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You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Food / Recipe Help

Recipe Help

by John Cole|  March 15, 200911:14 am| 108 Comments

This post is in: Food

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Just curious- do any of you have an interesting salsa verde recipe that is something a little different?

Also, looking for a way to kick up my burrito meat up a notch in the spice area. What would you all suggest?

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108Comments

  1. 1.

    crustaceanette

    March 15, 2009 at 11:18 am

    Don’t know but I hope you are planning on making a tuna burritos a la Tunch if you want to wake up tomorrow morning.

  2. 2.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 11:21 am

    Ummm, Peyote?

  3. 3.

    Laura W

    March 15, 2009 at 11:23 am

    Kale, boiled kale.

    http://orangette.blogspot.com/2008/10/pleasantly-sogged.html

  4. 4.

    joeyess

    March 15, 2009 at 11:26 am

    Here’s the hottest sauce I’ve ever tasted.

    Snake Bite Hot Sauce.

    Good luck. It’s fucking hot, dude. Hot!

  5. 5.

    JL

    March 15, 2009 at 11:27 am

    John, Just use fresh ingredients when making your salsa.

  6. 6.

    cstowens

    March 15, 2009 at 11:31 am

    This is from a good friend, Pilar Cabrera, a fine cook from Oaxaca.
    Simplicity is key.
    Fresh cilantro (2 good bunches)
    Lime
    Onion
    Garlic
    Chiles
    Chicken broth

    Oven roast the onion, garlic, chiles (you can save a chile to add raw) until soft, translucent. You can pan roast as well or use a comal if you have one.
    When done, chop the veggies. I use a food processor. Add the cilantro to the chopper.
    Heat pan, drop of oil, heat mixture, add 1/2 cup chicken broth. Add lime juice when it is off the heat. Finished salsa is a wonderful rich green and very tasty.

  7. 7.

    gbear

    March 15, 2009 at 11:33 am

    Also, looking for a way to kick up my burrito meat up a notch in the spice area.

    Sigh, aren’t we all…

  8. 8.

    jetan

    March 15, 2009 at 11:34 am

    The courageous use nothing but jalapenos or serranos. If you must adulterate it use garlic , onion, and tomatillos. A little vinegar or sour cream, though I think not. And drink a lot of beer. You can sprinkle some cumin or paprika on it.

    Habaneros, though hot, don’t have a very good flavor IMHO.

  9. 9.

    HRA

    March 15, 2009 at 11:35 am

    You can’t beat using fresh ingredients no matter what you are making.

  10. 10.

    Laura W

    March 15, 2009 at 11:35 am

    @gbear: Haaaaaaa!

  11. 11.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 11:35 am

    @gbear: Well. not all.

  12. 12.

    Comrade Jake

    March 15, 2009 at 11:37 am

    Not salsa verde, but if you haven’t tried a variation of the mango-black bean-salsa, you’re missing out. Insanely addictive when combined with the Tostitos hint of lime chips.

  13. 13.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 11:37 am

    though I think not.

    Hah, I don’t take the advice of people who engage in the negation of self.

  14. 14.

    Cassidy the Racist White Man

    March 15, 2009 at 11:38 am

    Use ancho chili powder for your meat. It’s smoky, slightly sweet, and still hot. Make sure you are marinating your meat beforehand. Even a couple of hours is a huge difference over a rub.

  15. 15.

    Laura W

    March 15, 2009 at 11:39 am

    @AhabTRuler: I’ll never forget you posting that on Inaugural "Ball" night when I was on the phone for two hours trying to maintain composure.
    I shall forever associate that image with…um…fuck you!

  16. 16.

    jetan

    March 15, 2009 at 11:40 am

    Oh, and either wear gloves while you are making it or don’t take a piss for about 24 hours. I just remembered that’s pretty important.

  17. 17.

    Alain

    March 15, 2009 at 11:40 am

    Longtime reader, first time commenter.

    I’d recommend a New-Mexico-style red chile. Use a mix of medium and hot chile powder (hit an ethnic grocer as I am sure you don’t get good chile in WV!)

    Fry your burrito beef in a pan like normal, then add the chile (1/2 cup or so), some garlic, cumin and oregano (if the beef was lean, add some some oil/lard and get it really hot before adding the spices). Once it’s nicely toasted, add some flour, and fry that for a minute or so, then add a cup or two of beef broth. Leave it on med-high, and cook it down, until the liquid is pretty much gone.

