Hatch Chili Peppers

[jrshaul]

Anyone know where I can get these whole at a sane price? I'm used to paying $2 for a massive bag, not $20 for a dinky jar that invariably tastes flat.

[TdeV]

I just bought some dried New Mexico chiles from Spice House https://www.thespicehouse.com/collections/types?q=Chiles

Not $2, but not $20 either. They have a Black Friday deal too.

[Joe Blowe]

I see a few possibilities looking at the sponsor list for the Hatch Chile Fest...

[Katie Meadow]

Since being away from NM for 30+ years I may be totally off base here. Either I had a limited view of chiles or things have changed. In the old days, Hatch chiles were really grown in and around Hatch. They were very hot, and honestly I don't believe that a lot of the crop was allowed to turn red and get dried. There was plenty of demand for fresh green Hatch chiles. If you scored a lot of them, you froze them so you could make chile verde or green enchiladas through the winter and spring. If you wanted to make a red sauce for posole or beans or  enchiladas,  or just a bowl of red with pork, you would use the more ubiquitous "New Mexico Chile," which were often dried and bound into ristras to hang until needed and for decoration. These were typically medium hot chiles, and very dependable for most dishes that used a lot of chiles; always a winter staple when fresh green chiles were not available. If you were to make a bowl of rojo or an enchilada sauce with true dried Hatch chiles you would blow your head off. That's another reason why I don't remember Hatches being dried. Perhaps now to satisfy demand the Hatch crop has evolved into something less hot and grown in abundance outside the area with milder seeds, which would mean that so called "Hatch" chiles might be sold dried because of a larger and tamer crop.

 

Some time after I left New Mexico Hatch chiles became a "thing." Probably the demand exceeded the authentic Hatch crop. They were sometimes mixed with a crop called "Big Jims," which were a sort of strange assortment of hot and not so hot chiles, which I believe grew that way. They were not at all consistent or identifiable as true Hatch chiles. Unfortunately Big Jims were sold as Hatch and used in mail orders. I remember after moving to CA and mail-ordering some Hatch chiles I received Big Jims, and they were disappointing in flavor. In addition, if they called them Hatch they could command a ridiculous price for shipping, and they often were delivered not very fresh. I haven't had them in many years, so the the crop may have been improved. Rather than order chiles on line I now use green poblanos; I have a couple of sources that supply pretty hot ones, although many supermarket poblanos can be bland. I get large amounts from the farmers market in late summer and fall and roast and freeze them in batches. I do know that it is frustrating when all you can find are anaheims and you want something with a real kick.

 

Anyone who still lives in NM do chime in and straighten me out as needed. 

[heidih]

The whole Hatch branding annoys me. I go to Latin markets with turnover, smell deeply, and buy the chiles that appeal depending on proposed use. The good ones you can smell through the packaging.  Cist = ridiculously low considering the flavor punch.

[weinoo]

Yesterday, I decided it was time to use (some of) these. To experiment a bit, as I haven't cooked with them before...

 

 

So, using a mix of the hot and mediums...

 

 

A New Mexican red chili sauce was made.  And the apartment smelled great. Mixed a little with some previously prepared @rancho_gordo Vaquero beans, heated them together and they were really delicious.  Next up, carne adovada.

Edited October 14, 2020 by weinoo (log)

[Chimayo Joe]

Carne adovada.  That's my favorite New Mexican food of them all.

[weinoo]

46 minutes ago, Chimayo Joe said:

Carne adovada.  That's my favorite New Mexican food of them all.

Significant Eater's as well.  As a matter of fact, I believe the first time we went to New Mexico together, to visit the mispucha, she took me to this place...

 

 

Where they specialize in, you guessed it, carne adovada!

 

 https://maryandtitoscafeabq.com/

[KennethT]

12 hours ago, weinoo said:

Yesterday, I decided it was time to use (some of) these. To experiment a bit, as I haven't cooked with them before...

 

 

So, using a mix of the hot and mediums...

 

 

A New Mexican red chili sauce was made.  And the apartment smelled great. Mixed a little with some previously prepared @rancho_gordo Vaquero beans, heated them together and they were really delicious.  Next up, carne adovada.

What's your recipe for adovada?

[Chimayo Joe]

6 hours ago, weinoo said:

Significant Eater's as well.  As a matter of fact, I believe the first time we went to New Mexico together, to visit the mispucha, she took me to this place...

 

 

Where they specialize in, you guessed it, carne adovada!

 

 https://maryandtitoscafeabq.com/

Been to Mary & Tito's many times.  It's been several years since I've been to Albuquerque.  Mary & Tito's would be my first stop when I get back there.

[liuzhou]

That confused me. I had to Google adovada. At first I thought it was a dyslexic avocado. But I know zilch about Mexican food, New or regular.

