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I have always been afraid of habaneros

Carolina Q
Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
in EggHead Forum
They have a reputation, ya know? But I have been experimenting with jerk lately and I think I'm in love!! Folks, tonight's experimental pork chop may well be the best chop I have ever had. Bar none.

I added two seeded and finely chopped golf ball sized habaneros to about two tablespoons of Walkerswood mild (all I've been able to find) jerk seasoning. Added a tablespoon or so of evoo in a zip bag along with two nice chops. Let that marinate for 2-3 hours and then onto the mini at 400 raised direct (woo). Cooked mine to about 135-140, Mom's to 165/170... Mom doesn't do pink :) .

I took no pics until I was about halfway through, then decided this cook HAD to be documented!! So here ya go, dirty plate, dirty fork and all. This one's for Woody. :)

I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Michael 
Central Connecticut 

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Comments

  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,602
    That's cool your mom likes the heat!  
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,762
    I guess I need to try them once more.
    I put one, minced, pickled, into a pot of stew or chili (can't remember) in 1983-87, ate a few bites, and threw the rest out and ate a snowbank.
    Too many folks use them, maybe my German/Norwegian genes have been toughened up a bit, time to try them again.  

    Counting to ten only makes it Premeditated.

    Ogden, UT, USA

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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 22,131
    edited March 2015
    I love habeneros.  I use them in lots of my dishes.  Most fresh ones don't seem to hot.  The powdered habeneros run the gamut from flavorful to blinding hot.

    Btw, love the char on the chop.  Half-eaten and all.
    If there ever comes a time I get rabies, you are high on my Bitin’ List.
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    Nice lookin chops @carolina q     Glad to see you enjoying your egg again!!

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • Hawg Fan
    Hawg Fan Posts: 1,517
    Thanks for posting Clay.  I'll have to give it a go.  I loved the flavor of the habanero pepper, I use the sauce and peppers in moderation though.

    Any road will take you there if you don't know where you're going.

    Terry

    Rockwall, TX
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited March 2015
    The first time I tried a habanero just a few weeks ago, I used only one, a very small one at that. Liked the flavor a lot, but wondered what all the heat hype was about. Never tried dried habs, or the seeds, but so far, I think they are great! Not too hot at all. 

    Thinking of some jerk chicken tomorrow night. Or a trip back to the store for some more chops!! :) And yes, I know I'm missing pimento wood. Didn't even smoke the allspice berries this time, though I did use a couple of chunks of white oak. (Royal Oak lump too, btw. LOL)

    Oh and as I was typing this, Mom walked in and said, "You know, I think that was the best pork chop I ever had." Mom is 98 so that's a lot of chops! I'm just glad she liked it. 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Mattman3969 said:
    Nice lookin chops @carolina q     Glad to see you enjoying your egg again!!
    Thanks. The mini was a challenge. For whatever reason, I just couldn't come to grips with the little bugger. I think I'm over it now. :)


    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
    Botch said:
    I guess I need to try them once more.
    I put one, minced, pickled, into a pot of stew or chili (can't remember) in 1983-87, ate a few bites, and threw the rest out and ate a snowbank.
    Too many folks use them, maybe my German/Norwegian genes have been toughened up a bit, time to try them again.  
    The white connective tissue has about 90% of the heat, the seeds about 8%, which leaves about 2 % in the wonderful fruity tasting orange fleshy part.

    So if you want to try habaneros but tone down the fire, de-seed and remove all of the white tissue inside.  It still is a very hot pepper but nowhere near as insane as using the hole thing.
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
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  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,196
    Pork chop looks delicious, nicely done.

    Try puree-ing a few whole with your marinade.  It will take it up to jamaican heat level.  This is the one that I do for jerk recipes:

    http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/jamaican-jerk-pork-tenderloin

    I throw in about 4-6 whole habs in the blender with the rest of the stuff.  I would stick with the good combo you had tonight if mom is partaking again.  B)
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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232
    FORK ALERT! 

