Hatch Chili experts, do you peel (blacken then put in a bowl w/plastic over, then peel) a Hatch Chili pepper before making a bacon wrapped cheese filled concoction?
Tomorrow I'm going to a small city's once a month week-end market where they sell everything and gardeners/farmers bring in tons of produce to sell as well. If I found Hatch Chili's how would I know that--I know they are only grown in 'The Hatch', but, if they are grown locally, how would I identify them. They won't be official 'hatch chilis', I get that part. If I can't find them, what is a close second choice? A medium banana pepper? A pablano? Anyone have a hint?
Hatch Chili experts, do you peel (blacken then put in a bowl w/plastic over, then peel) a Hatch Chili pepper before making a bacon wrapped cheese filled concoction?
I just roast them under the broiler until they start to blacken. I like this method because you can do a whole pan of them at once. Turn each pepper a few times to hit every side, then remove and tent with foil. The tenting creates steam, which helps soften the skins and makes them easier to remove. Don't worry about getting every bit of skin off. Just do your best and try not to damage the pepper too much in the process.Hatch Chili experts, do you peel (blacken then put in a bowl w/plastic over, then peel) a Hatch Chili pepper before making a bacon wrapped cheese filled concoction?
Thank you all for the pepper help! I peel peppers over the gas flame on the stove, most of my practice has been on pimento peppers, I peel and dice and freeze. I'm going to research getting the right seeds to grow them next year. It looks like a person could pick the right level of heat for personal taste by picking the right seeds.
GG--those salads on a stick look OH SO GOOD.
In Santa Fe they have cylindrical wire cages about the size of an oil drum, with a door, and propane cylinders supplying heat from below. A motor turns the drum as they roast. I would buy my fresh Hatch chilis at a place called something like Poppytrail or whatever, then take them out to the parking lot to have them roasted. The roasting blackens and loosens the skins without significantly cooking the insides. You peel the skins when you get home.
I suggest that Hatch chilis are similar to Anaheims but a different cultivar. True Hatch chilis have to be grown in Hatch. Considering the 6 day round trip I'd accept almost-Hatch.
I've got Anaheim chilis in my local supermarkets and they look nothing like the Hatch chilis I bought in Santa Fe. (Other than the resemblance all chilis have.)