    I’d recommend searching for New Mexico chile or Chile Colorado.

  18. 18.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 11:41 am

    @Laura W: I think that the image is necessary to explain why we have all felt so sore for the past 8 years, y’know after the hineymoon (orginally a typo, but I’m keepin’ it).

  19. 19.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 11:43 am

    @jetan: Ehh, I just wash my hands about three times, making sure to get under the fingernails. It’s just oil, not the bog of eternal stench.

  20. 20.

    par4

    March 15, 2009 at 11:43 am

    Got cilantro?

  21. 21.

    Cassidy

    March 15, 2009 at 11:44 am

    Or, braise your meat the day before (think pulled pork) and then make your meal.

  22. 22.

    Paul

    March 15, 2009 at 11:44 am

    Habaneros, though hot, don’t have a very good flavor IMHO.

    The citrus flavor does put some people off, its true.

    Thai bird chili peppers, however, do have a "cleaner flavor", if you can find some fresh ones.

    Scotch Bonnets are even hotter than the Thai birds and are good, too.

  23. 23.

    evie

    March 15, 2009 at 11:46 am

    Best tomatillo enchiladas ever…

    Tomatillo sauce (aka salsa verde):
    –Boil 11 shucked tomatillos and 4-6 seeded serrano peppers until soft (approx 15 minutes); btw, don’t forget to seed the peppers or it will be too hot
    –Puree with a small onion and some cilantro, garlic and salt
    –Boil the sauce until it darkens and thickens a bit — approx 7 min
    –Add two cups of chicken broth and boil down again until thicker — approx 10-15 minutes

    Chicken enchiladas:
    –Boil chicken breasts on the bone with herbs for approx 20 minutes
    –Let cool in the water, approx an hour
    –Shred the chicken and add some finely chopped onion and 1/4 c of sour cream
    –Dip six corn tortillas in the tomatillo sauce, divide the chicken mixture between them, fold and place in a pan that can go in the oven.
    –Cover the enchiladas with the rest of the tomatillo sauce and bake at 375-ish until heated through, approx 15 minutes

    I love the tomatillo sauce so much I usually double it for the recipe, but it’s a preference.

    Credit: Rick Bayless… great Mexican cookbooks

  24. 24.

    jetan

    March 15, 2009 at 11:51 am

    AhabTRuler: In my experience, the oil wasn’t all that water soluble…it took about five minutes until I was in everlasting agony.

    par4 is right about the cilantro, which even makes ice cream better.

  25. 25.

    Perry Como

    March 15, 2009 at 11:51 am

    Tomatillo salsa:

    1 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed
    3-10 serrano chiles, depending on your heat tolerance
    2 cloves unpeeled garlic
    1/4 of a medium sized onion, sliced
    handful of cilantro, chopped

    Roast the tomatillos, serranos, garlic and onion under a broiler until they start to char. Flip them over and do the other side. Peel the garlic and stem (and seed if you want) the serranos. Scrape all of the roasted ingredients into a blender or food processor and add the cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste and as much water as needed to keep the ingredients moving. Blend.

    Chile de Arbol salsa:

    Tomatillos, husked
    Handful of child de arbols (I use 1 lbs. tomatillos to 15 chile de arbols, but I like it hot)
    1/4 of an onion, sliced
    Handful of cilantro, chopped

    Fry the chile de arbols in oil until they turn colors and become fragrant, about 30 seconds. Fill a pot with water and put the tomatillos and fried chiles in it. Bring to a boil and cook until the tomatillos are soft, 20-30 minutes. Drain all but about an inch of the water from the pot and put the tomatillos, chiles, reserved water, onion and cilantro into the blender (you can do this with the chile stems and all). Blend the shit out of it. Salt to taste.

  26. 26.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 11:55 am

    the oil wasn’t all that water soluble

    That’s why I recommend the use of a good anionic surfactant.

    I will say, however, when reconstituting dried peppers for use in a paste, heat the water but do not let the water boil! It’s just like Chicago ’68.

  27. 27.

    Dulcie

    March 15, 2009 at 11:57 am

    John, what kind of meat are you using to make your burritos?

