Posted on 09/15/2011 8:05:30 PM PDT by Bean Counter
One of the big successes in this year's garden has been my Ancho Chilis. I've already smoke-roasted a dozen or so with mesquite, until they were shriveled and dry. They make a great addition to beans or chili once you rehydrate them and strain out the skins.
But what else do you do with an nice Ancho?
I have a bunch more still on the plant and they are really nice, dark green and really delicious looking. I've been harvesting jalapenos and using them for cooking, but I have never cooked with raw Anchos, and was looking for ideas about how to use it best.
My wife doesn't care for green peppers but will eat red ones like a starving animal if I grill them for her. Should I leave the Anchos on the plant and let them ripen and turn red??
Cheers!
Get a blow torch skin them and use them for chilli rellenos. As an experiment I bought a carton of egg whites, whipped them up and they provided a good coating.
I use ripened poblano(anchos are dried poblanos) in place of or in addition to
bell peppers is salads.
Anchos work best for stuff like Chili and Mole’s
They are what they are, deep, rich, shirt staining flavor agents
I’d like to hear a bit more about how you smoke-roasted them in the first place.
Then I make chiles rellenos.
How about a south-of-the-border style Philly cheese steak with carne asada and ancho chiles.
Take your dried anchos, remove seeds, and simmer them in just enough water to cover.
Then dump the rehydrated chiles and water in a blender and puree. Add a whole onion and garlic, comino powder and puree. You should have a nice paste then.
Mixed that with your browned chile meat, nothing else, and you have a real nice chile.
I like to add pasillas for more richness and a few chiltepins to make it go POW!
Why do you take the skins off?
Knock yourself out!
As an anti-flatulence measure.
I do!
On the dried (red) chiles, I soak those in hot (just to a boil) water - for several hours, 'til soft. Then I use a food mill to puree them for various sauces. The food mill separates the skins from the "meat" of the chile.
LOL
I was just about to PING you to this thread!
I do know how to make an award winnin chili LOL
I know!
Hope to try it sometime!
Is it super bad a$$ hot?
Think of Anchos as like dem roux.
They won’t turn red no matter how long you leave them on the plant. I use mine for salads, salsa, and stuff them (chilli rellenos). You can put them on the grill or in the oven to blister the skins, then stick them in a covered bowl to steam an cool so the skins are easy to peel.
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