[CH] RE: FAVORITES?? and a few other things.
Sue Callaghan (scallagh@african-life.co.za)
Thu, 25 Feb 1999 08:58:18 +0200
Hi all,
I really enjoy Jalapenos - both green and red ripe. This is not to say
that I don't like Serranos, Habs, Cayennes etc., because I do - but for
me the thick fleshiness and crisp, sweet bite of a Jalapeno is great for
all sorts of uses - pickling, cooking, stuffing (as in poppers) and of
course - smoking! We don't get chipotles en adobo here in South Africa,
so hubby and I have experimented a bit over the past few years with a
combination of recipes gathered off the list and have come up with a
method that works for us. We smoke the chiles for a few hours so that
they get the smoky flavour, but haven't been able to dehydrate them as
we don't own an offset or water smoker (or a dehydrator for that
matter). They end up kind of cooked so I dump them straight in a huge
pot of tomato, onion, garlic, herbs etc. and then freeze handy portions
for later inclusion in recipes that call for chipotles en adobo. I have
no idea how this concoction would compare taste-wise to the real thing,
but we both really like the flavour of our home produced "chipotles en
adobo".
A few evenings ago, hubby and I had our first taste of a red Habanero -
the first to ripen off our bushes. Well!.... phew! I sliced a small bit
off the bottom end and popped it into my mouth - "Nice flavour, not as
overpowering as the orange Hab, doesn't seem as hot either" I said.
"Here, why don't you try a bit" (offering a sliver to Buster) He tried
it and then decided he need a bigger bit to really get the effect. I
wandered off to the lounge and he followed me a minute or so later and
offered me a bigger bit which I took. (I should have been able to tell
from the shiny look in his eyes - he was fighting back the eye watering
consequences of injudicious capsaicin overdose!) He'd cut off a piece
from the stem end which was seriously hot - the hottest thing I've ever
eaten. It took a good few minutes before I could talk sensibly! In the
mean time, he reduced me to tears of laughter - his nose started running
- also a consequence - and he blew it vigorously with a tissue held in
hands still coated in red Hab juices. I've heard of Hunan hand and chile
Willie but never Habanero honker! He reckoned that his nose glowed
inside and out for at least half an hour!
To support all the other outraged old timers regarding list content -
I've been subscribed for at least three years and would HATE to see the
character of the list change. Keep up the good work Mike and a don't
listen to these wingeing complaints.
For Suz, Here's a recipe for Biltong which is the SA equivalent of
Jerky:
I would add chile powder or crushed chiles to the rubbing mixture to
make this a chile-head snack.
Don't worry about the Ostrich meat being too fatty to make biltong -
It's extremely lean and makes great biltong. You get it often here in
SA.
For very 25 kg of biltong you make, allow for :
Ingredients Quantity
Good quality fine salt 1,25 kg
Brown sugar 250 ml (1 cup)
Bicarbonate of soda 50 ml (4 tbl)
Saltpeter (optional) 20 ml (4tsp)
Pepper 25ml (2tbl)
Coarsely ground coriander 100 g
Vinegar
NOTE : The sugar keeps the biltong moist and the soda makes the meat
tender.
Method of Preparation
After the animal has been skinned , with a sharp knife, cut along the
natural dividing lines of the muscles down the length of the whole leg
or a large portion of it. Cut the pieces into strips 5 to 7 cm thick.
Mix the salt, bicarbonate of soda, saltpeter and coriander together. Rub
the mixture into the strips of meat. Layer the meat, larger pieces at
the bottom, in a wooden, earthenware, plastic or enamel container -
never use iron or metal because the salt may react with it. Sprinkle
vinegar over each layer. Leave in a cool place for 24 to 48 hours,
depending on how thick the meat is and how salty you want it to be. Dip
the biltong in a mixture of 500 ml vinegar and 5 litres warm water. This
makes it shiny and dark. Dry the pieces by hanging them on s-shaped
hooks of pieces of string, about 5 cm apart, so that the air can
circulate freely about them. Leave for 2 to 3 weeks, depending on how
tender you would like your meat.
NOTE :
* Do not cut the strips of meat more than 2 cm thick if the
weather is not that cool.
* Biltong should be dried in a cool, dry, airy place protected
from flies and dust.
* In humid areas, biltong should be dried in a drying chamber.
* To store in humid conditions, freeze biltong and only thaw
enough for immediate use.
Stellenbosch, 1986
Cheers
Sue in Sunny SA