Re: [CH] New Mexican Chiles? What are they? What do I buy?
Brent Thompson (brent@hplbct.hpl.hp.com)
Fri, 21 Jan 2005 10:03:55 -0800
> OK, this may sound like a duh question given that introductory info, but do
> you think that when the recipe calls for "New Mexican chiles" (fresh or
> dried), it means specifically the Chimayo or Espanola chile? (that it does
> not mean just any chile grown in New Mexico, such as jals and serranos?)
When the intro to New Mexican cuisine at the front of your book said this:
> "different varieties were culivated, including poblanos, serranos, and
> jalapenos, but the 'long green' chile pepper (now known generically as New
> Mexican) reigned supreme.
it meant that this type of C. annuum chile (which you can think of as
basically meaning that particular shape) is generically called "New Mexico
chile". There are many, many named varieties of New Mexico chiles. If
some other variety of chile is grown in New Mexico state, e.g. jalapeno, is
it not a "New Mexico chile" but still simply a jalapeno grown in New Mexico
state. Similarly, a Chimayo grown in New York City is still a New Mexico
chile, just grown in New York state.
> This particular variety, which dries bright red,
> was cultivated with such dedication that several land races (localized
> varieties) developed in New Mexico. These culitvars, called 'Chimayo' and
> 'Espanola' are still planted to day in cenuries-old fields. They
> constitute a small but distinct part of the thirty-six thousand dry tons of
> chile peppers produced each year in the state."
This means that two of the numerous varieties of New Mexico chiles are
named "Chimayo" and "Espanola". As it says, these two varieties constitute
only a small (but "distinct") fraction of the New Mexico chiles grown in
New Mexico (and this type is the only type grown and dried in New Mexico,
for all practical purposes). The most common variety of New Mexico chile
you are likely to encounter, and this is even possible inside New Mexico,
is "Anaheim". But, in markets outside New Mexico, I bet variety name is
hardly ever displayed, so you'll just have to learn to recognize them by
shape and color (long, smooth shape, smooth skin, shiny, meaty, light green
color [or red color, when dried], not dark green [or black when dried] like
a poblano).
In addition to their characteristic long size, meaty flesh, and red color
when dried, the other important characteristic of New Mexico chiles is
their very tough skin -- hence the reason New Mexican recipes always call
for roasting and peeling the green chiles. Roasting and peeling a
thin-skinned variety, such as chilaca (the one known as pasilla when
dried), is a frustrating and essentially pointless exercize. But it is
decidedly neither frustrating nor pointless to peel the New Mexico chiles.
You need to peel them (when used in green form).
--- Brent