Ping: AZRP -- Pepper Question

jeffinsgf

Hey Randy,

I've got a few serrano plants that are loaded, and ripening. Have you ever smoked or dried serranos? What I've found so far in research is that they're not a good pepper to dry, but then technically neither is a jalapeno, and we all know how popular chipotles are. I'm going to smoke a few later this week, but I thought I would query you and see if you've tried it.

Boilermaker Ben

A couple days ago, I asked Rick Bayless how he recommends preserving serranos. His response was to pickle, freeze, or roast and then freeze, depending on how you'd like to use them. He didn't recommend drying.

I think someone posted a link last week to an Emeril recipe for hot sauce made with red serranos.

We've got a TON of serranos, too. I'm going to freeze some, pickle some, and let the rest go red and make hot sauce.

jeffinsgf

Thanks, Ben.

I was the one with the sauce recipe, and used some serranos in my first batch. I have enough to do some dedicated batches and still try smoking some!

You gotta try that sauce. I can't wait to make a batch of wings with it.

For my next batch of sauce, I'm going to smoke some jalapenos, then use them to make the sauce.

Boilermaker Ben

Good to hear that you like the sauce. I'll definitely give it a try. We've got two serrano bushes going crazy.

If you've got a variety of peppers, give this a try:
http://ruhlman.com/2009/03/michael-symons-pickled-chillis.html

We've got banana peppers, serranos, jalapenos, poblanos, habaneros, cayennes, and a variety I can't remember at the moment...chiles grow upward...maybe a tabasco...maybe piquin...can't recall.

jeffinsgf

Thanks, I've seen that blog before, but had lost the link. It's very similar to a recipe I modified. I'm editing some video today that I shot last week about making pickled peppers. I'll put a link up when I get it on YouTube.

AZRP

Jeff, I think that the thicker flesh peppers may be a little harder to dry but I don't see any reason Serrano peppers wouldn't work just fine. Let them turn red before harvesting then split them lengthwise before drying, this will speed up the drying time. -RP

Matt

I've never had a problem drying serranos, with or without smoke. I have smoke-dried them in the past and then ground them into powder (after removing seeds, which can be bitter) and I have also made smoked serranos en adobo. You will sometimes see smoked serranos mislabeled as chile mora or chile morita (these are more appropriately called chipotles Colorados, as opposed to the tan-colored chipotle mecos).

It's not surprising that Rick Bayless (one of my all-time favorite chefs -- I have every one of his books) would recommend pickling, roasting, or freezing for preservation of serraons, as these are the most traditional approaches in Mexico. However, I think that is quite different from implying that they do not smoke or dry well, because they do.

You might consider freezing them prior to smoking. When the chiles are frozen, the water in them expands and ruptures the cell walls, allowing the smoke to penetrate more easily.

A final option is a lactic acid fermentation. This is an exceptional method for preserving chiles, especially if you intend to use them for hot sauce (etc.). I have had great luck using this approach with jalapeno, serrano, Bhut Jolokia, orange habanero, cayenne, Tabasco, and Peter Peppers -- really it will work on anything, but these are some of the more common chiles I have fermented. Others (e.g., chocolate hab, Red Savina, arrivi gusano, Madame Jeanette, Chapeu de Frade, C. pubescens varieties, etc.) will also work well, but are more difficult to come by.

Matt

Ben --

Do you know Rick Bayless, I assume? I am a bit of a groupie, I must admit. I met him once when I ate at Frontera, but I haven't eaten at Topolobompo or Xoco yet. Clearly, I am due for another trip to Chicago.

Matt

Boilermaker Ben

VERY interesting post, Matt. Can you elaborate on your method for lactic acid fermentation? Got any hot sauce recipes you can share?

I didn't mean to imply that Bayless thought drying was a bad idea, he simply didn't mention it.

Boilermaker Ben

No, I don't know Rick Bayless, but he is very generous with his fans on twitter. I've asked him several questions, and always get a response within a day or two. He has never failed to answer a question.

My wife and I went to Topolo for our 5th anniversary a year ago, and had the meal of our lives (so far). We've also been to Xoco, which is simply awesome, and very affordable. We're planning on visiting Frontera sometime soon. Last week, I found out (about 12 hours too late) that Bayless had been signing books at a bookstore a few miles from my house...what a bummer to have missed it.

jeffinsgf

Thanks for the reply, Matt. In a couple days I'm going to have enough jalapenos to smoke some chipotles, so I'm going to do a few serranos at the same time to see what happens. Do you stem and seed before smoking? I would be inclined not to.

I'm mustering up the nerve to do a lactic acid fermentation. I bought a nice crock and I've read all I can find on the subject. I just get a little nervous when one of the commonly repeated instructions is to "skim the scum off the top of the brine..." :S

Matt

Jeff --

I've done it both ways -- if I know I am going to be making powder, I seed prior to drying. If I am going to be doing something else with the dried chiles (relleno, pickling en adobo, sauce, etc.) then I dry them whole. Never had a problem either way.

Good luck.

Matt

Matt

Ben --

For the fermentation, I mince the chiles and mix them with some kosher salt and place them into quart jars (about half full). I then fill Ziploc bags with a salt water brine and use them to weigh the chiles down (if the bags break, it won't mess up my salt concentration). I place all of the jars on a sheet pan (they will bubble over) and let them sit at room temperature for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. I can get you the right ratio, but I have it at home.

As for sauces, I tend to favor very straightforward sauces (chiles, vinegar, salt) as I find them to be the most versatile, but I have several "go to" recipes for a variety of sauces that I would be happy to share. I also put up chile relishes, pickles, and jellies every summer.

Are you on Facebook? If you hit me up here, I'll pull some recipes out when I get home and send them to you.

Matt

Misippi Egger

Hey Matt, do hyou think the seeds in dried jalapenos (chipotles) impart a bitter taste when ground? Got plenty of chipotles, but this is a first for me and I'm sorta 'flailing in the dark' with what to do with them. Plan to use whole in other recipes, plus make some adobo, when I settle on a good recipe, but I was planning to just grind some up whole to make seasoning powder.
PS - friend request on FB per your above post.

Matt

Clark --

I prefer my chile powders to be "pure" -- i.e., just flesh, skin, and membrane. The seeds will make it hotter, but yes, I think they make it bitter. If you just use the meat of the chile, the powder will have better, more subtle flavor and you'll find it surprisingly easy to distinguish one powder from the next (e.g., jalapeno vs. serrano vs. cayenne).

It's a little more work, but in my opinion, worth it.

Matt

Misippi Egger

Thanks