Everything Hatch
For someone who grew up in "the land of extra mild salsa"* my tastes in recent years have definitely grown hotter. I buy some kind of pepper on almost every trip to the grocery store, often to make guacamole (serrano or jalapeno for that), but also often to throw in other dishes (pasilla, guajillo, poblano, anaheim, and even sometimes habanero). This time of year, in particular, our home becomes a celebration of hot foods - especially those which feature the Hatch green chile.
Hatch Chiles come from one particular area (Hatch) in New Mexico. I don't know what it is about their green chiles, but they really are better. They're only available a few weeks a year, but thanks to people like Central Market (and increasingly HEB as well) and Chuy's, it's easy to get Hatch Chiles in Austin in late August & early September.
Hatch chiles are a lot like anaheim chiles (I imagine some purists would get upset over me saying that, but hey, it's basically true). They're fairly long and pointed, with a thick outer layer that's not so edible. You have to roast the chile (with an open flame, on a grill, in the broiler, etc.) and let the chile steam, then peel off the thicker skin. Typically, you then seed the chile. We buy several pounds each year and keep them in the feezer. In the past, we've prepped the chiles with skins removed, then diced into different quantities. This year, since standing up in the ktichen is almost guaranteed to cause me pain and Matt's got enough else to do filling in for me, we threw them into the freezer after roasting, but before the skins were removed.
For those of you who might live some place where you can get fresh hatch green peppers (or substitute an anaheim if you just can't get hatch), I thought I'd blog about a few of our favorite uses for them, when cooking at home.
*I joke that my hometown is the "land of extra mild salsa" though you do have to admit that the culinary scene in middle America (particularly midwest America, from my perspective) has really improved in the past 10-15 years. The mere idea that you can walk into Target and find their house-brand incorporating more unique flavors is pretty impressive. It's rare to go to any grocery store these days and not find whole-bean coffee, specialty cheeses, and various ethnic options. I like living in the future.
Hatch Chiles come from one particular area (Hatch) in New Mexico. I don't know what it is about their green chiles, but they really are better. They're only available a few weeks a year, but thanks to people like Central Market (and increasingly HEB as well) and Chuy's, it's easy to get Hatch Chiles in Austin in late August & early September.
Hatch chiles are a lot like anaheim chiles (I imagine some purists would get upset over me saying that, but hey, it's basically true). They're fairly long and pointed, with a thick outer layer that's not so edible. You have to roast the chile (with an open flame, on a grill, in the broiler, etc.) and let the chile steam, then peel off the thicker skin. Typically, you then seed the chile. We buy several pounds each year and keep them in the feezer. In the past, we've prepped the chiles with skins removed, then diced into different quantities. This year, since standing up in the ktichen is almost guaranteed to cause me pain and Matt's got enough else to do filling in for me, we threw them into the freezer after roasting, but before the skins were removed.
For those of you who might live some place where you can get fresh hatch green peppers (or substitute an anaheim if you just can't get hatch), I thought I'd blog about a few of our favorite uses for them, when cooking at home.
- Green Chile Cheeseburger. Add green chiles (and some granulated or minced garlic, or even roasted garlic) to your favorite cheeseburger. At McDonald's in New Mexico, you can get this (minus the garlic, I think) on the 99 cent menu!
- Green Chile Grilled Cheese. Add a few slices of roasted, peeled & seeded green chile in with your favorite grilled cheese. A pinch of chile powder (red ground chile or standard chile powder) over the top makes it even better.
- Green Chile Mashed Potatoes. Add some roasted, peeled & seeded green chiles to mashed potatoes when you're mixing them. Yum.
- Green Chile Posole (which is mexican pork stew, basically). That recipe is long, but it basically involves hominy (a variant of corn), stock, pork, chiles, onion and seasonings.
- Green Chile Bagels, as mentioned previously
- Roasted green chiles served alongside some roasted onions & grilled chicken in tacos.
- Green Chile Rellenos (stuffed chiles which are usually battered and fried or baked)
- Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole. Layer corn tortillas, green chiles, cheese, and cream of chicken soup (with some seasonsings, of course) in your favorite casserole pan, bake & enjoy.
- Green Chile stuffed chicken breasts. Stuff cheese (gureyre for example) and green chiles into slits cut in chicken breasts. Coat with masa & ground nuts, or panko crumbs. Saute, then bake to finish.
- Green Chile Fries. I haven't perfected this yet, but there's a nugget of a good idea here. Long strips of green chile coated with a light egg-batter, then deep fried. Serve with my favorite sauce ever.
*I joke that my hometown is the "land of extra mild salsa" though you do have to admit that the culinary scene in middle America (particularly midwest America, from my perspective) has really improved in the past 10-15 years. The mere idea that you can walk into Target and find their house-brand incorporating more unique flavors is pretty impressive. It's rare to go to any grocery store these days and not find whole-bean coffee, specialty cheeses, and various ethnic options. I like living in the future.
Labels: food
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