My way of roasting peppers with pics

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pwillie

Smoke Blower
Original poster
I lived in Colorado for thirty years and got myself hooked on chili rellinois and other dishes made using poblano peppers.  It became necessary for me to learn how to roast and clean my own peppers.  Of course there are many ways to do this but I use so many peppers that I have special equipment to help me accomplish the task.  I just picked 58 pounds of poblano peppers which I am in the process of roasting and cleaning.  I will then vacuum pack them, and freeze them to be used in many wonderful recipes throughout the next year.  I thought that some of you would enjoy seeing how I do it.  I have a small pepper roaster which will roast 8-10 pounds or peppers in 3-4 minutes however you can roast small numbers of them on a cookie sheet in the oven or 1-2 at a time over an open flame.  The latter methods are just much slower and labor intensive.

A small capacity pepper roaster.


Juse a few of my 58 pounds of poblanos


8-10 lbs of peppers in the roaster.  Notice lit burners at bottom.


After the roast


I remove them from the roaster and place them in a plastic bag

or in this case a plastic tub so I can cover them and let them

sweat for about 20-30 minutes.  This loosens the shiny film

coating on the peppers which you want to remove.


Removing the film coating.  I simply rub them with my fingers

while running cold water on them until I have them clean.


I then lay them out on a towel to dry a bit while I continue washing

and cleaning more peppers.


These peppers have had the stems removed.  You can see the

stems in a pile to the left.  I use a knife to go in to the top of the

pepper and slice a circle around the stem.  This leaves a nice

hole that I can stuff cheese sticks or meat into.  Be sure that

you remove as much of the veins and seeds as possible.  I lay

a dish towel on top of them and get them as dry as possible

before vacuum packing them.


I vacuum pack them sorted by size and number.  I usually put

5-6 in each.  Smaller ones or those that sort of tear up while

cleaning I pack together and mark them for puree which can be

used to flavor salsa and other dishes.


I wound up with about 400 peppers which I use in many wonderful dishes.  Sometimes I slice them open and roast slabs on my grill and place them on hamburgers.  There are many casseroles that you can make using poblanos.  I open them up and make a layer on a 9x13 pyrex dish, then a layer of ground meat, a layer of cheese, another layer of poblanos, and so on.  It's easy to make and can be a one dish meal.  Wow, I'm really hooked on these things.  Poblano chicken recipes are easy too.  The puree can be used to flavor many sauces.  The aroma you smell while roasting these is addicting itself.  Questions are welcome.  Poblanos at Walmart cost appx. $2.85 per pound.  These cost me about .75 cents per pound.
 
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Looks great!!! We buy cases of Hatch Chiles every year. The market that we get them from has a giant roaster out front and will roast them for you if you want.
 
I've been to Hatch.  In fact that is where I got my small roaster.  I have a U-pick place close to me where I can buy a heaping 5 gal. bucket of them for $10 (about 11 pounds)  the 58 pounds cost me only $50.  If I run out, I fill in with local store bought but it cost me more.
 
 
Good looking pablanos...I buy Anaheims (the traditional New Mexico chile) by the bushel from a local produce supplier and those I don't smoke/dehydrate I roast on my gas grill for about 5-6mins a side and then pull stems/seeds/veins. Tastes as fresh and good as the roasters. I buy local peppers (I'm 30 minutes north of Pueblo) when in season (less than a month), they're known as some of the best peppers available!

My uncle planted about 50 jalapeño and 50 anaheim plants on his farm in SD, when done he's shipping to me to smoke/dehydrate and split the booty!

~Brett
 
Looks great!  I have been getting a lot of Jalaps and Anaheims this year from my garden.

Was wondering what besides putting them in vinegar would work for "putting them up".

Kat
 
LOVE Poblanos for so many reasons and that is a way cool set-up you have going there. I have 4 plants in my raised bed this year and they were one of the first to put on some big fruits. The super hot Thai peppers are lagging in this climate even though it's been in mid 80's & 90's here for a spell. Regardless, that's a LOT of peppers. I've heard the smell from Hatch is addicting and carried for miles on the breeze. Would love to hit the chili festival one of these years....Willie
 
Brett, I lived in Littleton for 30 years and called on most of the doctors in Pueblo and the Springs.  In fact, that is where I got hooked on peppers.  Doing them on the grill works fine, but If you have

many of them to roast it can be a slow process.

Kat, if you are using the large variety of anaheim you can also roast and stuff them.  I like to make chili rellenos with them.  I serve them in an au gratin dish and smother them with green chili.  I make about 3 or 4 gallons of green chili at a time and freeze it in portion size bags.  When I want to fix them for dinner I just stuff them with cheese and sometime I just wrap them in Chinese egg roll wraps (when I am to lazy to make up a batter) and fry them in a skillet.  When done, I place them in an au gratin dish and cover them with the green chili.  I usually add a bit of flour to the chili and thicken it just a bit.  The chili is loaded with cubes of pork butt and WOW, I can't get enough.  Since the green chili takes hours to cook, I usually make it up in large batches.  When you are prepared for it and most of it is in the freezer, it's an easy meal to fix.

Chef W. that aroma you speak of is the best part of it.  It will really get you going.

Thanks for your comments and for looking....................
 
Brett, I lived in Littleton for 30 years and called on most of the doctors in Pueblo and the Springs.  In fact, that is where I got hooked on peppers.  Doing them on the grill works fine, but If you have​
many of them to roast it can be a slow process.

Tar...

True, I typically only roast 1-2lbs at a time and for me works good. I have bought whole roasted bushels, then separate and freeze for my green chile...

What drug company/supplier/device did you represent? I've got a few buddies that have worked for Bristol-Meyer-Squibb, Forest Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer. Most also called on Springs and Pueblo!?

The Anaheim aroma is what usually lures people in, which is why I smoke/dry so much at once!

~Brett
 
When I lived in West Texas/ New Mexico I made sure to make my rounds to Las Cruces during the chili festival. My word there are a lot of varietys of chilis. But of all the chili's I learned like you, that the poblano was my favorite. I can't stomach Jalapenos, the taste is terrible but pablanos especially in a relleno is one of my most favorite. In your relleno do you coat in flour or masa? And why is there no recipe posted?

Ahhhhhh........ fresh smokey pablano, queso menonita, shreded thigh meat, rolled and fried in artery plugging lard, topped with a nice verte sauce. My mouth is watering!

Don't leave me hanging out here, we need something mexican now. Recipe please!! I'd share with you........

Now I have chili's on the mind, roasted poblanos in a nice cheese based dip. Roasted poblano chopped in a Prickly Pear salad......

Some one stop me before I hurt myself!
 
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Since roasting and stuffing the poblano peppers is so simple, I don't have a recipe written for how it is done.  I simply roast, peal, remove seeds, stuff with jack and sometimes cheddar.  You can bathe with egg whites or another easy way is to wrap with a Chinese egg roll wraps wetting the edges to seal and roast or fry in a skillet with a small amount of oil.  The best part is covering them with my green chili.  I will post the recipe for the green chili as soon as I can find it.

  •  
 
Here is one of the recipes that I use quite a bit.  Sometimes I vary it just a bit but this is the basic..................

Unk’s Green Chili With Pork

Pork Green Chili:

6-8 Lbs. Boneless pork butt roast cut into 1-2 inch chunks

1 14 ½ Oz. cans diced tomatoes drained

2 14 ½ Oz. cans chicken broth

6-10 cloves of garlic chopped or pressed

6-7 Anaheim chili peppers chopped (I use food processor)

3 Large yellow onions coarse chopped

1 Gallon water

½ to ¾ cup fresh cilantro chopped

4 Fresh Serrano peppers seeded and diced

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp ground cumin

2 Tbsp fresh coarse ground black pepper

2 Tbsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp chicken bullion granules

2 Tbsp Mexican Oregano

¾ cup flour

Salt to taste

Directions:

Brown cubes of pork in oil and set aside to add later.  In a large stock pot, place the chilies, Serrano peppers, tomatoes, garlic powder, garlic, onions, oregano, black pepper, cumin, bullion, broth, and water and simmer for 2-2 ½ hours.  If you don’t  hold the pork and add it back after all of the other ingredients have cooked for an hour or so it will cook to pieces.  Add salt to taste.  Mix flour with water and add to the above and cook for an additional 45 minutes to slightly thicken.  This can be frozen in smaller quantities until you need it.  I use one quart freezer bags.  When I thaw it for use, I usually add flour and thicken it even more.  Suit yourself.

