in onions
and garlic and saute until translucent.

2. Add broth, potatoes, chilies, oregano and salt and bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

3. Transfer soup to a food processor (or blender in batches) and puree until smooth.
(Soup can be made ahead until this point and refrigerated for a day. Warm soup
before proceeding.)

4. Pour soup back into pan, add half-and-half, and heat through.

Presentation: Divide cheese among serving bowls. Ladle soup into each bowl. Top soup
with cilantro or tortilla strips, if desired. Serve immediately.

(Nutritional information (per serving): 290 calories, 20.1 grams fat, 12.2 grams
saturated fat, 55 milligrams cholesterol, 1263 milligrams sodium,
62 percent calories from fat.)

Source: "The Border Cookbook''


HATCH NEW MEXICAN GREEN CHILI SAUCE (This is waht they mean when
they ask green or red in New Mexico - this is the green option)

(Yield: 4 cups)

3 tablespoons corn oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 cups roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped New Mexican green chilies

2 cups beef broth

1 teaspoon salt

1. In heavy-bottomed sauce pan, saute onions in corn oil until they begin to brown.

2. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

3. Stir flour in with onions and garlic so that it thickens.

4. Add chopped chilies, beef broth and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer
10 to 15 minutes to allow mixture to reduce. The sauce should be thick enough to
bind chilies and onions together. Sauce can be refrigerated for three days, or frozen.

Presentation: Serve sauce over enchiladas, grilled pork tenderloin or other grilled
meats and poultry, or as a side with beef tacos. You can also put it over scambled
eggs or a cheese omelet.
In New Mexico they even offer it on hamburgers.

(Nutritional information (per 1/3 cup): 39 calories, 2.7 grams fat, 0.4 grams
saturated fat, no cholesterol, 233 milligrams sodium, 62 percent calories from fat.)

Source: Steve Stanley, Chuy's Restaurant
Sources: http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/100296/hatch.htm
AND My Time in New Mexio






"Ready to cook with some chili peppers?"
by: einlanzer on Aug 27 2007 (24 months ago)
Official Rating
Four stars
Ready to cook with some chili peppers? These recipes call for Sandia green chilies,
but you can try substituting a mixture of Anaheims and roasted jalapenos.

HATCH GREEN CHILI SALSA

(Yield: 11/2 quarts)

2 quarts water

1/2 pound fresh tomatillos (see cook's notes)

1/2 pound fresh serrano chili peppers (see cook's notes)

1 pound roasted Sandia green chili peppers

1/3 bunch cilantro

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

DCook's note: Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes with a papery, round husk.
To adjust the heat of the salsa, use more or fewer serrano chilies, as desired.

1. Place water in large pot and add tomatillos, serrano chilies, Sandia chilies, cilantro,
garlic and onion. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Strain liquid into a container and place solid ingredients in blender. (You may have to
work in batches.) Add 1/2 of the strained liquid to blender and blend until smooth.

3. Add lime juice and salt and blend 30 seconds. Chill before serving.

Presentation: Serve with chips, tortillas or in recipes calling for salsa. Can be stored in a
sealed container for 4 days in the refrigerator.

(Nutritional information (per 1/2 cup): 16 calories, 0.18 grams fat, no saturated fat,
no cholesterol, 535 milligrams sodium, 10 percent calories from fat.)
Sources: Steve Stanley, Chuy's Restaurant




"Lots of options"
by: newfietom on Aug 28 2007 (24 months ago)
Official Rating
Four stars

How many do you have? A dozen? A case? More?

In the parts of the country where chilis are grown -- including Hatch, NM
where they grow the BEST -- you often see roadside stands where you can buy
chilis raw or roasted. The roasting at these stands is done in a large cylindrical
basket with a pretty aggressive propane flame. The basket is rotated either by hand
or by some simple machine attachment. (By the way, foodies... if you're in
"chili country" at harvest time, you will enjoy the smell of roasting
chilis as you drive by farm stand after farm stand selling their product. DELIGHTFUL!!!)