[weinoo]

6 hours ago, liuzhou said:

That confused me. I had to Google adovada. At first I thought it was a dyslexic avocado. But I know zilch about Mexican food, New or regular.

 

LOL.  The other distinction to be made is that there are plenty of differences between what we know as Mexican food and New Mexican food.  Not selling Mexico short, but humans have been living (and eating, evidently) in New Mexico for like 13,000 years).

 

6 hours ago, Chimayo Joe said:

Been to Mary & Tito's many times.  It's been several years since I've been to Albuquerque.  Mary & Tito's would be my first stop when I get back there.

 

We were having a nice discussion about Mary & Tito's last night. As well as Monroe's, Duran Pharmacy, Los Cuates, El Pinto, and of course, The Frontier! (And Blake's Lotta Burger, where you can't forget the green chile and cheese on your burger!).

Edited October 15, 2020 by weinoo (log)

[liuzhou]

24 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Not selling Mexico short, but humans have been living (and eating, evidently) in New Mexico for for like 13,000 years

 

People in New Mexico live for 13.000 years. Must be great food!

[Katie Meadow]

3 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

LOL.  The other distinction to be made is that there are plenty of differences between what we know as Mexican food and New Mexican food.  Not selling Mexico short, but humans have been living (and eating, evidently) in New Mexico for like 13,000 years).

 

 

We were having a nice discussion about Mary & Tito's last night. As well as Monroe's, Duran Pharmacy, Los Cuates, El Pinto, and of course, The Frontier! (And Blake's Lotta Burger, where you can't forget the green chile and cheese on your burger!).

Duran Pharmacy! We used to go for breakfast. That was in the late sixties, about 13,000 years ago.

[pastameshugana]

5 hours ago, weinoo said:

And Blake's Lotta Burger, where you can't forget the green chile and cheese on your burger!).

 

Blake's is an institution around here. People who leave NM will come back just to get one. A friend in town from Tennessee this week is lamenting that he has to leave Blake's again. And rumor has it that one of our 'alumni' living in Rochester, NY will have her parents bring her green chile burgers on the plane when they go to visit.

[kayb]

Carne adovado sent me to Google. Is the Serious Eats recipe a good one?

 

 

[Chimayo Joe]

This one?

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/12/carne-adovada-adobada-chili-braised-pork-recipe.html

 

it looks like it would taste great but I wouldn't call that New Mexican carne adovada.  Strange ingredients for New Mexican cooking which tends to be very simple.

 

This recipe is what New Mexican carne adovada is:

 

https://www.realfoodtraveler.com/carne-adovada-recipe-from-rancho-de-chimayo/

 

 

[weinoo]

22 hours ago, KennethT said:

What's your recipe for adovada?

 

1 hour ago, kayb said:

Carne adovado sent me to Google. Is the Serious Eats recipe a good one?

 

So what I did was research a bunch of recipes on line, look at a bunch of recipes in my cookbooks, and talk to some real cooks in my family; some cooks even from New Mexico.

 

First, using the dried red chili pods I got from Hatch, NM (via Amazon, KY) I made the above pictured red chile sauce. People, including my wife, have made that type of sauce with chili powder, using the powder in lieu of whole peppers. The sauce itself is fairly simple, with minimal additional ingredients; some onion, some garlic, some Mexican oregano and maybe honey, maybe not - you know the drill, everyone has their own way to make it. some people roast these dried chili peppers before making the sauce; others don't. The chilis are simmered, puréed, and then fried along with the additional ingredients. The resulting sauce is fucking delicious. And it can be used for many things, one of which is carne adovada. I mixed some in while reheating beans - they were great. Eggs, burgers, potatoes - you name it, they put chile sauces on it. (Oh, today I also communicated directly with people in Hatch, as I wanted to find out more about the process the chilis are put through before I buy them).

 

Okay, we have the sauce. Next, I did much of the same research for the adovada. I used good pork (Korubuta) shoulder, cut into 2" hunks. Browned it slightly (you'll see) and removed; cooked some onions and garlic and then added spices (such as cumin, coriander, oregano) to the pan, added pork back in along with a T of honey and vinegar, the red chili sauce and a little stock for the braise, and braised the meat for about 2 1/4 hours till it was almost fork tender. Then I finished it, with the lid slightly ajar, till the meat was fork tender and the sauce nice and thick. Others braise in the oven, I did mine on the stove top. Basically, I bastardized a number of recipes. To make this:

 

 

Let's jsut say - it was delicious. We enjoyed it with tortillas, rice, and a sauté of corn. Tonight, we're having more.

 

Serious Eats' recipe:  https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/12/carne-adovada-adobada-chili-braised-pork-recipe.html

 

Cook's Illustrated - behind their ridiculous pay wall, but in the October, 2018 issue.

 

Zestful Kitchen - this recipe certainly looks fine.