  28. 28.

    jetan

    March 15, 2009 at 12:00 pm

    AhabTRuler:

    Yer gonna make me hurt’cha.

  29. 29.

    shirt

    March 15, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Melinda’s XXXX habenero sauce. The XXXX are not a heat rating but a rating of Gourmetesagity. Mistake me not, though: this sauce will light up your life!

  30. 30.

    Kirk Spencer

    March 15, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    Salsa Verde – do you want hot, mild, Italian, or German?

    Yes, I said Italian or German. Salsa Verde in Italian is olive oil and vinegar based with enough other stuff it becomes a sauce instead of a vinaigrette. Basic additions are garlic, onions, anchovies and capers. German Green Sauce is made from a base of hardboiled eggs, oil (not usually olive oil) and vinegar, and (at least classically) seven green herbs – sorrel, chives, parsley, borage, cress, chervil and burnet in my German Cooking cookbook, but my grandmother would toss basil and dill in as well, and tended to use spinach instead of cress.

    If you’re looking for a simple, truly mild Mexican-American Salsa Verde, peel and puree tomatillos, then add lime juice and cumin. Roast a pepper to blacken off the peel and add that for a bit of heat – choose appropriate pepper for level of heat, though I’ll note roasting tends to reduce the corville count a bit. Someone already mentioned ‘just peppers’. At a certain point this goes from being a flavorful dish to becoming a machoman contest, but it works.

    re burritos, it depends on what you mean by kicking it up a notch. One thing I found a while back that works for most people is to get some pepper jelly, though I use it at the rolling stage (along with sour cream, cheese, or whatever else I’m bringing to the table.) I’ve also found that most people forget that black pepper still exists when they’re making tex-mex — still hot, but without the fruity flavors of the various chiles. I’m going to assume you’ve got cilantro and oregano in the mix already, if not add them. Try adding a bit of ground cloves, as like salt it ‘carries and enhances’ other spices. If you don’t mind experimenting, try ONE of: coriander, dill seed, mustard (the roasted and ground seed, OR the stuff in a jar – they will have different effects), dark molasses, cinnamon.

    Yes, I’ve done all the above, and they do work.

  31. 31.

    James K Polk, Esq.

    March 15, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    Tomatillo Salsa-

    1lb De-papered tomatillos
    3-5 gloves garlic, in their paper (don’t peel!)
    1/2 onion, peeled but uncut
    1 jalapeno, uncut
    1/3c cilantro
    2tsp salt
    lime juice to taste

    Pre-Heat your cast iron skillet (if you don’t have one, they are super cheap and the awesomest pan evar). NO OIL.

    Adjust heat to medium and add tomatillos, jalapeno, the 1/2 onion and the garlic to the pan. Roast in pan for 15-30 mins, try to avoid bursting the tomatillos (if one does pop, turn the heat down). Try to move them around with a pair of tongs, or just flip them once or twice if you are feeling lazy. Things should not stick to the pan.

    As things begin to appear roasted, pull them out of the pan. The garlic will be done first, followed by the onion. When the jalapeno is done, stick it it a paper bag for 5 mins or so (don’t peak at it!).

    Now, quarter the roasted 1/2 onion and remove skins from garlic (should be very easy at this point). The jalapeno is a bit trickier, but if you were patient enough to let it steam itself in its paper bag, the skin will be very easy to remove. Peel pepper skin and remove stem and seeds. (WASH HANDS AT THIS POINT. DO NOT TOUCH WIENER.)

    Now throw everything in a blender. Be amazed! If it tastes funny, add more salt.

  32. 32.

    Dallas Dem

    March 15, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    Achiote marinade is what you need for true Mexican meat marinade. Achiote is available online.

  33. 33.

    MattF

    March 15, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    You might try ordering from thechileman. It’s a small operation in Virginia. I’ve ordered some, & no complaints.

  34. 34.

    magisterludi

    March 15, 2009 at 12:17 pm

    I like smoked chiles and always lots of toasted cumin. I love cumin- its my umami in many dishes.

  35. 35.

    James K Polk, Esq.

    March 15, 2009 at 12:22 pm

    @jetan – I can’t disagree more with the Habaneros not being tasty.

    They have the most sublime, cream-cheesey taste, I dream of it.