Roasting more than a case (bushel) of chilis would be a big job without this kind of
contraption, but my guess is you don't have that many to roast.

You can do any of the following to get the same basic results:

1. If a couple at a time, just place them directly on your stove burner (gas or electric).
Watch carefully and turn them often until the skin chars black.

2. Broil them on a sheet pan with a rack under your oven's broiler. Watch and turn...
same as above.

3. Use your outdoor grill. Place the chilis directly over a hot bed of coals. Ditto the
watch and turn. Personally, I like this method because of the added flavors the
grill brings to the equation.

4. Fry them in a deep fryer til the skins blister (this is probably not the best way
and I would recommend either of the above first.)

The desired result is twofold: You want to char the skin of the pepper which will
flavor the flesh of the fruit. Second, you want to remove the skins. To accomplish this,
place the HOT chilis in a sealable plastic bag, paper sack (doubled and folded over
at the top) or other sealable vessel. The residual heat will loosen the skin and make
them easy to remove.
Then, if you're not going to use all you've roasted immediately, simply place them in a freezer
bag (I use smaller bags with single-use portions) and toss them in the freezer.


Google Map
Full-screen

Where the BEST chili is grown!

Address:

Hatch, NM
Get directions:

Enter your starting address
Location
Directions
Map data ©2009 Tele Atlas, INEGI - Terms of Use
Map
Satellite
Hybrid
push-pin
You can often get a fresh case shipped to you. Try an internet search.





"This is a site with some recipes for using Hatch peppers"
by: KathyB on Aug 23 2007 (24 months ago)
Official Rating
Three stars
This is for a lot of recipes.

http://www.nmchili.com/recipes.htm



There is also a Hatch Cookbook if you want to go that far. This link will give you sources
to get it.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=hatch+cookbook&btnG=Google+Search

Sources: nmchili.com




"Classically, Chiles Rellenos."
by: PamPerdue on Aug 24 2007 (24 months ago)
Official Rating
Three stars
The classic recipe for peppers like those is Chiles Rellenos (stuffed with cheese,
covered in batter, and deep-fried.) The link goes to a recipe.

To prepare the fresh chiles, you need to roast them. Basically, you subject them to very
high heat (directly in the flame of a gas stove, over a very hot grill, or under the broiler)
until the skins turn black and blistered. Then you throw them in a paper bag, to let the
steam loosen the skins. When cool enough to handle, rub the skins off.

For Rellenos, you make a slit, remove the seeds, and stuff.

The deep-frying step is a pain, so what you can do at that point is to just chop the chiles
and use them in just about any Mexican dish. They make a nice stuffing for enchiladas,
added to quesadillas, etc.

They freeze very well at that point. People in Hatch (and the rest of New Mexico) will buy
their chiles 50 pounds at a time, roast them (the grocery store will roast them for you),
and freeze them in small tubs to use all year long.

The chiles in Hatch are the most prized for this purpose. For those who have to buy
their chiles pre-frozen, the Bueno brand is favored. You can use your homemade
chopped roasted chiles in any of their recipes.

"Hatch, New Mexico, grows the best chili peppers in the world. They're the equivalent of
Maine Lobster or Gulf Coast shrimp.

You first need to roast them. You can do this in various ways, on a grill, over an open flame
on a gas stove, using a small propane torch, under the broiler, etc., to char and then remove
the skin. I like to do it on the grill (anything to get out of the house).

On an outdoor grill, fire up enough charcoal to make a single layer under the chilies. When
coals are covered with gray ash, place the chilies directly over the fire. Grill chilies, turning
frequently, until their skins are blackened. Transfer chilies to paper bag to steam until cool
enough to handle. Peel chilies using rubber gloves if your skin is sensitive (and DON'T rub
your eyes), and cut chilies into 1/3-inch strips called rajas. You can then use them
immediately or freeze them until you are ready to use them."

