# Chilis - Stupid question



## indygal (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi all,

My question is, what kind of chilis are used in New Mexican green chili sause?  We like that stuff, and I want to duplicate it. I found a recipe online (not here) that seems to be the one,  but I don't know what kind of chilis to grow this year.  I want to try and can some of that suace..

DD


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

Tomatillos, a few Jalapenos, garlic cloves, onion, cilantro and salt................simmer the tomatillos, jalp, onion until soft and tender, put into a blender, pulse a few times then add the garlic, blend the cilantro, salt to taste and desired thickness as you keep on pulsing............the amount of Jalp will determine the desired heat of the salsa................CBB..................P.S. Some people do all this in a raw state, I like it cooked.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

ChefBillyB said:


> Tomatillos, a few Jalapenos, garlic cloves, onion, cilantro and salt................simmer the tomatillos, jalp, onion until soft and tender, put into a blender, pulse a few times then add the garlic, blend the cilantro, salt to taste and desired thickness as you keep on pulsing............the amount of Jalp will determine the desired heat of the salsa................CBB..................P.S. Some people do all this in a raw state, I like it cooked.


Not jalapenos. They use a varietal of the anaheim. New Mexico Green Chiles taste somewhat different and have varying heat from anaheims depending on varietal and growing location. Generally milder than a jalapeno. You can order frozen roasted chiles which is probably the best choice for quality and flavor, but not cheap. Dried are also available but you should be able to find canned green chiles in your grocer. These are OK though the Hatch brand is generally preferable to some of the others. Nothing wrong with greenhouse anaheims either. Probably the closest you'll get short of the frozen ones.


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## indygal (Dec 7, 2010)

Thank you guys!  We can grow really hot peppers here in Indiana, you don't think those chilis will grow here?

Donna


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

They probably would. But chilis are very susceptible to growing conditions for heat and flavor in my experience.  Generally, it's close enough, but you might be surprised if things are just right to tweak the results.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

There's no reason at all that Anaheims and New Mexico chilis shouldn't do well in Indianna. Or most other chilis, for that matter.

If you're buying plants, that's fine. If you're starting your own, indoors, set seed 8-10 weeks before last frost, and transplant them two weeks later.

Phil is absolutely correct about chili reaction to growing conditions. Not only will, say, the New Mexico chilis not be the same that he grows in SLC, they might not be the same in your garden year to year.

But, for something like a green chili sauce, those differences will get lost. So don't worry about them.


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Worse comes to worse, you can always plant chiles as a container plant.  Had a friend, in Atlanta do that with a Habanero plant and by the second year he probably harvested over 100 chiles from that thing.  It was awesome!


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

The thing to understand, Pete, is that peppers are actually tropical perennials, even though most of us grow them as annuals. So, if you give them the proper care they can last two days longer than forever.

A friend of mine has one plant that has been producing for six years, for instance. During the summer it goes into his garden. The rest of the year it lives in a pot in the house.


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## indygal (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi KY,

I have been trying to get rosemary to grow in the garden for a long time.  I never seem to have much luck with it, though.  I have seen other people's large rosemary bushes, could I grow it the way your friend grows peppers?   thanks


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

No reason I can think of not to.

Rosemary does very well in pots. In fact, the past few years there have been a number of places selling tabletop Christmas trees that are merely that; rosemary that's been trimmed to shape. Right after the holidays is a good time to find a bargain on them. Keep them in the house over the winter, then transplant.

Usually when people have trouble growing rosemary the culprit is over watering, followed by over fertilizing. Keep in mind that rosemary is native to a semi-arid environment, and that's the conditions it likes best.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

The chili verde in New Mexico I ate differes from that in California where I'm from. In NM, it seemed to be made with either Anaheims or Poblanos along with some tomatillos. Here's my recipe that's listed at the virtual Weber Bullet website for a rainbow version of Chili Verde:

http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f...110183&r=2880001805&a=tpc&cdra=Y&m=9660093152

*CHILI ARCO IRIS (Rainbow Chili)*

Koko's own down home California Mojave Desert delight. This recipe ensures that you walk away from the table drippin'. Spiced just right.

*10 pound butt all cooked and smoked (weighed prior to WSM'ming)*

All of the following veggies and peppers are coarsley chopped with seeds may/may not be removed.

