Chile Roasting over Wood?

[Smokeat]

Hatch Chile roasting season is almost upon us. Here in SoCal this is a big deal with hundreds of people lining up for hours in the blazing sun to get their huge sacks of Chiles roasted.

They bring crews in from New Mexico that roast Chiles in propane fueled drum roasters. I know people here are savvy about all things fire, so I am wondering if any roasters use wood for fuel?

I love the gassed Chiles, I bought over 2 bushels last time, but I definitely can taste a propane taste/aftertaste. Just like everything else, I have to think that wood roasted Chiles would be far superior.

So, is it done, or am I just a dreamer?

[Bludawg]

How strong is the sun in your part of Kaliforniastan? You can do it the old fashioned way. Cut a few rounds from a sheet of Plywood Screwa few staves between them and cover it with hardware cloth put a rope through the rounds to hang it and act as an axle. Fill it with the chilis put it in the sun and give it a spin a few times a day for about a week.

[Longhorn01]

Love Hatch season!! Do mine up a few different ways but usually blister most over mesquite...turn out great!

Would like to find a way to roast them a little slower over wood as well...

[Garyclaw]

How do you keep the roasted peppers? Do you freeze them or are they in a dehydrated like state?

[Longhorn01]

If I'm not going to use all within a few days (usually purchase a case or two) I'll separate them into a few bags and freeze them. They're best fresh but will freeze quite well. Just make sure to skin them before freezing.

[FireChief]

How do you keep the roasted peppers? Do you freeze them or are they in a dehydrated like state?

Yes, they freeze and keep extremely well. We've done them both ways, frozen after removing skin and frozen with skin on. Doesn't seem to make a difference. you can thaw them in the fridge, microwave or under running water. skin comes right off.

[Smokeat]

How strong is the sun in your part of Kaliforniastan? You can do it the old fashioned way. Cut a few rounds from a sheet of Plywood Screwa few staves between them and cover it with hardware cloth put a rope through the rounds to hang it and act as an axle. Fill it with the chilis put it in the sun and give it a spin a few times a day for about a week.


That would be great for drying chile, but these are roasted. This gets the skins blistered, and the chile "meat" slightly cooked. This imparts the roasted flavor and makes the skin slip off easier. Thanks

[Smokeat]

Thanks Everyone, the Chiles come out of the roaster blazing hot, they put them in large plastic yard waste bags. This steams the Chiles, making the skins slip off somewhat easily.

We take them home and sort them by size into gallon ziplocs. We always freeze with skin on, I believe it preserves the Chiles better and allows more char flavor to the Chile meat.

I still think they would be better roasted over wood, but I am not willing to roast them over a grill like Longhorn01, to roast two bushels would take hours and hours.

[BobBrisket]

I roast em using the gasser and a kettle or two with charcoal. Honestly, I couldn't tell if there is much difference between the two. Roasting over wood can be done, but I think it'd be best to let the wood burn down to coals first. If the flames are to high, you scorch the skin and the flesh too.
As for storage, we toss em in quart size bags with the stem, skin, and all. When they defrost, the skin comes right off. I think it's a bit easier if you clean em as you need em instead of cleaning em all prior to packing.
You can also dry roasted green chile. It's called chile pasado.
http://www.food.com/recipe/chile-pasado-249474

[BecknCO]

How long do you they keep after being roasted and frozen? I've always used mine right after roasting them on the gasser, but this makes whatever recipe I'm using them for take forever.

[BobBrisket]

I still have 16 quart baggies in the freezer. I probably had twice that amount when I roasted last year. So one year at this point. There are no issues with freezer burn of off taste. I will be using some bags for sausage making in the winter and maybe even this summer as my lil brother wants to learn to make em. I will use more for tamales during Christmas and that will wipe out the 16 bags. This season, I make another 30 or so and rotate those behind the ones I already have. I repeat the cycle every year.
You can extend the freezer life by freezing them in water. You just fill the baggie up with some water after tossing the peppers in it. However, I have noticed that byt freezing them in the water, the process tears up more of the cells and flesh and they are a bit mushier when defrosted.
Here's a tip for roasting, You actually DON'T want to toss em in a bag after roasting to steam them unless you plan to peel them first and then freeze or eat. By steaming them, you continue to cook the pepper and the more they cook the mushier they get. To get a more firm flesh when defrosting, just lay the peppers out on a table after they are roasted to air cool. Then bag. By stopping the cooking process, you end up with a meatier, firm flesh. Try it this season. Roast two peppers and put one in a baggie and let the other one air dry. The air dried ones are not that much harder to peel if you gave em a good char. You will find that the air cooled pepper will have a crisper and more firm flesh. This helps so that when you cook them in a dish after defrosting, they don't disintegrate in the meal. They will hold up better

[Mark]

I know you're not going for making powder but this might help. I developed a guide for smoke-dried chile pepper.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/album.php?albumid=323

I only burn wood in my UDS and Bandera.