And here are some recipes using them:

HATCH GREEN CHILI SALSA

(Yield: 11/2 quarts)

2 quarts water

1/2 pound fresh tomatillos (see cook's notes)

1/2 pound fresh serrano chili peppers (see cook's notes)

1 pound roasted Hatch green chili peppers

1/3 bunch cilantro

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Cook's note: Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes with a papery, round husk.
Cook's note: To adjust the heat of the salsa, use more or fewer serrano chilies, as desired.

1. Place water in large pot and add tomatillos, serrano chilies, Hatch chilies, cilantro, garlic
and onion. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Strain liquid into a container and place solid ingredients in blender. (You may have to
work in batches.) Add 1/2 of the strained liquid to blender and blend until smooth.

3. Add lime juice and salt and blend 30 seconds. Chill before serving.

Presentation: Serve with chips, tortillas or in recipes calling for salsa. Can be stored
in a sealed container for 4 days in the refrigerator.

(Nutritional information (per 1/2 cup): 16 calories, 0.18 grams fat, no saturated fat,
no cholesterol, 535 milligrams sodium, 10 percent calories from fat.)

Source: Steve Stanley, Chuy's Restaurant


GRILLED GREEN ONIONS AND RAJAS

(Yield: 6 servings)

3 fresh poblano chilies or large New Mexican chilies such as Sandias or Hatch

12 large green onions

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Dash of Maggi seasoning or pinch of salt (see cook's note)

Juice of 1/2 lime

Cook's note: Maggi seasoning is a dark brown, bottled sauce that resembles soy sauce in
looks and taste. It can be found in Hispanic markets and in the Hispanic section of some
supermarkets.

1. On an outdoor grill, fire up enough charcoal to make a single layer under the vegetables.
When coals are covered with gray ash, place chilies directly over fire. Grill chilies, turning
frequently, until their skins are blackened. Transfer chilies to paper bag to steam until cool
enough to handle.

2. Peel chilies using rubber gloves if your skin is sensitive, and cut chilies into 1/3-inch
strips. Keep chili strips, or rajas, warm.

3. Trim any wilted portion of green from tips of onions. Rub onions with oil and Maggi
seasoning, if using.

3. Tear a piece of foil about 6 inches wide. Place it on one side of grill. Arrange onions so
that their green portions are on foil and bulbs are directly over fire. Grill, turning
frequently, until bulbs are soft and lightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Squeeze lime juice
over onions and sprinkle salt over them, if using.

Presentation: Serve onions with rajas and grilled meat.

(Nutritional information (per serving): 31 calories, 2 grams fat, 0.3 grams saturated fat,
no cholesterol, 46 milligrams sodium, 58 percent calories from fat.)

Source: "The Border Cookbook'' by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison
(Harvard Common Press, $14.95)


CHILI-RUBBED FRESH SALMON TACOS

(Yield: 2 tacos)

2 2-ounce salmon filets

Chili rub to taste (see cook's note)

1/2 to 1 tablespoon butter

2 flour tortillas

1/3 cup red cabbage, shredded

6 roasted Hatch green chili strips

1 to 2 tablespoons Jalapeno Lime Sauce (recipe follows)

4 to 6 fresh cilantro leaves

2 small lime wedges for garnish

Cook's note: Chili-rub spice blend can be found in the supermarket spice section.

1. Lightly dust salmon with chili rub.

2. Heat butter in skillet over medium heat and saute salmon, about 2 minutes
each side or until desired doneness. Meanwhile, heat or toast tortillas.

3. To assemble taco, fill tortillas with cabbage and 3 chili strips each. Place salmon
atop cabbage and chilies and top with Jalapeno Lime Sauce and cilantro. Fold tacos
and serve with lime wedges.

(Nutritional information (per serving): 262 calories, 13.5 grams fat, 4 grams saturated
fat, 46 milligrams cholesterol, 231 milligrams sodium, 46 percent calories from fat.)

JALAPENO LIME SAUCE

(Yield: 31/2 to 4 cups)

3 cups commercial Ranch dressing

1/4 cup roasted green chilies

1/4 cup pickled or marinated jalapeno chilies

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 bunch fresh cilantro

1/2 Roma tomato, diced

1. Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Chill and use as a salad dressing
or dip for tortilla chips.

