Roasting Green Chiles at Home: It is Possible

Roasting chiles doesn't have to be a daunting task. You can do it in your own home. Of course getting roasted chiles straight from the farm is the best, but not all of us have that luxury. Here's my story about spending roughly 3 hours roasting half a bushel of Anaheim green chiles.

Anaheim chiles 

 In this morning's mail came my chiles from Pueblo county. The nickname for this type of chile is Big Jim. A fitting name because they are huge.

Cleanliness is important

I started my work by rinsing and drying each chile. You might want to consider wearing gloves throughout this process. I didn't and I have a slight burning sensation between my fingers as I'm typing. It's up to you, though. It's nothing like chopping fresh jalapeno.  Next I put some aluminum foil over my cookie sheet and placed the peppers on top.

Ready for the oven

I chose to broil on low. It might take longer, but I like to multitask. This may be why I finished in just a few hours. Or maybe I just don't like to wait around. You might want to make sure you have tongs and a thick potholder nearby.

My first batch in the oven.

I ended up raising the rack up for the second batch, but it still worked this way. While the chiles are broiling I got 2 large ziplock bags out, rinsed and dried more chiles and folded some clothes. The rest of the clothes sat until I was done. 

When they look charred enough, take them out and flip them and put them back in the oven. This is when the tongs come in handy. Now is the time to get your next cookie sheet of chiles ready for the oven. 

Bagged up

When the chiles have charred to your liking quickly get them into the large bag and zip it up. They will need to steam for about 20 minutes. This makes the skin easier to remove and gives it more cooking time. By the time you get those bagged up your second batch is already in the oven and broiling away. And now it's time to remove the used foil and replace it, then wash some more. There's always something to do.

Be careful

A word to the wise. Don't get your plastic bag too close to the hot cookie sheet. It's not easy to steam in a bag with a hole. I had to learn the hard way. 

Remove the skin

When time is up on the steaming get those puppies to the cutting board and remove the skin. Most of it comes off easily. So I used my fingers. Then I removed the stem and slit it near the top. Most of the seeds are near the stem. 

My first batch of chiles

As you can see I don't really sweat a few seeds. If you want it seed free, you can rinse them with water. I think it might dilute the taste. I'm not afraid of a little heat.

All bagged up

Bagging up the chiles is the easy part. I did let them sit out for some time. Of course I was still pretty busy with my other batches. But the photo above shows what I get out of my first batch. That's five bags of chiles ready for me to use this winter. 

Scrambled eggs with roasted chiles

All this roasting made me hungry. So I decided to scramble some eggs with one of my chiles. It took a little time, but it will be worth it later. I have 15 bags of roasted green chiles in my freezer. I don't have to, dare I say it, buy a can of green chiles from the store. And if you'd like to try this, go to a local farm and get some Anaheim chiles or whatever kind you like and go for it. It's really not so hard. 

The Bell Willl Ring Blue?

DING-DONG!
Tonight the bell will ring in Pueblo. The oldest rivalry west of the Mississippi still survives. At 7:00 MST the Central Wildcats will take on the Centennial Bulldogs. Dutch Clark Stadium will be rocked tonight by 15,000 students, staff, alumni and football fans.

Fans heading to the Bell Gam

The Bell Game as it's commonly known in Pueblo will mark the 125th game between the two competitors. I know Bell Game sounds a little strange to those not from Pueblo; so I'll try to explain. Every year since 1892 Central and Centennial take to the field to prove dominance. Imagine a small version of the Liberty Bell coated in blue or red. That's what's at stake at tonight's showdown. As a Pueblo native stated, "I don't want to know how many coats of paint are on that bell." The winning team earns the honor of keeping the colored bell until the next year. According to online sources Central has won the Bell game 56 times and Centennial has taken possession 51 times. Over the years, there were 9 tie games.

Central's Wildcat

My grandma was a majorette at Central and my mom cheered along with the Pep club. My aunt enjoyed watching the Wildcats win the same year they went to state. "The bell rings blue" has been a common saying at Central High School for decades at school assemblies. Although I might be a little biased, I think history has proven that the Wildcats have a decent chance of winning.

As early as 4:00 PM cars have been backed up for blocks heading to the game. Loyal fans in painted vehicles from both schools lined 4th Street and was backed up passed Midtown. Somewhere between 8-12 police cars are currently monitoring the game to prevent rowdies from going too far. Back the 1970s some Centennial fans painted the grass at Central with red paint. Central officials warned students not to retaliate.

Cars spilled out of the stadium lot to neighboring streets

I like to think if I'd stayed living in Pueblo, I would be a Central alumni. Even though I'm not, I'm still rooting for the Wildcats to defeat the Bulldogs tonight. Go Wildcats!

Making Pueblo Green Chile in Missouri

It is possible to make the famous Pueblo Green Chile in other states. Today I decided to do just that. Those in Pueblo have the luxury of taking a trip to the county and purchasing chiles straight from the growers and getting them roasted on the spot. I had roasted some up over the summer in my oven and saved them in the freezer. Today I felt like one smart cookie as I dug them out of the depths of my freezer. I set them out to thaw as I went to the store for some ingredients.

Here's my steps to making a taste of my hometown.

I start by making a roux with oil and flour. Then I put it in a bowl to use later.

Then I brown some cubed pork loin. And put it in a pot with chicken broth.

I know you are thinking this takes some time to make. And it does. But the end is worth it.

Next I browned onions and garlic. Does garlic caramelize faster than onions for you? I think it does for me.

 Then I added the garlic and onions to the pork and chicken broth. This is when it starts going quicker. Add hot Rotel, stewed tomatoes, chopped chiles and jalapeno. And don't forget the roux.

Bring it to a simmer and cook for at least 30 minutes. I like to cook it a little longer to make sure the pork is done. Now it's time for the best part. While the chile is cooking, I fry up some hamburgers.  When everything is done this is what I get to eat.

Yummy Slopper

This is my version of the Pueblo Slopper. A hamburger smothered with Pueblo Green Chile and topped with shredded cheddar and chopped onions. It's a delicious treat. I'd rather chow down on this at Coors Tavern and wash it down with a beer. But since I'm in Missouri, this is what I get. 

What's one of your favorite hometown foods?