    We used to make "pain concentrate" at my house in college. 10-20 Habaneros roasted, peeled and pureed. We used to dip quesadillas in it.

    The pain is well worth the divine flavor. It does make you shit hot fire.

  36. 36.

    garyb50

    March 15, 2009 at 12:27 pm

    Just want to throw in my 110% support of the comments on cumin.

  37. 37.

    mextremist

    March 15, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    so, to any of the tomatillo salsas above, add an avocado, a little bit of fresh ginger, and some crema (or sour cream if you must) and blend well. since the avocado and the crema will temper the chiles you put in originally, you might want to add some more. for an even more interesting twist, try a bit of fresh wasabi. my friends here in mexico have been loving it like that recently.

    as for the kick for the burrito meat, look for a spice called achiote in your local mexican food market. achiote is a deep red, somewhat sweet and entirely delicious blend of ingredients that give yucatecan dishes their uniqueness: think cochinita pibil. or try some of the prepared knorr sauces that you can get in little tetrapak boxes that you can get in most mexican or latino food markets: pipian is awesome, so is mole rojo. black or brown mole is too sweet and chocolatey for burritos, methinx.

    oh, and do tell how it all went when you’re done!

  38. 38.

    Ron

    March 15, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    @jetan:

    Are you kidding? Habaneros have a wonderful almost citrusy flavor. I love that flavor.

  39. 39.

    Ninerdave

    March 15, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    Lawry’s has some spice packets for tacos and burritos. They are pretty tasty. I usually soften some onions, add meat, add beer or stock instead of water, Lawry’s seasonings, cook down, add Ortega chilis and Cilantro.

    If you have time, here’s my Chili Verde recipe, use chicken or pork. I also serve this as a dip with chips for football parties.

    6 chicken breast (about 2lbs)
    1 lime
    1 small bottle of Green Tabassco
    1 large onion
    8 cloves of garlic chopped
    1 tablespoon of chili powder
    Chicken Stock
    1 Tacate or other Mexican pilsner
    1 Anniheim chilis
    1 jalepeno
    1 serano
    1 large can of green chilis
    1 tablespoon cumin
    1/2 tablespoon corn starch
    1 tablespoon of olive oil
    1/2 tablespoon Cellery Salt
    1 tablespoon of Celantro chopped.
    2 jars Salsa Verde,
    Salt
    Pepper

    Put chicken in a bowl, add 3/4 of the bottle of Tabassco, juice from half the lime, chili powder, half the garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

    Heat a large pot, when hot, add olive oil, sautee onions and garlic until translucent. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Add beer, deglaze by scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot, cook on high for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, cover by a half an inch or so. Salt and pepper, Bring to boil, cover partially and simmer for two hours. Remove chicken and shred.

    Chop aniheim chili, jalepeno and serano. Remove the white veins from the inside of the chilis if less spicy is desired. In a bowl, mix chillis with cumin, celery salt and canned chilis. puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add to pot along with Salsa verde. Return chicken and cook an hour, add cornstarch as needed to obtain desired thickness. Add cilantro rest of lime juice cook for 10 minutes, the rest of the Tabasco to taste.

  40. 40.

    MazeDancer

    March 15, 2009 at 12:39 pm

    Hotness is improved by more robust middle notes. So it’s layers, not just lotsa fire. Can’t ever go wrong with cumin. And while there is no such thing as too much garlic, subtle hints of cinnamon, coriander or tarragon also possible. Finely ground pink peppercorns can add interest. And for the future: NM Chile. Even Green Chile Powder is better than none at all. Many online sources, just search green chile. And stick with New Mexican.

  41. 41.

    John Cole

    March 15, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    No offense, but I am just not trusting the advice of anyone who doesn’t like the taste of habaneros.

    I bet I have at least 20 different habanero hot sauces in my kitchen as I write this.

  42. 42.

    Steve

    March 15, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    For the meat, try "Cocoa Chili Powder". McCormick’s makes it. Its a blend of Chipotle chili powder and cocoa powder. It makes killer steaks on the grill.

  43. 43.

    smiley

    March 15, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    For some reason this thread got me thinking about my time in Mexico. So, I went to Google maps and starting poking around my old stomping grounds. One day a friend and I were walking down an average (i.e., poor) street in Puebla when my friend said, "Check this out." (he had lived there longer than me). We ducked into a church and that was the first time I saw this. Yep, right in the middle of a poor neighborhood in central Mexico. That place is probably worth some bucks these days. And the street food then was safe and really good.