If you take them off sooner they will be roasted but not charred. Charring is what you need to remove skins. If you built a good fire under a expanded metal drum (instead of propane) you would be able to accomplish your goal. of skinless roast pepper fillets.

[legendaryhog]

I char mine, put in bag to steam, pull off skin and seeds and freeze half and put half through a food mill to make a puree and freeze. Puree is good for making sauces.

[SmokerKing]

I love them Hatch Chile's! Used to buy them roasted whenever the local grocers would have the roving roasters in front. Decided to do my own last year;

http://imageshack.us/a/img12/50/68485922.jpg

[BobBrisket]

^^^^That is AWESOME!!!

[Dr. Trout Bum]

You want to roast them quickly at high heat, so I don't think it matters much if you go gas or otherwise.

Bagging them while they're hot is the key, as others have suggested. I never peel before freezing...too much work and it's not necessary. The skin will slide right off after you thaw them out. They'll keep a year or more in your freezer. Some say they get a little hotter from being frozen, but I'm skeptical of that.

Good luck! The Hatch NM BigJim peppers make the best chile rellanos in the world!

[Dr. Trout Bum]

I love them Hatch Chile's! Used to buy them roasted whenever the local grocers would have the roving roasters in front. Decided to do my own last year;

http://imageshack.us/a/img12/50/68485922.jpg

Very nice roaster! Did you build it yourself?

[SmokerKing]

Very nice roaster! Did you build it yourself?

Not this one. I was in the middle of a Santa Maria modification and didn't have time to research and fab one before chile season came on last year.

I found a fabricator in Tucson who makes these smaller units for personal use and he had some in stock, so I bought it and retrofitted it to my Santa Maria grill.

I have since purchased my own small ring roller to make these and other items for future fabs.

Here is a pic of the roaster bridging the Santa Maria grill.

http://imageshack.us/a/img715/1528/97400975.jpg

[Smokeat]

Not this one. I was in the middle of a Santa Maria modification and didn't have time to research and fab one before chile season came on last year.

I found a fabricator in Tucson who makes these smaller units for personal use and he had some in stock, so I bought it and retrofitted it to my Santa Maria grill.

I have since purchased my own small ring roller to make these and other items for future fabs.

Here is a pic of the roaster bridging the Santa Maria grill.

http://imageshack.us/a/img715/1528/97400975.jpg


How badass is that!!! You could just remove the gas burners and build a HOT fire on the SM pit and viola, wood roasted chiles!

Thanks for sharing this.

[SmokerKing]

How badass is that!!! You could just remove the gas burners and build a HOT fire on the SM pit and viola, wood roasted chiles!

Thanks for sharing this.

Good idea!

Here are the other mods, removable Argentine grill and rotisserie option;

http://imageshack.com/a/img825/8137/88288063.jpg

[Smokeat]

Good idea!

Here are the other mods, removable Argentine grill and rotisserie option;



Dude, you are my new hero! Awesome set up! Thanks for the pics.

[Smokeat]

You want to roast them quickly at high heat, so I don't think it matters much if you go gas or otherwise.

Bagging them while they're hot is the key, as others have suggested. I never peel before freezing...too much work and it's not necessary. The skin will slide right off after you thaw them out. They'll keep a year or more in your freezer. Some say they get a little hotter from being frozen, but I'm skeptical of that.

Good luck! The Hatch NM BigJim peppers make the best chile rellanos in the world!

I think that BobBrisket is saying DON'T bag your chiles while hot, and I whole heartedly agree. The chiles continue to cook in the hot bag, but if you cool them after roasting, without bagging, then freeze them as usual you will find they still peel easily when defrosted and leave a firmer, more useable chile.

[SmokerKing]

I think that BobBrisket is saying DON'T bag your chiles while hot, and I whole heartedly agree. The chiles continue to cook in the hot bag, but if you cool them after roasting, without bagging, then freeze them as usual you will find they still peel easily when defrosted and leave a firmer, more useable chile.

some roasters say to cool over ice before bagging

[Dr. Trout Bum]

I think that BobBrisket is saying DON'T bag your chiles while hot, and I whole heartedly agree. The chiles continue to cook in the hot bag, but if you cool them after roasting, without bagging, then freeze them as usual you will find they still peel easily when defrosted and leave a firmer, more useable chile.

I've don't it both ways (letting them cool was a mistake I made after being away from NM for several years)...the skin slides off much easier if you bag right away. If you don't, you'll find the skin in the well roasted areas slides off, but it will be very stubborn in other areas. The "cooking" in the bag is full of moisture - it steams the skins the rest of the way. I grew up in New Mexico and this is how all the vendors did it.

[Dr. Trout Bum]

http://imageshack.us/a/img715/1528/97400975.jpg


I can smell those from here! :clap2: