Whole Pasilla chiles

[OregonYeti]

I'm a chili-holic and just have to buy different kinds. No chile ever gets wasted here.

Now I have some dried whole pasilla (ancho) chiles just waiting for something to be made from them. I'm sure I can make something good, but on the other hand, does anybody have a good suggestion?

[even stephen]

mole', enchiladas,ect....really good for base sauces.....use them as you would
chile Guajillo or chile Negro....bad spelling

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by OregonYeti

Now I have some dried whole pasilla (ancho) chiles just waiting for something to be made from them. I'm sure I can make something good, but on the other hand, does anybody have a good suggestion?

You're a little confused there, pardner. Pasillas are fresh chiles, called chiles negros when dried. Anchos are dried chiles, called chiles poblanos when fresh. Now that we've got that straight, we still don't know whether you have anchos or poblanos. They're around the same medium level of hot, but have different flavor profiles. I'll try and stick to what works with both.

While I love mole poblana (the chocolate one) as much as or more than the next person, and even though both types of dried chile are necessary to it, I wouldn't casually recommend making it. It's time consuming and has an ingredient list as long as your arm. Worth it though.

Either kind of dried chile can be used to make a great ranchera (country style red sauce), by cleaning (getting rid of the seeds and veins), reconstituting in water, pureeing and cooking down with onions, tomatoes, etc., or reconstituting, adding to onions and tomatoes, cooking down with liquid, then pureeing. Good for enchiladas, rellenos, chicharrones, all sorts of good things. Just your basic ranchero

Great with beef. Clean, reconstitute, mince and use to flavor beef fillings for anything stuffed -- tamales, pasties, somosas, you name it. Or, reconstitute and puree, or just make powder and use it in regular old beef chili.

Excellent with lamb. Not bad with chicken either. Not the first choice for pork which prefers chilies on either side of the grassy/fruity spectrum -- or smoky like chipotles -- in other words, with a lot going on. Chiles negros and anchos are more in the versatile, conservative middle. They're even more versatile when mixed 50/50 with chipotle.

They do fusion, and will adds some depth to and mellow (by comparison) vindaloo and phal. Man, I love vindaloo.

Very good in barbecue and steak rubs. However much you use, compliment with an equal amount of sweet paprika and half the amount of ground cumin (of course you need the other rub ingredients like salt, black pepper, garlic powder, etc., also). Along with some granulated garlic, this is a good recipe for a basic "chili powder," too.

Clean very thoroughly (NO seeds, NO veins AT ALL), grind fine, and mix about 1/2 tsp per tbs of cocoa powder. Adds some zest to the late night comfort thing, along with a splash of brandy or rum and some vanilla. Makes for an interesting mousse, too.

BDL

[OregonYeti]

Thank you, BDL and Stephen

The label on the bag does say "Chile Pasilla-Ancho Entero". I would never have thought of using them in vindaloo or samosas.

[abefroman]

I get my chilies here:
High Quality, Fresh, Dried Chiles

If you like hot try the Oaxacan Pasillas

Their habanero flakes are also good.

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

You're a little confused there, pardner. Pasillas are fresh chiles, called chiles negros when dried. Anchos are dried chiles, called chiles poblanos when fresh.

The ancho is actually is own variety, its part of the poblano family, but the dired version is different from poblano's you see in the stores in the US.

A dried American poblano is called the Mulato chile. (There are however a very very small number of farms that grow the ancho poblano variety in the US.)

[OregonYeti]

abefroman, I checked out that site--they sure have a variety.

I looked for Naga jolokia (bhut jolokia) and they don't have it. Not easy to get, probably. It only recently got fame as the world's hottest chile.

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by OregonYeti

abefroman, I checked out that site--they sure have a variety.

I looked for Naga jolokia (bhut jolokia) and they don't have it. Not easy to get, probably. It only recently got fame as the world's hottest chile.

Yep, these are all imported from Mexico, she is in New Mexico.

The one your talking about is in Indian pepper.

[OregonYeti]

The Naga jolokia comes from where I grew up

Not as much variety there as in the Americas, it seems. Chiles are from this side of the world, (the Americas) after all.

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by OregonYeti

The Naga jolokia comes from where I grew up

Not as much variety there as in the Americas, it seems. Chiles are from this side of the world, (the Americas) after all.

Oregon?

[OregonYeti]

Assam, India. My parents were missionaries there :^)

[abefroman]

Originally Posted by OregonYeti

Assam, India. My parents were missionaries there :^)

Namaste!