Diy Dried Chiles Food

DIY DRIED CHILES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150ºF. Arrange chiles in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until thoroughly dried out (they should still be slightly pliable when warm), 12-16 hours.
• To make custom chile flakes, once cool, crush dried chiles in spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
• Do Ahead
• Dried chiles can be kept indefinitely. Store airtight at room temperature.

RED CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove stems and seeds from dried chile pods. Rinse and place in 4-quart pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let pods steep for 30 minutes.
• Drain pods in a colander and reserve juice. Place softened pods into a blender or food processor, adding just enough reserved juice to barely cover. Blend to a fine consistency. Pour the resulting pulp into a fine sieve or colander and allow the extra juice to drain out, stirring occasionally.
• Return this pulp to the 4-quart pot and add the salt, oregano, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste to adjust seasonings. If the sauce tastes bitter, add the tomato sauce. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Use red chile sauce over enchiladas, chile rellenos, or as a side or sauce for any other Mexican entree.

AB'S CHILI POWDER

Steps:

• Place all of the chiles and the cumin into a medium nonstick saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, moving the pan around constantly, until you begin to smell the cumin toasting, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.
• Once cool, place the chiles and cumin into the carafe of a blender along with the garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. Process until a fine powder is formed. Allow the powder to settle for at least a minute before removing the lid of the carafe. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

ALTON BROWN'S CHILI POWDER

Steps:

• Toast the chiles and cumin seeds in a cast iron skillet for a few minutes. Don't let them cook too long and inhale the smoke, because you'll get a nasty chemical burn in lungs, nose and throat.
• let the chiles and seeds cool.
• place all the ingredients into a blender and blend on the highest speed you blender can dish out.
• store in an airtight jar.
• be sure to wash you blender carafe a few times after doing this or you fruit smoothy or margarita will taste like chiles.

DRIED CHILI SALSA

Steps:

• In a medium stainless steel bowl combine dried chili peppers with enough boiling water to cover.
• Weigh chilies down with another bowl to ensure they remain submerged.
• Soak for 20 minutes.
• Drain off half the water, remove any stems if needed and transfer to a blender.
• Puree until smooth.
• Prepare water bath canner, jars and lids/rings.
• In a large stainless steel saucepan combine puree with remaining ingredients.
• Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly.
• Reduce to medium and continue to boil gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Ladle hot salsa into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.
• Remove air bubbles, wipe rim, center lid, screw band down until fingertip-tight.
• Repeat with remaining jars.
• Place jars in canner-cover with lid.
• Bring to a boil and process jars for 15 minutes.
• Turn off heat, remove canner lid and let jars sit in canner for an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove jars, cool and store.
• Should make 6 to 7 pints.

HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE (FROM DRIED CHILIS)

Steps:

• 1. First you need to take the chiles and remove the seeds. I break them up, as much as necessary to remove the seeds and the stem area. You should also remove most of the veins if not all. When each one is accomplished, throw it into a pot that can accommodate them and the water. When they are all seeded etc. put it on the stove with the water and turn it on to a low heat. Now add the coarsely chopped onion and garlic along with your tomatoes, also coarsely chopped. You are trying to soften chiles but they should also smell good too. This process should take about 5 minutes. When the chiles are softened, you need to in batches put it in your blender and add the cumin, celery salt, beef broth powder and Mexican oregano. A lot of this is done by taste again, after it is cooking again. From the blender you will pour it into a wire sieve over a bowl or pot that can handle the amount you are doing. Do this in batches as well. Use a spoon and keep pushing the juice through, till all you have left in there is the pulp. I keep a trash can right there by me for this. I then take the sieve and empty it in the trash. When all of your sauce is done, pour it into your pan again and cook it at a low heat to blend the spices in. Here is where your taste test comes in and you check the consistency of your sauce. If it is too thick, you can add some water. If it is too thin, you can add some tomato puree, some tomato paste, or you can do a flour mixture as if you were making gravy. You can always add some chili powder and more cumin and celery salt if it is too mild. The tomato sauce or puree will help also if it is too hot. (*I always use celery salt when using cumin, as cumin seems to suck out the salt, so if you use the cumin always add the celery salt.*) YOUR SAUCE IS NOW READY FOR USE!
• 2. NOTE: Sometimes during the blending process I add some beef powder, (bouillon) or chicken powder (bouillon) to the sauce, depending on which kind of meat I will be using it with. I also sometimes add a bit of cocoa for darkening if it is too red, and chili powder, for added flavor. (Cocoa also helps with ridding it of any bitterness, besides making the color a bit richer). Experiment with it, make it yours, if you like.