| CHILI NOTES - Chicago Bears vs Seattle Seahawks, August 16th |
The Peppers
Dried Chili Peppers – these are available at most supermarkets in the ethnic or Hispanic food aisle.
They are also available at Super Wal-Mart. Peppers differ in heat from variety to variety and even from
pepper to pepper. We’ve used two fairly mild and readily available chilies this week (got ours at Wal-
Mart) – ancho and guajillo.
Anchos are dried Poblano peppers (we’re using fresh Poblanos as well). They are a large, reddish-
brown pod and mild in flavor.
Guajillo chilies are a dark reddish-brown color, a little smaller and hotter than the Anchos but still in the
tolerable scale.
Poblano peppers are fresh green chilies that are available in most stores. They do tend to vary in
terms of their heat level but are generally milder than the Jalapeno. Compared to a green bell pepper
which rates a 0 on the Scoville scale – the Poblano rates in the 1,000-1,500 unit range.
To Glove or Not to Glove
In general, it’s a good idea to wear tight-fitting latex-style gloves when working with fresh hot chilies. If
the chili oils get on your hands, it inevitably finds its way into an eye later in the day. Poblanos are not
that hot and gloves are not a must. I did feel a little burning on my fingers after dicing, so if that
troubles you – then by all means, glove.
Dried Chili Peppers – these are available at most supermarkets in the ethnic or Hispanic food aisle.
They are also available at Super Wal-Mart. Peppers differ in heat from variety to variety and even from
pepper to pepper. We’ve used two fairly mild and readily available chilies this week (got ours at Wal-
Mart) – ancho and guajillo.
Anchos are dried Poblano peppers (we’re using fresh Poblanos as well). They are a large, reddish-
brown pod and mild in flavor.
Guajillo chilies are a dark reddish-brown color, a little smaller and hotter than the Anchos but still in the
tolerable scale.
Poblano peppers are fresh green chilies that are available in most stores. They do tend to vary in
terms of their heat level but are generally milder than the Jalapeno. Compared to a green bell pepper
which rates a 0 on the Scoville scale – the Poblano rates in the 1,000-1,500 unit range.
To Glove or Not to Glove
In general, it’s a good idea to wear tight-fitting latex-style gloves when working with fresh hot chilies. If
the chili oils get on your hands, it inevitably finds its way into an eye later in the day. Poblanos are not
that hot and gloves are not a must. I did feel a little burning on my fingers after dicing, so if that
troubles you – then by all means, glove.
| Mocha Mole Chili - Seattle Seahawks |