*12 Tomatillos washed and peeled

5 chili Poblanos
9 Jalapenos
7 Habanero or Cubanelle peppers
4 Red Bell Peppers (MANDATORY MANDATORY)
4 Yellow or Orange Bell Peppers
5 White Onions

Chicken Stock
5 TBSP cumin
Garlic (aka Russian Penicillin) to your heart's desire
S&P
Chinese Parsley aka Coriander leaf*

Sweat the oinions over a low temperature but don't allow the liquid to evaporate.

While they (and you) sweat with shear delight, cut up the rest of the peppers to your specifications - you may/may not retain all of the seeds!

After the onion liquid reaches maximum volume add the pork meat along with the peppers, tomatillos and seasonings to the pot. Simmer ever so slowly (slow bubble) for around 6-10 hours - like a braise. Should the liquid reduce too much, add some chicken stock to taste.

Sprinkle with some chinese parsley (aka leaf coriander).

Serve over a bed of rice and on the side add two heated flour tortillas massaged with butter and lard.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

That's an interesting choice: habaneros or cubanelle. One is a blow-the-roof-out-of-your mouth chili, the other rather on the mild side. Seven cuanelle won't equal the heat of one habanero.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

7C = 1H, THAT has not been my experience for both are 'equally' hot on MY tongue imho.


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## gareth (Feb 3, 2011)

IndyGal, If you pot rosemary it eventually (4+ years) goes quite woody. If this happens you need to transplant it as it just doesn't produce enough bright green fresh shoots for cooking any more


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Kokopuffs, all I can think of is that either you are very sensitive to capcaicin, or whatever you are calling cubanelle is a different variety than the standard. Friend Wife doesn't do heat. But she munches on cubanelles.

Using objective measurements, there is no comparison between habs and cubanelles. Heat in chilis is measured in Scoville Heat units (SHUs). Habaneros are among the hottest peppers in the world, running 300-500,000 SKUs. Cubanelles, on the other hand, are very mild chilis, running 500-1,000 SKUs. Putting the best face on it, it would take 300 cubanelles to equal the heat of one habenero.

To put this in perspective, here are the heat values for some other commonly used chilis:

Poblano: 1,000-1,500

Cayenne: 30-50,000

Jalapeno: 2,500-10,000

Serrano: 10-20,000


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Wrong, I have taste bud burnout due to consumption of chilis and know all about scovill units.  So sorry but the cubanells (advertised as such) tasted just as hot as the scotch bonnets I've tried.  I think I read that they're both closely related and perhaps comparison to habs is incorrect.  I'm thinking cubanelles and scotch bonnets, not habaneros.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Hm, from a Food & Wine Recipe,


> Cubanelles are long, sweet peppers that are usually light green (you can occasionally find red ones as well) and sometimes have a slight kick.


Maybe there is a confusion with names???


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Like a ditzy blonde, I'll change my tune again.  Just looked up all 3 and it's the SB's that resemble the Habs.  Monday morning cornfusion!


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Once I hit about 50,000 scovilles, they all seem very similar up to about 500,000 scovilles, that higher end being in some hot sauces. Of course, at that point, I'm not really enjoying it either. My threshhold for enjoyment stops around that 50,000 mark.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Koko, Habs and SBs are so similar as to make no never mind. Essentially, Scotch Bonnet is the Jamaican name for the same chili group (essentially _C. chinense_). FWIW, habs and cubanelles are only distant cousins, being different speices

Phil, you're not alone in that.

What we have to keep in mind is that chili enthusiasts fall into two groups. The so-called chiliheads, who are concerned with heat per se. "It's all about the burn, man!" I am most assuredly not one of them.

The other group, among whom I'm numbered, are those who are looking, primarily, for the underlying flavors. The heat is secondary to them. All chilis have a distinct flavor profile. That's why so many great recipes (i.e., mole, the green chili recipes Kokopuffs linked to, etc.) call for a selection of chilies.

Those flavor profiles often apply to whole categories. For instance, the _C. chinense _tend to have a smoky, tropical fruit flavor. _C. baccatums _tend to be citrusy. Etc.

This is why I'm personally not a particular fan of jalapenos. To me, if you take the heat away, all that's left is a sort of green, almost grassy, flavor. So, while they do bring more heat, I much prefer Serranos when jalapenos are called for. Actually, given my druthers, I'd opt for a Sinahuisa in those cases. But that's a whole nuther story.