  44. 44.

    cleek

    March 15, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    here’s my recipe for salsa verde. mmm mmm consistent.

    chop up some pork loin, brown it with some onion. throw a can of this in, and an equal amount of water. simmer for 20 minutes.

    tada! chili verde.

  45. 45.

    joe from Lowell

    March 15, 2009 at 12:53 pm

    Mince some jarred jalapenos in with the meat?

  46. 46.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 12:53 pm

    We ducked into a church and that was the first time I saw this.

    Holy shit! Literally!

  47. 47.

    James K Polk, Esq.

    March 15, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    As for the meat, the key is a braised pork butt. Let that ass cook for 4-5 hours and pull it out, let it rest and shred it.

    Bone in…

    (I like whole roasted cumin in the braising liquid)

  48. 48.

    crustaceanette

    March 15, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    Well, damn if I don’t feel like a loser on this thread — I buy my spices at Dollar General.

    Next! :)

  49. 49.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 12:57 pm

    @James K Polk, Esq.: Point of order! Pork butt is shoulder, not ass.

  50. 50.

    crustaceanette

    March 15, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    Oh yeah, just go easy on the habs. A former boss of mine who once won a jalapeno eating contest decided to try and make a "salsa" out of just habaneros and a few cherry tomatoes and ended up on the floor in excrutiating pain, said he thought he was having a heart attack and almost called 911. Again, this was no lightweight – I think he overestimated his "heat" tolerance, however.

  51. 51.

    eggplant43

    March 15, 2009 at 1:02 pm

    Some enhancements:

    Use whole cumin seed roast it in dry pan till it pops, cool, grind. This really enhances the cumin flavor.

    Add black pepper.

    Smoked salt.

    Smoked (Spanish) Paparika

  52. 52.

    jetan

    March 15, 2009 at 1:04 pm

    Yes, I think it’s the citrus-y part of habeneros I don’t like. Though I’m not a full-bore Rod Dreher type, I have grown the things and i find I can get enough heat from other peppers while sticking with a (slightly) more subtle, less tangy, flavor. And i’m not even down on heat – my curries will just about make a strong man cry.

    Now, I’m going to have to engage in some serious self-negation or perhaps even a self-criticism session. I never dreamed y’all were so pertickular about your habaneros.

  53. 53.

    reality-based

    March 15, 2009 at 1:05 pm

    Jehan, Ahab

    Oh, quit whining. You want pain? and stupidity?

    I once crumbled dried red peppers into a spaghetti sauce –

    then ran upstairs and performed an emergency tampax change –

    WITHOUT washing my hands first.

    The yelps and howls and the mad grab for the handheld shower nozzle were – according to my sister the bystander – quite hilarious.

    TMI, I know – but if we’re talking pepper-induced PAIN here –

  54. 54.

    James K Polk, Esq.

    March 15, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    @AhabTRuler – I knew I should have used the azz homonym…

    This one time, in college, me and three others ate one whole (raw) Habanero each. It was literally hallucinogenic. There is no way I could have stood up and not crashed to the floor.

  55. 55.

    Mike in NC

    March 15, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    I bet I have at least 20 different habanero hot sauces in my kitchen as I write this.

    Iguana Radioactive Atomic Pepper Sauce

  56. 56.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    Oh, quit whining. You want pain? and stupidity?

    Hey look, I only ever touched my eye before I learned to wash my hands!

  57. 57.

    Perry Como

    March 15, 2009 at 1:13 pm

    cochinita pibil

    Crap. Now I have to pull out the crock pot again. Luckily I still have some banana leaves in the freezer.

  58. 58.

    dnd

    March 15, 2009 at 1:15 pm

    John,
    You didn’t say if you wanted a salsa crude or a cooked sauce.

    BTW, habanero’s are great in kimchee.

  59. 59.

    dnd

    March 15, 2009 at 1:19 pm

    "I bet I have at least 20 different habanero hot sauces in my kitchen as I write this."

    Dave’s Insanity Sauce?

  60. 60.

    Arachnae

    March 15, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    Related question – does anyone know the name of the sauce that comes with the roasted chicken you get at the salvadoran and similar takeout places? It’s a pale, smooth green sauce, mildly spicy with a minty flavor and, I think, cilantro. I’ve searched online for a recipe but I’m hampered by not knowing what it’s called. The delivery guy can only say it’s ‘salsa’, that is, ‘sauce’. Hardly unambiguous.

  61. 61.

    Laura W

    March 15, 2009 at 1:26 pm

    @AhabTRuler:

    Pork butt is shoulder, not ass.

    I feel obligated to tell you that last night when I shared my newly-acquired boiled kale fetish with someone they insisted it be cooked with pork "fatback". I don’t know what that is and I do not want to know. Feel free to not tell me if you know.
    This is a person of dubious taste so take the reco with a grain of (bacon popcorn) salt.

  62. 62.

    jetan

    March 15, 2009 at 1:29 pm

    Arachnae, that sounds like the Indian sauce they dump on your table with the bread and dahl. Very tasty.

    Here is the standard recipe:

    CILANTRO CHUTNEY

    Yields 1 cup

    Ingredients:

    2 cups freshly packed cilantro leaves
    2-3 small Thai green chilies, roughly chopped
    2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
    1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
    juice of ½ a lime
    salt

    In a blender, blend all of the ingredients until smooth. You may need to add a little water to help the blending process. Refrigerate and use immediately. The chutney will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

    You can substitute mint leaves for the cilantro leaves or use a combination of both mint and cilantro. For a slightly tart taste, add a few pieces of green apple for a refreshing twist.

  63. 63.

    Krista

    March 15, 2009 at 1:29 pm

    @reality-based: Oh damn…that just sounds wrong on so many levels. I only once made the mistake of scratching the very edge of my nostril after having chopped jalapenos. I had even washed my hands first, but it must not have been enough. Agony. So the thought of hot pepper oil on the whoo-hoo? Damn, woman…

  64. 64.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 1:30 pm

    @Laura W: Fatback ain’t gonna hurt none.

  65. 65.

    lynxnight

    March 15, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    Homemade Salsa

    Buy 3-5 mild jalapenos and 2 Serrano chiles. Poke a hole in each and boil for 10 minutes (until they just start losing their green). Cool; remove stems, but keep seeds if the jalapenos are mild. Dice into large pieces, then throw into blender with 1 clove garlic. Add 1/4 of can of diced tomatoes and blend. Then add the rest of the can of tomatoes and blend for 1-2 seconds (if you want chunky salsa; blend 4-5 seconds if you want smooth). Salt to taste. Keep in glass jar and use within the week.

  66. 66.

    James K Polk, Esq.

    March 15, 2009 at 1:39 pm

    @Laura W: If you love Kale, try this out.

    Tuscan Kale Chips

    12 Large Kale leaves, rinsed, patted dry, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed
    1T olive oil

    Preheat oven to 250F. Toss kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 30min for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leave. Transfer leaves to rack to cool.

  67. 67.

    bemused

    March 15, 2009 at 1:40 pm

    1 bunch cilantro (remove big stems)
    1 bunch scallions
    3-4 big garlic cloves
    1 or 2 jalapenos (or pick your favorite amount/variety of fresh green hot pepper)
    3-4 tomatillos
    juice of 3-4 limes

    Coarsely cop everything and put it in a blender. Pulse a few times until you like the consistency. MMMMM. You can leave out the tomatillos if you can’t find them and it is still quite good.

    Btw, this is awesome when poured over salmon fillets, left for 30 minutes or so, and baked in the oven.

  68. 68.

    Laura W

    March 15, 2009 at 1:42 pm

    @James K Polk, Esq.:
    You have no idea how happy you have just made me.

  69. 69.

    Kirk Spencer

    March 15, 2009 at 1:42 pm

    OK, you habanero lovers… What I’ve discovered over the past few years is that most of the habenero lovers are in it for the pain. How do I know? Because a while back I found out how to remove almost all the heat from a hot pepper. I did so, made a dish of which was the dominant element, and asked some hotheads to identify the fruit.

