Once a year for a couple of weeks the American Southwest goes crazy over common green chilies.
The green chili is a very common ingredient in most every food recipe purporting to be a Mexican, Tex-Mex, or Southwestern dish. I find it to be one of the most inexpensive food items in the grocery store, small cans of chopped green chilies can be bought for just a few cents.
They are also very easy to cook with. Their somewhat mild heat index is agreeable for most palates and it registers high enough for those who like a bigger kick in their food. Simply throw some in with cheese on an omelet, mix into a pot of chili, soup, corn, etc. and you’ve instantly transformed a dish into a whole different style.
So what is the big deal about this common everyday chili? It seems like everywhere one goes in the Southwest during late August there are throngs of people celebrating the Hatch Chili. It reminds me of the “Spargel” festivals during autumn in Germany, where people literally worship freshly harvested white asparagus.
The town of Hatch New Mexico claims to be the green chili capital. "Hatch chilies" therefore are any of several specific varieties from that region. The chilies have a very short harvest time, mid to late August so that is the only time to enjoy them while fresh. The good news is that they keep very well in the freezer if roasted and peeled.
I found roasting the chilies on my Weber grill to be a lot of fun. Peeling and seeding them by hand was not so much fun, until I remembered that I would be enjoying them for months after this.
At the festivals, one can see the very large cylinder type grills used to roast cases of chili at the same time as they tumble inside the grilling cylinder rotating over the heat. They also give off a wonderful smell as they roast. I was able to fit about three pounds of chilies on my 22-inch grill.
To roast them at home, load your charcoal grill with enough coals to form a single layer. Light them as normal and wait until they are ashed over. I haven’t tried this on a gas grill, but I would imagine using a medium to medium low heat setting. I wouldn’t necessarily use cooking wood or chips to add a smoky flavor because the skins will be removed, along with all the smoky flavor, and the chilies have a distinctive taste in their own right. But don’t let me stop any experimenting!
You need to turn the chilies on the grill constantly. A good pair of tongs will let you accurately turn without puncturing and a good oven mitt will keep your knuckles from getting roasted along with the chilies. While the skins are supposed to char and turn black, avoid letting the flesh inside char or burn.
Once they are all evenly blackened, place them into a paper bag and let them steam until cool.
After they have all cooled it is time to peel and seed them. Use a paring knife and your fingers to do this. Wear gloves for this if you have sensitive hands, but DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES! Just a smidgeon of hot chili anywhere near the eye can wreck your day.
I’ll admit that I mangled the first few peppers I tried to peel, but got the knack of it pretty quick. I was able to get most of my peppers into single, flat strips which I folded into wax paper and put into the freezer. As for the mangled ones, I simply chopped them up and made a pot of Green Chili Stew!
Michael Farmer is the Pitmaster at KA-Ranch, a purveyor of fine Texas BBQ seasonings, sauces and rubs. Find them at www.ka-ranch.com.
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