A real problem when it comes to cooking with Jals is that their heat spread is so great you never know what you're getting. You might prepare a dish today that is your idea of perfect. Repeat it next week and it's too hot. Or vice-versa. It's commonly believed that the more corking (the brown, web-like growth on the skin) on a jalapeno the hotter it will be. But I don't know of any tests that actually confirm that.


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## indygal (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks KY & Gareth.

KY-H, guilty on both counts.  I raise rabbits for their wool, and my garden is rather small.  Last year I discovered that the whole garden had too much fertilizer (from the high nitro bunny manure - one of the very highest manures in nitrogen).  Tomatoes had lush foliage, few fruits.   I let the weeds grow up around them for competition and they started to set a lot more fruit late in the season.  We started out wet, and then it turned dry.  So perhaps I could have grown rosemary last year, but didn't try.  This year, I am only putting the manure on half the garden,   I can always add fertilizer later if needed.  Just an experiment to confirm what I concluded last year.

Gareth, Thanks for the caution about the 4 year limit on potting.   I no doubt would have assumed I did something wrong.

BTW, the combo of late setting and dryness made lots of small tomatos with INTENSE flavor - almost objectionably intense.  And being rather dry, they kept well, I was still using some last month.  Rare for Indiana.

DD


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

@KY:

I once went to a Thai restaurant and ordered the dish hot and spicy.  The watress asked do I want 'hot and spicy' or do I wnat it 'Thai spicy'.  I commanded the latter.  The hotness was of a quality I can't describe although the heat was a totally different experience compared to the 'jalapeno' type heat.  And yes, although tastey, the dish left me totally drenched in sweat from the neck on up and I drank lots of water.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

KYHeirloomer said:


> Kokopuffs, all I can think of is that either you are very sensitive to capcaicin, or whatever you are calling cubanelle is a different variety than the standard. Friend Wife doesn't do heat. But she munches on cubanelles.
> 
> Using objective measurements, there is no comparison between habs and cubanelles. Heat in chilis is measured in Scoville Heat units (SHUs). Habaneros are among the hottest peppers in the world, running 300-500,000 SKUs. Cubanelles, on the other hand, are very mild chilis, running 500-1,000 SKUs. Putting the best face on it, it would take 300 cubanelles to equal the heat of one habenero.
> 
> ...


anyone mention the ghost chilli pepper (bhut jolokia) with a heat value of 885,000 and up?...oh lordy!

joey

chilli peppers promote endorphin production....endorphins are natural opiates...opiates are a good thing,no?


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## indygal (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi all,

I wound up putting Poblanos, Habaneros and Anaheim peppers in the garden this year.   KY-H, I would have loved to have tried your Sinahuisa  peppers. Would they be similar to the small hot Chinese peppers?   I happen to like those - used sparingly.

I started some Rosemary in a pot, with high hopes of getting it to grow.  I am determined not to over water it (once I get it going), and I have not added any fertilizer to the mix of garden soil and potting soil that I started it in.   I have high hopes.

Last year, I put some italian parsley in a pot and planted it in the garden.  It didn't do much of anything last year, just kept going to seed over and over.  well.....  Imagine my surprise when I had a whole garden of parsley volunteers this year.  It is truly growing, weed-like.   I have multi dozens, if not a hundred or more plants - AFTER I thinned them out.   My bunnies like it, so they are in luck this year!   So I am going to be sure to save one over winter again and expect the high seed rate next year.

Thanks for all the advice.  I'll let you know if my "green chili sauce" becomes a reality this year.

D


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

_Would they be similar to the small hot Chinese peppers? _

I'm not quite sure what you mean by those, IndyGal. If you mean the long, thin, red ones often used in sitchuan cooking, I've always thought of those as Thai peppers.

In terms of heat levels and physical characteristics, the Sinahuisa resemble Serranos. Although their heat levels are about the same, the Sinahuisa have a more mellow flavor, IMO.

I always let the Sinahuisa ripen before use (which isn't always the case with Serranos).

I had a complete failure with my peppers this year and had to actually buy plants. I suspect it was the starting medium, which was left over from two years ago, and I've since found out the company that makes that brand had a problem that year. So the only thing I'm growing this year is

Cayenne, as part of the kitchen garden demonstation plot in the historic garden at Fort Boonesborough. Quite a reduction, as I usually grow six or seven different chilis each season.