(Nutritional information (per 1/3 cup): 165 calories, 16.9 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat,
18 milligrams cholesterol, 227 milligrams sodium, 92 percent calories from fat.)

EL PASO GREEN CHILI SOUP

(Yield: 4 to 6 servings)

1/3 cup butter

11/2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

4 cups chicken broth

2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced

11/2 cups chopped roasted green chilies, such as New Mexican Hatch chilies

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup half-and-half

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Optional: freshly minced cilantro, for garnish

Optional: toasted thin corn tortilla strips, for garnish

1. In large saucepan or Dutch oven, warm butter over medium heat. Stir in onions
and garlic and saute until translucent.

2. Add broth, potatoes, chilies, oregano and salt and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce
heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

3. Transfer soup to a food processor (or blender in batches) and puree until smooth.
(Soup can be made ahead until this point and refrigerated for a day. Warm soup
before proceeding.)

4. Pour soup back into pan, add half-and-half, and heat through.

Presentation: Divide cheese among serving bowls. Ladle soup into each bowl.
Top soup with cilantro or tortilla strips, if desired. Serve immediately.

(Nutritional information (per serving): 290 calories, 20.1 grams fat, 12.2 grams
saturated fat, 55 milligrams cholesterol, 1263 milligrams sodium, 62 percent
calories from fat.)

Source: "The Border Cookbook''


HATCH NEW MEXICAN GREEN CHILI SAUCE (This is waht they mean when they ask
green or red in New Mexico - this is the green option)

(Yield: 4 cups)

3 tablespoons corn oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 cups roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped New Mexican green chilies

2 cups beef broth

1 teaspoon salt

1. In heavy-bottomed sauce pan, saute onions in corn oil until they begin to brown.

2. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

3. Stir flour in with onions and garlic so that it thickens.

4. Add chopped chilies, beef broth and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer
10 to 15 minutes to allow mixture to reduce. The sauce should be thick enough to bind
chilies and onions together. Sauce can be refrigerated for three days, or frozen.

Presentation: Serve sauce over enchiladas, grilled pork tenderloin or other grilled meats
and poultry, or as a side with beef tacos. You can also put it over scambled eggs or a cheese
omelet. In New Mexico they even offer it on hamburgers.

(Nutritional information (per 1/3 cup): 39 calories, 2.7 grams fat, 0.4 grams saturated fat,
no cholesterol, 233 milligrams sodium, 62 percent calories from fat.)

Source: Steve Stanley, Chuy's Restaurant
Sources: http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/100296/hatch.htm
AND My Time in New Mexico.





ok with some chili peppers?"
by: einlanzer on Aug 27 2007 (24 months ago)
Official Rating
Four stars
Ready to cook with some chili peppers? These recipes call for Sandia green chilies,
but you can try substituting a mixture of Anaheims and roasted jalapenos.

HATCH GREEN CHILI SALSA

(Yield: 11/2 quarts)

2 quarts water

1/2 pound fresh tomatillos (see cook's notes)

1/2 pound fresh serrano chili peppers (see cook's notes)

1 pound roasted Sandia green chili peppers

1/3 bunch cilantro

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

DCook's note: Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes with a papery, round husk.
To adjust the heat of the salsa, use more or fewer serrano chilies, as desired.

1. Place water in large pot and add tomatillos, serrano chilies, Sandia chilies, cilantro,
garlic and onion. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Strain liquid into a container and place solid ingredients in blender. (You may have
to work in batches.) Add 1/2 of the strained liquid to blender and blend until smooth.

3. Add lime juice and salt and blend 30 seconds. Chill before serving.

Presentation: Serve with chips, tortillas or in recipes calling for salsa. Can be stored in
a sealed container for 4 days in the refrigerator.

