Hot for Chile

by Ben Small

Ever been to Hatch, New Mexico?

I suspect you'll answer no. After all, how many people enjoy roaming around the New Mexico desert just a bit northwest of Las Cruces?

I'll respond, "Follow the fine chefs of the world September 4-5, for the annual Hatch Valley Chile Festival." They or their reps will all be there, scoping out the year's chile harvest. For Hatch, New Mexico is the chile capital of the world, has been for a very long time. Indeed, chiles have been a staple of the Americas' diet for over six thousand years.

Most folks associate chile peppers with heat, the kind that burns twice if you get my drift. But chiles don't have to burn their way through your digestive system. Remove the seeds and you'll find you're left with a glorious spice that's both healthy and tasty.

As many people know, legendary radio talk-show host Don Imus has prostrate cancer and has refused chemo or surgery. He's being treated holistically by his wife -- Deidre Imus founded a pediatric cancer institute -- and specialists from around the globe, and habanero peppers -- the hottest pepper by far -- are part of his daily regimen. Imus takes them in pill form, lest the steam pulsing into his microphone on a daily basis be blamed on organic heat.

There are 26 known species of chile pepper, five of which are domesticated.

Some facts you probably did not know about chiles:

• One fresh medium-sized green chile pod has as much Vitamin C as six oranges.
• One teaspoon of dried red chile powder has the daily requirements of Vitamin A.
• Hot chile peppers burn calories by triggering a thermodynamic burn in the body, which speeds up the metabolism.
• Teas & lozenges are made with chile peppers for the treatment of a sore throat.
• Capsaicinoids, the chemical that make chile peppers hot, are used in muscle patches for sore and aching muscles.
• Chile peppers are relatives of tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, all belonging to the nightshade family.
• The color extracted from very red chile pepper pods, oleoresin, is used in everything from lipstick to processed meats.
  

Famed Southwest chef Janos Wilder specializes in chile dishes. In addition to chiles stuffed with everything imaginable, Janos' chocolate jalapeño ice cream is to die for. The pleasant after-taste lingers for hours, and no cold wash cloths need be applied to the forehead. I've been to Janos' restaurants with friends who don't like spicy food, and none of them have rejected this desert after they've tasted it. Usually, they argue about who gets the last spoonful.


Most of us have had nachos somewhere. Just about every Mexican restaurant offers them as an appetizer or entrée selection. And usually, they're a bit boring. Not at one of Janos' restaurants. My wife won't eat nachos anywhere else. She orders Janos' version for her entrée, as do some of my friends. Me? While I love Janos' nachos and eat some of hers, I have yet to get past Janos' jerked pork entrée. Here's his menu description of it. Note the chile used.


THE ORIGINAL JERKED PORK

with cranberry habanero chutney, cilantro chili slaw, chorizo black beans, smoked poblano crema and flour tortillas - $15.50

Trust me, you've never had a better meal.

A couple years ago, my wife and I attended a chile cooking demonstration put on by Janos. We watched as he prepared and described several recipes, and we tasted the results. In addition, Janos gave us a history of the chile, which is how we found out about Hatch, New Mexico. Since then, we've visited Hatch several times. Janos takes the chile skin off prior to stuffing with a blow torch, believe it or not. Not much heat, just a few quick passes with the torch. The results are amazing. We attended with friends, and since then, all of us have experimented with chiles, preparing them either as appetizers or main courses. The dinner parties we've thrown where chiles were served were huge successes. 

Janos has written several chile cookbooks. In his The Great Chiles Rellenos Book, he offers more than seventy festive and tasty recipes. If you're looking for something healthy and different for dinner guests, try one of his creations. And you can experiment. Last night, my wife made us a concoction of her own,  a casserole featuring chiles. We've been talking about the meal ever since. Need I say there were no leftovers? 

Here's the recipe she used.

6- 8 poblano chiles (skinned, seeded and cut length wise)
 (or 2  4 oz cans of whole green chiles, or 8 oz or so of chopped green chiles)
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 can no fat refried beans (we love the black refried beans)
1 cup chopped onion (more or less)
1 3/4 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic
salt and pepper
1 cup Monterey jack cheese (low fat)
1 cup cheddar (I use one low fat cheese and one regular)
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup no/low fat sour cream or yogurt
2 eggs
chopped green onions

Brown the ground beef and onions
Add the cumin, oregano,garlic, salt, pepper and refried beans and mix well
(It's easier to mix in the refried beans if you do heat them a bit with the meat)
Set aside

Line an 11" square baking pan with the peppers
Combine the 2 cheeses and spread over the peppers
Spread the meat mixture over the cheese
(Here you can add more layers- such as cheese. another layer of chiles etc. but you'll then have to adjust your cooking time somewhat)

Combine the flour and a bit of milk in a bowl and whisk into a paste
Slowly whisk in  the rest of the milk, sour cream and eggs
-plus a bit of salt and then the green onions

Pour over top of casserole
Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes until center is somewhat firm
Let stand for 5 minutes or so
Garnish with (optional) red onions, chopped fresh cilantro, salsa
Serve with tortilla.

What's ironic about this is my wife claims she cannot cook. . 

I beg to differ. And so would Janos. His comment would be the same as mine: Wow!

Maybe I'll give him this recipe for his next book.