I couldn’t think of a better way to start my blog than to share my favorite fruit of New Mexico. You may be surprised to find, it’s actually Hatch Green Chile. These fine chile peppers are relatives of tomatoes. I think they belong to what they call the nightshade family. Anyway, anyone who is from New Mexico or has visited will agree that these chile’s are dang tasty.
Roasting chile peppers is quite easy and so healthy and delicious. I guarantee you will never buy another can of chopped green chile’s ever again. Now that I live in Washington, I don’t have availability to Hatch Green Chile so, now I buy Anaheim Chile Peppers which is found in nearly every grocery store right next to the jalapeños and poblano’s (which are also really good roasted). I would speculate most of you have seen these peppers and often wondered what people use them for other than chile relleno’s. I roast chile’s all the time. It’s kind of like salsa, I put chile on everything. My favorite way to eat chile is on steak, pizza, tacos, burritos, sliders, scrambled eggs, soups and even them by themselves. They really are such a flavorful way to jazz up any meal. These mild peppers are packed with vitamin C (equivalent to more than six oranges), potassium, folic acid and capsaicin (which may temporarily boost your metabolism).
Chile peppers can either be roasted on a gas grill or broiled in the oven. I prefer them grilled on the BBQ but it’s a little chilly out this evening so, I roasted mine in the oven. Place the clean firm peppers on a sheet pan or cookie sheet and place under the broiler or on a hot grill. The skins will soon begin to blister. Continue to turn the peppers until all sides are blistered. You know they are done when the skin looks charred and the skins have completely blistered.
Take off grill or out of oven and either wrap them in a clean damp dish towel or place them in a pan with a lid so the steam doesn’t escape for 10-15 minutes. I prefer using a pan but everyone has their own preference. This loosens up the skins for easy removal.
The next step is the fun part. Wearing gloves is highly recommended when cleaning peppers. I personally do not use them but, I know that some people would be miserable if they did not wear them. Next turn on your tap water and place peppers under water. Using your hands, remove the skins and then the seeds and ribs. The more rib you leave behind the hotter the pepper will be. Lastly, remove the stem.
Once they are all cleaned you can dice them up or leave them whole. If you leave them whole, put them in a bowl with a little extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt and put them back on the BBQ for one last round of light grilling. I highly recommend you try this the next time you grill any steak or burger.
If you are interested in learning more about Hatch Green Chile, I recommend watching this brief CBS Special.
Happy Roasting!