This recipe is mild to medium hot depending on the temp of the anaheim peppers used which will always vary.  If you would like it to be less spice you may wish to use jalapeno peppers instead of serranos which are generally considered to be twice as hot as jalapenos.  If you use fresh anaheims, as I always do, remember to roast and skin them first.  If fresh ones are not available, you may substitute using 3 7 Oz. cans of diced green chilies.  You can spice it up a notch by adding cayenne pepper.

I use this recipe to smother bean burritos; therefore I like the large chunks of pork.  Depending upon its use, you may want smaller pieces of pork.  It is at its best when used to smother chili rellenos.

Sometimes when I thaw the green chili I decide to thicken it just a bit and I will add some flour when I heat it up to cover the relleno.  Serving in a deep au gratin dish means that I can put plenty of green chili on the relleno.  The pork in it is wonderful...........
 
Do you have approximate dimensions on the roaster? I'm getting ready to build one, but I'd like one that can do up to about 40 or so lbs. I figure I can scale from your dimensions.

(P.S. I always leave the veins and seeds. People always go :icon_eek when they see that, but they get used to the extra heat soon enough. When making red chile, I just dump the entire pod in minus the stem, seeds, skin and all and people do the same thing. But they come back for more.)
 
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Here is one of the recipes that I use quite a bit.  Sometimes I vary it just a bit but this is the basic..................

Unk’s Green Chili With Pork

Pork Green Chili:

6-8 Lbs. Boneless pork butt roast cut into 1-2 inch chunks

1 14 ½ Oz. cans diced tomatoes drained

2 14 ½ Oz. cans chicken broth

6-10 cloves of garlic chopped or pressed

6-7 Anaheim chili peppers chopped (I use food processor)

3 Large yellow onions coarse chopped

1 Gallon water

½ to ¾ cup fresh cilantro chopped

4 Fresh Serrano peppers seeded and diced

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp ground cumin

2 Tbsp fresh coarse ground black pepper

2 Tbsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp chicken bullion granules

2 Tbsp Mexican Oregano

¾ cup flour

Salt to taste

Directions:

Brown cubes of pork in oil and set aside to add later.  In a large stock pot, place the chilies, Serrano peppers, tomatoes, garlic powder, garlic, onions, oregano, black pepper, cumin, bullion, broth, and water and simmer for 2-2 ½ hours.  If you don’t  hold the pork and add it back after all of the other ingredients have cooked for an hour or so it will cook to pieces.  Add salt to taste.  Mix flour with water and add to the above and cook for an additional 45 minutes to slightly thicken.  This can be frozen in smaller quantities until you need it.  I use one quart freezer bags.  When I thaw it for use, I usually add flour and thicken it even more.  Suit yourself.

This recipe is mild to medium hot depending on the temp of the anaheim peppers used which will always vary.  If you would like it to be less spice you may wish to use jalapeno peppers instead of serranos which are generally considered to be twice as hot as jalapenos.  If you use fresh anaheims, as I always do, remember to roast and skin them first.  If fresh ones are not available, you may substitute using 3 7 Oz. cans of diced green chilies.  You can spice it up a notch by adding cayenne pepper.

I use this recipe to smother bean burritos; therefore I like the large chunks of pork.  Depending upon its use, you may want smaller pieces of pork.  It is at its best when used to smother chili rellenos.

Sometimes when I thaw the green chili I decide to thicken it just a bit and I will add some flour when I heat it up to cover the relleno.  Serving in a deep au gratin dish means that I can put plenty of green chili on the relleno.  The pork in it is wonderful...........
Thanks for the recipe. My wife and I have been looking for a good green chili recipe and this looks like a good one we will def give this a try...
 
I said that I got hooked on them while living in Colorado.  However, I did grow them there as well as here in Mississippi.  I would think that they would grow in Alberta but I am no expert on that.  If you can't find any seeds let me know and I will be glad to help you out in that department.  It's to late to plant this year, I would think.
 
 
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