 

No shortage of recipes. But, and it's a big but, the real deal is made with chilis (any of a number of varieties - like 8 or 10) specifically grown in the area of Hatch, NM. The Hatch Valley, as it were - sort of like Gilroy and garlic, if you know what I mean.

[weinoo]

33 minutes ago, Chimayo Joe said:

This recipe is what New Mexican carne adovada is:

 

https://www.realfoodtraveler.com/carne-adovada-recipe-from-rancho-de-chimayo/

 

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Well, except for the garlic salt, which I save for my Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. And pizza.

 

[Chimayo Joe]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

 

 

So what I did was research a bunch of recipes on line, look at a bunch of recipes in my cookbooks, and talk to some real cooks in my family; some cooks even from New Mexico.

 

First, using the dried red chili pods I got from Hatch, NM (via Amazon, KY) I made the above pictured red chile sauce. People, including my wife, have made that type of sauce with chili powder, using the powder in lieu of whole peppers. The sauce itself is fairly simple, with minimal additional ingredients; some onion, some garlic, some Mexican oregano and maybe honey, maybe not - you know the drill, everyone has their own way to make it. some people roast these dried chili peppers before making the sauce; others don't. The chilis are simmered, puréed, and then fried along with the additional ingredients. The resulting sauce is fucking delicious. And it can be used for many things, one of which is carne adovada. I mixed some in while reheating beans - they were great. Eggs, burgers, potatoes - you name it, they put chile sauces on it. (Oh, today I also communicated directly with people in Hatch, as I wanted to find out more about the process the chilis are put through before I buy them).

 

Okay, we have the sauce. Next, I did much of the same research for the adovada. I used good pork (Korubuta) shoulder, cut into 2" hunks. Browned it slightly (you'll see) and removed; cooked some onions and garlic and then added spices (such as cumin, coriander, oregano) to the pan, added pork back in along with a T of honey and vinegar, the red chili sauce and a little stock for the braise, and braised the meat for about 2 1/4 hours till it was almost fork tender. Then I finished it, with the lid slightly ajar, till the meat was fork tender and the sauce nice and thick. Others braise in the oven, I did mine on the stove top. Basically, I bastardized a number of recipes. To make this:

 

 

Let's jsut say - it was delicious. We enjoyed it with tortillas, rice, and a sauté of corn. Tonight, we're having more.

 

Serious Eats' recipe:  https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/12/carne-adovada-adobada-chili-braised-pork-recipe.html

 

Cook's Illustrated - behind their ridiculous pay wall, but in the October, 2018 issue.

 

Zestful Kitchen - this recipe certainly looks fine.

 

No shortage of recipes. But, and it's a big but, the real deal is made with chilis (any of a number of varieties - like 8 or 10) specifically grown in the area of Hatch, NM. The Hatch Valley, as it were - sort of like Gilroy and garlic, if you know what I mean.

You know what you're doing.  That looks great.

 

Here's another recipe with youtube video. No garlic salt.  Similar to your ingredients except it used ground chile instead of pods. 
 

https://santafeschoolofcooking.com/Recipes/Archived_Recipes/Carne_Adovada/

 

[weinoo]

10 hours ago, Chimayo Joe said:

You know what you're doing.  That looks great.

 

Here's another recipe with youtube video. No garlic salt.  Similar to your ingredients except it used ground chile instead of pods. 
 

https://santafeschoolofcooking.com/Recipes/Archived_Recipes/Carne_Adovada/

 

 

Yes - I definitely looked at that one.  One of my former teachers at Peter Kump's lives in Santa Fe now, and appears to cook at the SFSC. And this is one of the cookbooks I perused...

 

 

Purchased at the Coyote Cafe!  But, did you know that Miller has tomatoes in his red chile sauce? A shonda!

[quiet1]

Anyone have a preferred mail order source? We’ve been eating a lot of chili verde recently and I want to try with fresh home roasted peppers. I also want an excuse to play with my grill. 😄

[weinoo]

10 minutes ago, quiet1 said:

Anyone have a preferred mail order source? We’ve been eating a lot of chili verde recently and I want to try with fresh home roasted peppers. I also want an excuse to play with my grill. 😄

 

The Hatch Chile Store is a good resource...

 

https://www.hatch-green-chile.com/collections/dried-red-chile-pods

 

For fresh hatch chiles, you might have to wait a bit, but they are taking preorders...

 

https://www.hatch-green-chile.com/collections/fresh-hatch-green-chile

[lindag]

I'm just now seeing fresh Hatch Chiles in my nearby supermarket.

I've never cooked with them but I'm ready to try.

[Shelby]

21 minutes ago, lindag said:

I'm just now seeing fresh Hatch Chiles in my nearby supermarket.

I've never cooked with them but I'm ready to try.

Oh do!  So very good.