Chiles Fresco ( Fresh Chiles )

The fat, dark green chile jalapeno, 
named after the 
capital of Veracruz, 
is the most commonplace 
chile used in Mexican cooking, 
along with the smaller 
chile serrano.  
Both of these hot chiles 
are eaten pickled or 
fresh in uncooked 
salsas and guacamole.  
The chile pablano 
is another chile essential 
in Mexican cooking.  
Larger and much milder 
than the jalapeno, 
this chile is best known 
for making chile rellenos.  
It is also cut into 
rajas (strips) 
and used as garnish, 
mixed with vegetables or rice, 
or added to sauces.    
Other popular chiles 
are the chile guero 
or blond chile is 
any very light yellow 
or pale green chile.  
A Fresno chile, 
the long yellow banana or 
Hungarian wax pepper.

TO ROAST FRESH CHILES

Chiles are roasted in order 
to remove the thin 
skin that covers them 
as well as to 
give them a unique flavor.  
There are several methods.

1.  Over direct heat.
This is the most commonly 
used technique.  
Place the chiles directly 
over the medium 
flame on a gas stove.  
Turn the chiles with 
tongs until their 
entire skins are 
"charred".  
This will take 
5 to 10 minutes, 
depending on the 
heat of the flame 
and size of the chiles.  
Do not char the chiles 
too much or the flesh will 
burn and taste bitter.  
Immediately place  
the chiles in a plastic bag 
and close the bag.  
Or cover the chiles 
with a damp cloth.  
Leave for 10 to 15 minutes.  
This is called 
"letting the chiles sweat."  
This procedure has two functions;  
to make the thin skin easier 
to remove and to let 
the chiles cook slightly 
in their own steam.

2.  On a comal
If you don't have a comal, 
you can use a 
heavy skillet, 
preferably iron.  
Heat the comal or skillet 
over medium heat.  
Place 2 or 3 chiles at a 
time on it and cook, 
turning, until the 
entire skin of each 
chile is "charred". 
This will take 
10-15 minutes.  
Once again, make sure 
that the chiles 
don't get to "scorched".  
Then let the chiles 
"sweat", 
as in the procedure
described above.

3.  In a broiler
Heat the broiler to 
medium-high heat.  
Lightly brush each 
chile with oil.  
Place all the chiles 
in the pan and 
put it in the broiler.  
Broil, turning the chiles, 
until their skins
 are "charred".  
This will take 
10-15 minutes.  
Remove from broiler 
and "sweat".

4.  In oil
This method is usually 
used to prepare 
stuffed chiles because 
it saves a lot of 
time and labor in 
peeling the chiles. 
Heat a cup of oil 
over medium-high 
heat in a skillet.  
Add the chiles 
1 or 2 at a time.  
Use a spatula or a 
slotted spoon 
and turn the 
chiles and fry them 
until their skins swell 
and turn golden brown, 
5-10 seconds.  
Transfer the chiles
to a bowl containing cold 
water and use your fingers
to peel of the skins.

TO PEEL CHILES

Turn on the cold water 
tap so that a thin 
stream of cold 
water is running out.  
Hold each chile under 
the running water and use 
your fingers to
remove  the charred skins.  
If parts of the skin stick 
use a paring knife to 
remove them.  
Or you can dip the chiles 
in a medium-sized bowl 
of water as needed 
to peel each chile.  
Do not let them soak 
or they will lose flavor.


TO REMOVE MEMBRANES AND SEEDS

Some sauces and other dishes 
use chiles with their 
seeds and membranes, 
but more often the seeds
and membranes are removed 
because the heat of 
the chile is 
concentrated in them. 
If the chile is to be used 
whole and stuffed, 
do not remove the stem and 
be careful not to break
the skin while cleaning
the chile.  
Use a small knife and 
carefully make a lateral 
incision in the chile; 
remove the placenta, 
which is the small 
cluster of seeds attached 
to the base of the stem; 
also remove the membranes 
that run the length 
of the chile.  
Gently rinse the chile 
and remove any seeds 
that are still 
adhering to it.
If the chile is to be 
cut into strips, 
cut a "lid"  in the top 
part of the chile, 
by the stem, and remove.  
Make a lateral incision, 
pull open and remove 
the seeds and membranes.  
Rinse before cutting.


TO SOAK FRESH CHILES

If you find that the 
chiles are too fiery 
you can soak them to 
remove excess piquancy.  
Soaking chiles consists 
of a mixture of 1 cup water,
1 tablespoon white vinegar, 
and 2 teaspoons  salt 
( double or triple the 
amounts depending 
on the number of chiles).  
Soak them for about 40 minutes 
and they will be less hot.

Chiles Secos( Dried Chiles )

The Chile Ancho, 
or "wide" chile, 
is the dried form of 
the pablano chile and is 
commonly used, mainly 
as a base for sauces.  
It has a deep reddish-brown,
wrinkled skin and 
is about 5 inches long.  
It is on the mild side 
but does vary in hotness. 
The Chile Mulato 
is similar, but has a 
darker brownish-black color 
and a full taste.  
The long narrow, 
wrinkled Chile Pasilla 
gets its name from the 
Spanish word for raisin.  
It has a very rich picante flavor 
and is therefore used 
extensively in 
moles and sauces.  
Fresh it is  Chile Chilaca.   
The other commonly used dried chile, 
the Guajillo, 
is long, thin and 
smooth-skinned, its name means 
"old dried thing."  
After soaking and grinding 
it is used to 
spice up various
meals and stews.  
It is quite hot and has an 
uncomplicated chile taste.  
The tiny, very hot 
Chile Pequin or Piquin 
is often ground.   
TheChile Chipolte 
is the light brown 
smoked Jalapeno, 
which is usually canned in adobe 
sauce or in vinegar 
but is also found dried 
and smoked as in the similar 
Chile Mortia, 
which is more triangular.  
Both have very distinctive 
smoky smell and taste.  
The small,  round Chile Cascabel 
sounds like 
a rattle when it is shaken.  
It adds a hot, 
nutty flavor to salsas.


TO CLEAN DRIED CHILES

Wipe the skin of the 
chile with a damp cloth 
to remove impurities.  
If the chile is going 
to be used whole and stuffed 
with a filling, 
leave the stem on.  
Make a small lateral cut 
and remove the seeds and membranes.  
If you are not going to 
be using the chiles whole, 
remove the stem and remove seeds.
Sometimes chiles are too dry, 
and when you try to 
remove the seeds and membranes, 
they break into small pieces.  
If that happens, toast 
and soak the chiles 
before cleaning them.


TO ROAST OR TOAST DRIED CHILES

Chiles are roasted 
or toasted so that they 
release their aroma 
and are easier to grind or 
puree in a blender.  
Heat an iron skillet 
over medium heat.  
Place the chiles in 
the hot skillet, 
using a spatula 
to press them 
against it slightly.  
Turn them so that both sides 
begin to change color.  
This will take 1 to 2 minutes.  
Be careful not to burn them.


TO SOAK DRIED CHILES

Place the chiles in just 
enough luke-warm water 
to cover them 
for 5 to 10 minutes; 
this softens them and 
makes them regain body.  

TO FRY DRIED CHILES

Some recipes call for chiles 
to be fried 
instead of roasted.   
Heat a scant tablespoon 
of oil in a small skillet.  
Add the chile and 
fry lightly for a minute.