Dried chiles in chili?

Q

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So I make chili pretty regularly but have decided to try out actual dried chiles im my recipe. It seems people on here have a lot more experience with chiles than I do so I figured I'd ask what people on here use in their chili? I'm thinking ancho and guajillo but haven't bought yet.
 
Are you going to reconstitute them or use them dried/ground?

I use multiple different types of fresh peppers including pablano, bell, jalapeno, habanero that get different treatments from being roasted to being sauteed. I haven't messed around with reconstituting dried peppers though... now, you've got me thinking.
 
I am still going to be adding Some poblanos and jalapeños to the chili that are fresh. Also going to add some chipotles in adobo since I have an open jar in the fridge...

The dried chiles I'm going to warm in a pan, soak, blend, and then sautee again in oil (based on what I've read so far). Unless someone has a different method they share on here, I just can't seem to find any suggestions really as far as what chiles to use.
 
I just made a big pot of red on Sunday.. I will rough chop dried Guajillo, Ancho, Jalapeno, serrano, and Puya peppers. Toast them in a dry skillet till they start hurting my eyes, then add a cup of water or chicken broth. Let it simmer for a few minutes then turn off the heat and let the peppers steep for about 30 minutes. After that, I hit it with an immersion blender and add it all to the chili about the time the onions are almost translucent.

The Jalapenos and Serranos are from my garden, I smoked them to dry them last summer.

I don't think it really matters much which peppers you get in there. I use what I have on hand usually.. And I also still use fresh poblano, jalapeno, and red bell pepper. If I have time I will smoke the poblano and jalapeno for an hour or so before dicing and adding to the chili
 
My personal favorite is Ancho, New Mexican Red, and Guajillo. That is a very traditional blend for chili con carne. I add fresh toasted and ground cumin seed and also a touch of Mexican Oregano. Grinding your own chilies is the way to go. For heat I dice Serrano peppers to the mix.
 
I use dried in my chili, best way I have found is to toast them in a hot CI skillet until they get fragrant. Then put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 30 min. Transfer the chilis in the blender with about a cup of the soaking liquid and puree.

I use 4 anchos, 4 guijillios, 6 pasillias, 10 chili de arbols, and 8 chili petine in a gallon of chili. It'll make yer nose run when ya eat it.
 
I make it different every time but I always add roasted green chile. Last batch I bought a pint of Bueno fire roasted red chile purée in lieu of tomato sauce and added a can of Hatch tomatoes and green chile and chipotle in adobo. You really can't go wrong- chili dogs, Frito pie, taco salad just a big ol bowl. Heat add and stir. You got this. Listen to Bluedawg
 
Bludawg said:
I use dried in my chili, best way I have found is to toast them in a hot CI skillet until they get fragrant. Then put them in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 30 min. Transfer the chilis in the blender with about a cup of the soaking liquid and puree.
Click to expand...

I do the same - but have not tried toasting them before I reconstitute them. I'll toast the next time I use dried chilies.
 
So today is finally chili making day, will post pics tomorrow from my laptop. On my phone now.

So just prepared the chiles and blended them, are they supposed to be incredibly bitter? Don't wanna ruin a batch if I got some bad chiles or something
 
Maybe a little but with earthiness the flavors come out as they cook. I always add a 1/3 of a dick of Mexican chocolate to mine the last 30 min
 
Bludawg said:
Maybe a little but with earthiness the flavors come out as they cook. I always add a 1/3 of a dick of Mexican chocolate to mine the last 30 min
Click to expand...

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

:becky:
 
Bludawg said:
Maybe a little but with earthiness the flavors come out as they cook. I always add a 1/3 of a dick of Mexican chocolate to mine the last 30 min
Click to expand...

So the true measure of a chili cook is how chocolaty his chili is?
 
Q Junkie said:
So the true measure of a chili cook is how chocolaty his chili is?
Click to expand...
Don't knock it till ya try it. It increases the depth of the flavor but you'd never know its in there. Sort of like the anchovies in Worcestershire.
 
Bludawg said:
Don't knock it till ya try it. It increases the depth of the flavor but you'd never know its in there. Sort of like the anchovies in Worcestershire.
Click to expand...

I do not doubt that chocolate would add great flavor to chili. It works magic in mole. I was just a little confused at how much to use. :caked:
 
Q Junkie said:
I do not doubt that chocolate would add great flavor to chili. It works magic in mole. I was just a little confused at how much to use. :caked:
Click to expand...
1/3 of a disk in a Gal. works fer me. Depending on the chilis you use you may need to adjust it. The more anchos you use the less you need, I use 4 anchos, 4 guijillios, 6 pasillias, 10 chili de arbols, and 8 chili petine in a gallon of chili.
 
The problem with leaving the skin on them and simply blending them, or chopping them dry and adding them to the chili is that the skins are bitter.

What we have done is soak the peppers for 3-4 hours, or if you want, you can cook them in the chili whole until they are soft.

Whichever way you do it, what you end up doing is taking the chile and opening it up flat on a cutting board with the skin side down. You then take a knife and carefully scrape the pepper pulp away from the skin.

Put the pulp in a blender, add some water and blend the pepper pulp to make a smooth puree of chile pepper.

If you do it that way, you will have only the meat of the pepper and will preserve the sweetness inherent in the pepper.
 
Bludawg said:
1/3 of a disk in a Gal. works fer me. Depending on the chilis you use you may need to adjust it. The more anchos you use the less you need, I use 4 anchos, 4 guijillios, 6 pasillias, 10 chili de arbols, and 8 chili petine in a gallon of chili.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification. That is very close to how I make chile as well although I have not tried using chocolate yet. I will give it a go next time.

Reading it the first time, it just sounded like an awful lot of chocolate to be using. :clap:
 
Q Junkie said:
Thanks for the clarification. That is very close to how I make chile as well although I have not tried using chocolate yet. I will give it a go next time.

Reading it the first time, it just sounded like an awful lot of chocolate to be using. :clap:
Click to expand...
Chocolate is the 8th food group trailing behind &beer 6th & BBQ 7th :icon_smile_tongue:
 
If you go to seriouseats.com and type in chili in the search box it will come up with several recipes. I'm not saying to use one just that Kenji gives options of using dried chilies and how to deal with them. I've made all of Kenji's recipes except the campfire one and all were good even great. The only addition was using Morita peppers. And yes, adding chocolate or cocoa is always a good idea.
 
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