Roasting Green Chiles


One of our favorite additions to almost any dish around here is roasted green chiles. My MIL started getting them roasted when the family would vacation in New Mexico. Last year she discovered that in addition to getting a trashbag full in New Mexico, she could also order them from our produce co-op. So this year we had them coming from vacation, produce, the garden and then a friend let us get the last big crop of them from their garden. We got 2 big crates full of green ones to roast, and a big crate of them that had turned red that we dehydrated and blended to make a powder. Marvelous stuff. I wish you could smell these roasting...wonderful.

The bottoms are getting nicely roasted.

  So this year we have got a lot of practice roasting green chiles. To do so my MIL got some expanded metal to put over our propane stove flames. You put a handful on there at a time, over high heat, and turned them as they get burned on one side. They need to be pretty burned to be able to peel them later, but as I found out this year, you CAN over burn them.Then you have charred nothingness to peel.


Turned way too soon, they will be much more 'burned' than that.

  So you need them to be black, because any green left on it will not peel. But not TOO done because then you won't have anything to peel. So after they are good and cooked, you put them in a pan of some sort with a good fitting lid, so that they can sweat. This is another step in getting them to peel correctly.

Sweating

Since we've been doing so many this year my FIL may actually make us a roaster like they use in New Mexico, where you cook it outside over an open flame in much bigger batches. THAT will be nice. Though I must say, out of roasting all day or peeling all day, I'd rather do the roasting...I wonder if there is a way to speed up the peeling? :)


Roasted, sweated, and ready to peel.

So yes, you roast, then sweat (sometimes we leave them in the fridge overnight and peel the next day) then peel them. When you are peeling you will want to wear rubber gloves. I have been told that your hands will burn....and continue to burn, for hours, if you don't. Thankfully I had this advice when I started and I've not had to experience this.


Peeled, chopped, and ready to freeze.

 So after we chop them up we put them into sandwich sized ziplock bags, and put them in the freezer. My MIL will use that much all in one meal, but since I cook for many less people I just break some off to add to meals.

I do not think these are as hot as jalapenos, but don't ask me if they are 'too hot' because I am not a good one to judge that. I have eaten spicy stuff all my life and tend to cook things that most people find pretty spicy.