(Nutritional information (per 1/2 cup): 16 calories, 0.18 grams fat, no saturated fat,
no cholesterol, 535 milligrams sodium, 10 percent calories from fat.)
Sources: Steve Stanley, Chuy's Restaurant
L



"Lots of options"
by: newfietom on Aug 28 2007 (24 months ago)
Official Rating
Four stars

How many do you have? A dozen? A case? More?

In the parts of the country where chilis are grown -- including Hatch, NM where they
grow the BEST -- you often see roadside stands where you can buy chilis raw or roasted.
The roasting at these stands is done in a large cylindrical basket with a pretty aggressive
propane flame. The basket is rotated either by hand or by some simple machine attachment.
(By the way, foodies... if you're in "chili country" at harvest time, you will enjoy the smell of
roasting chilis as you drive by farm stand after farm stand selling their product.
DELIGHTFUL!!!)

Roasting more than a case (bushel) of chilis would be a big job without this kind of contraption,
but my guess is you don't have that many to roast.

You can do any of the following to get the same basic results:

1. If a couple at a time, just place them directly on your stove burner (gas or electric).
Watch carefully and turn them often until the skin chars black.

2. Broil them on a sheet pan with a rack under your oven's broiler. Watch and turn...
same as above.

3. Use your outdoor grill. Place the chilis directly over a hot bed of coals. Ditto the watch
and turn. Personally, I like this method because of the added flavors the grill brings to
the equation.

4. Fry them in a deep fryer til the skins blister (this is probably not the best way and I
would recommend either of the above first.)


The desired result is twofold: You want to char the skin of the pepper which will flavor
the flesh of the fruit. Second, you want to remove the skins. To accomplish this,
place the HOT chilis in a sealable plastic bag, paper sack (doubled and folded over
at the top) or other sealable vessel. The residual heat will loosen the skin and make
them easy to remove. Then, if you're not going to use all you've roasted immediately,
simply place them in a freezer bag (I use smaller bags with single-use portions) and
toss them in the freezer.


Google Map
Full-screen

Where the BEST chili is grown!

Address:

Hatch, NM
Get directions:

Enter your starting address
Location
Directions
Map data ©2009 Tele Atlas, INEGI - Terms of Use
Map
Satellite
Hybrid
push-pin
You can often get a fresh case shipped to you. Try an internet search.




"This is a site with some recipes for using Hatch peppers"
by: KathyB on Aug 23 2007 (24 months ago)
Official Rating
Three stars
This is for a lot of recipes.

http://www.nmchili.com/recipes.htm


There is also a Hatch Cookbook if you want to go that far. This link
will give you sources to get it.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=hatch+cookbook&btnG=Google+Search

Sources: nmchili.com





"Classically, Chiles Rellenos."
by: PamPerdue on Aug 24 2007 (24 months ago)
Official Rating
Three stars
The classic recipe for peppers like those is Chiles Rellenos (stuffed with cheese,
covered in batter, and deep-fried.) The link goes to a recipe.

To prepare the fresh chiles, you need to roast them. Basically, you subject them to
very high heat (directly in the flame of a gas stove, over a very hot grill, or under
the broiler) until the skins turn black and blistered. Then you throw them in a
paper bag, to let the steam loosen the skins. When cool enough to handle, rub
the skins off.

For Rellenos, you make a slit, remove the seeds, and stuff.

The deep-frying step is a pain, so what you can do at that point is to just chop
the chiles and use them in just about any Mexican dish. They make a nice stuffing
for enchiladas, added to quesadillas, etc.

They freeze very well at that point. People in Hatch (and the rest of New Mexico)
will buy their chiles 50 pounds at a time, roast them (the grocery store will roast
them for you), and freeze them in small tubs to use all year long.

The chiles in Hatch are the most prized for this purpose. For those who have to buy
their chiles pre-frozen, the Bueno brand is favored. You can use your homemade
chopped roasted chiles in any of their recipes."


I I hope that you all enjoy these chilis and the recipes!
We live for Hatch time to come around!

Ruth Ann
http://www.r2swanger.etsy.com


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