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## indygal (Dec 7, 2010)

Darn.  Too bad about the peppers.   They are one of the two main reasons I grow vegetables at all.   (tomatoes being the other one)

I'm still looking for small red cherry peppers.   The kind that are only slightly spicy.   I (and only I) absolutely love those picked ones that kroger's has on the olive bar around holiday time.   Slightly spicy and packed in a sweet pickle brine.   Mmmmm.   Can't wait til the 4th so I can get some more of them!  I tried making some sweet pickled regular ripe red peppers (Cal wonders) and it just wasn't the same thing.  Good, but not on the money.   Guess I'll have to wait.

I'm enlarging my city garden for next year.  I'm putting grass clippings and hay onto the grass nearby, so it will die and rot under there.   While I have not tilled for years, with hay/leaves and bunny manure making my soil about the best, loose stuff you could want.   But I might have to till next year, to get the new part going.   If I enlarge it any more, I'll have to cut down some trees!


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## indygal (Dec 7, 2010)

Just a note,

I grew Anaheim peppers in the garden this summer.  With the extremely dry summer, they were about the only happy plants in the whole garden.  I had a heavy production, but they turned red and pretty hot.  I was under the impression that Anaheims were large green, and not very hot.   I did not start these from seed, I picked up the plants from a garden center.      These are long like a banana pepper, about 6-7 inches long and not over 1" in diameter.

The Poblano and bell peppers did not produce nearly as many peppers.

Might they have been mislabeled?  Or do you have to pick them before they turn red?  I Googled a picture of them and it looks just like my plant.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

i think it was a mislabel...you're right about anahemis not being hot...they are super mild...i'm thinking you have hatch chilies in your garden. they are normally mild to medium heat but can definately vary quite a bit. there are also different types of hatch peppers as well. i just got 20#'s of roasted hatch chilies the other day and they were quite spicy(which is quite fine with me),but surprising. mostly they use the red(ripened) hatch chiles to make ristras...the roastting /canning ones are usually green.....just so happens to be the hatch green chile festival this weekend in hatch new mexico. i love the smell of roasting  peppers in the air this time of year..you could look at it this way...heat promotes endorphin production and endorphins are natural opiates, and opiates are a good thing(in moderation, of course!) that's all i know...

joey


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Peppers can vary wildly in heat.

Most peppers turn red as they ripen further. But some varietals are preferred in their less ripe state.

Consider the jalapeno. We usually see them green but when allowed to fully ripen, they are used in their red state for chipotle/adobo treatments.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Not necessarily red, Phil. Depending on variety, chilies can ripen red, scarlet, flame, orange, yellow, and even purple. Some varieties actually go through several color changes, and it's kind of fun to have a plant with green, flame, and scarlet pods all showing.

But your point is important. We are accustomed to eating peppers in the unripe stage. This includes bells, jalapenos, poblanos, serrenos, Anaheims, and a host of others. So much so that many people---even professional cooks---believe that red and yellow bells are different varieties from the green ones. Such is not the case, of course. The only difference is that the red/yellow ones are ripe and the green ones not.

Another aspect to consider is that ripe peppers have higher sugar contents than green ones. So the flavor profile (not just heat) can be dramatically different.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Need to see and/or taste, but it sounds to me like you might have grown _serranos_ -- which I quite like.

BDL


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## indygal (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks Joey, KY, Phatch  

I will be starting my own plants of this next year, but I might just grow this one again, since it was such a heavy producer.   I looked up the Hatch variety, and it looks exactly like my peppers.

I went out and got some green ones and they seem to be less hot than the fully ripe ones.   I'll roast a few and see how it goes.   Other than a "green" flavor, though this type isn't the most flavorful pepper I've ever had (raw).   Maybe roasting will improve it.

KY Heirloomer, This pepper goes from green to rather purple/green, orange and finally red.  So you are right about the variations in color!  Quite a display.

Phatch, I'm wondering if there are factors you can control in your garden to influence the level of heat in the pepper.   Like more or less acid, etc.  I''m going to look for info on that. If I find anything, I'll share.

DD


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

indygal,

around these parts hatch green chilies are always roasted..don't think i've ever eaten them raw...of course you can, but the flavor is really in the roasting...glad you figured it out..nice when that happens eh?

joey


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