    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232
    How did the rice and peas turn out?

    FYI, pimentowood.com sells Spur Tree products from Jamaica. I've used the Scotch Bonnet sauce but haven't tried the Spur Tree Jerk sauce yet. 

    With the Scotch Bonnet sauce I've also thrown in whole Habaneros in the marinade bag. In fact, I think it was the Rice and Peas video guy who said you get the flavor without the hear. 

    Jerk on! 
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Rice and peas was actually black beans and rice. No coconut milk. Scratch, not from a box. Only so so, but with the flavor of those chops, I didn't care. 

    I have the Walkerswood scotch bonnet sauce, but didn't use it last night. I've never even seen an actual scotch bonnet. Habaneros only. 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Begger
    Begger Posts: 663
    Neighbor lady gifted me and the wife with a jar of Habanaro JELLY.   WOW!   Lots of heat, and just amazing on buttered toast.  Use sparingly.  They'll GROW around here.   I have some other types growing but never grew the Havana Chili.  
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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Was it subtle heat or a "whoa hello" heat? Do you feel making the marinade in say a Ninja to make the habaneros flavor more evenly distributed throughout the liquid would be beneficial? I've been using this method on skirt steak.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 35,056
    fan of them here, favorit bbq sauce uses them as a base. dont like them in chili but will sub out thai chilis in asian dipping sauces
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Blake, the Walkerswood Mild Jerk Seasoning appears to have been run through a blender. No liquid to speak of, sort of a paste. I just chopped up the peppers with a knife and mixed them in along with some olive oil to make a gooier paste, not a high liquid marinade. I just used a spoon. No need to dirty a blender IMO. Then spread over the pork (pierced with a fork first) and into a zip bag. 

    It's not a "whoa hello" heat at all, at least not with the amounts I used. No seeds or membrane either. Very flavorful, nice and spicy, but I didn't consider it hot. 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    I am growing a habanero plant to go in my garden this year. Thanks for the extra motivation
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
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  • FanOfFanboys
    FanOfFanboys Posts: 2,620
    edited March 2015
    The BBQ sauce we make and use in BBQ comps is habanero based. I snack on them. Love them. 
    But then again I also take puree Carolina Reaper peppers and rub on my steak before grilling and eat that. 
    Boom
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Chubbs said:
    I am growing a habanero plant to go in my garden this year. Thanks for the extra motivation
    I don't know, man. I paid 50 cents yesterday for enough peppers for at least three of those cooks. On the other hand, it would be cool to try to grow my own. And they really are good!! I usually just grow a few herbs in containers every summer. Who knows, maybe some habs this year.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Thanks for the share Carolina. I'm with @FanOfFanboys we sometimes snack on them. We've also made vinegar infused with habeneros before. 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
    Carolina Q said:
    Chubbs said:
    I am growing a habanero plant to go in my garden this year. Thanks for the extra motivation
    I don't know, man. I paid 50 cents yesterday for enough peppers for at least three of those cooks. On the other hand, it would be cool to try to grow my own. And they really are good!! I usually just grow a few herbs in containers every summer. Who knows, maybe some habs this year.
    Habanero's are easy to grow (actually any pepper plant is pretty easy to grow).
    The only problem with growing Habanero's is they are so HOT, they go along way, and they have a very short shelf life once picked.  All you should need is one plant, and be prepared to pick some and dry them or get used to just throwing away some of your harvest.  They do not last very long in the fridge at all.
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
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  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,836
    OK, I've been holding out on habaneros because the family is afraid of heat. This has convinced me to try in small quantity.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    DMW said:
    OK, I've been holding out on habaneros because the family is afraid of heat. This has convinced me to try in small quantity.
    Exactly what I thought. Then I used more the second time. And still more the third! Without the seeds and the white membrane stuff (apparently called the placenta), it's just awesome flavor... with a nice touch of spicy. 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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