    By the way, if you want to extract the heat, just remember that capsaicin is an alcohol soluble oil. My preferred way (if it’s the fruit I want, not the capsaicin) is to peel and pith the fruit before applying alcohol. For low-scoville peppers like jalapenos you can pretty much get by with rinsing the fruit. For high-scoville peppers like habaneros you need about 3 hours in a high-proof alcohol. I prefer changing the alcohol every three hours. Be advised that the citrus flavor is also soluble, but it takes longer to remove. Anyway, after you’ve applied the alcohol allow some time for it to evaporate from your fruit before use.

    You can drink the alcohol if you wish. I’ve some friends that think habanero tequila is great. If you use a clear alcohol (everclear or vodka), it will get a reddish tinge (that’s the color of natural capsaicin). If you’re a true masochist you can let the alcohol evaporate and use the capsaicin oil direct – please be careful if you do, you CAN raise blisters with this stuff.

  70. 70.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 1:47 pm

    @Kirk Spencer: You can keep your tincture, I’ll stick with the fruit.

  71. 71.

    Kirk Spencer

    March 15, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    @AhabTRuler: I prefer the fruit myself. The point was that if I remove the heat by making the tincture with skinned and pithed fruit instead of the more classic puree, I get a fruit that most of the people who claim they love habaneros for the taste cannot identify. (They like the tincture. It’s the heat, not the taste, that they like.)

  72. 72.

    James K Polk, Esq.

    March 15, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    @Laura W: Just wait till you try ’em.

    They are like (really) healthy potato chips. But kale instead. Drying on a cooling rack is key.

  73. 73.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 1:58 pm

    It’s the heat, not the taste, that they like.

    I will grant this, as it is also true of many of the fifty-bazillion hot sauces that are available. Still, put me down for both heat and flavor.

  74. 74.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    March 15, 2009 at 1:59 pm

    @Laura W: Something that sounds so similar to "backfat" can’t be a good thing right?

  75. 75.

    neddie jingo

    March 15, 2009 at 2:01 pm

    @MattF: Amazing… The Chile Man! His spread is about 10 minutes from my house. When we were house-hunting out here back in ’04, we looked at a place right next door to his outside Round Hill. The real estate weasel selling the place was effusive about the benefits of living right next door to the Chile Man!

    I grow my own now, and if I may say so, my hot sauce is pretty damned good.

  76. 76.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 2:02 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead: As long as you don’t mistake it for a fack-bat. Those are dangerous.

  77. 77.

    Laura W

    March 15, 2009 at 2:02 pm

    @Just Some Fuckhead: Christ! You are exactly right! Every time I see "fatback" in my mind’s eye I see Rush’s sweaty, oily, pimply back.
    Now I need ECT to unhook Rush’s image from my beloved boiled kale.

  78. 78.

    Laura W

    March 15, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    @James K Polk, Esq.:

    They are like (really) healthy potato chips.

    I wonder could you add some fresh lime juice to them so you could try to fake yourself into thinking you were eating lime flavored tortilla chips? The citrus might not work, overpowering the subtle kale.

  79. 79.

    2th&nayle

    March 15, 2009 at 2:14 pm

    @jetan: Yeah, well that ain’t the half of it bucko! Just ask my ex-wife (if you can find her). Suffice it to say, spontaneous kitchen hanky-panky after manicuring peppers, should be highly discouraged! In other news….dried habanero pepper, ground with a dash of garlic salt, makes a great rub for poultry.

  80. 80.

    Kirk Spencer

    March 15, 2009 at 2:23 pm

    @AhabTRuler: point.

    On the other hand, I’ve met a lot of people who’ve discovered they LIKE habaneros. Just… not so much the heat. (I’ve made both jelly and ice cream with the de-heated peppers. So long as people don’t know in advance, it disappears.)

  81. 81.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 2:28 pm

    @Kirk Spencer: At least you don’t touch your own or other people’s junk after handling the peppers, which seems to be a major problem for some posters!

  82. 82.

    Thlayli

    March 15, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    Pre-Heat your cast iron skillet (if you don’t have one, they are super cheap and the awesomest pan evar)

    Get a Lodge. Tar-zhay has ’em, about $20-25 — which is a darn good price for something your grandchildren will be using.

  83. 83.

    2th&nayle

    March 15, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    @Laura W: Well since you seem to find the term ‘fatback’ so abhorrent, perhaps you’d prefer "pork belly", aka bacon (hold the popcorn), and it will go quite well with your kale.

  84. 84.

    Laura W

    March 15, 2009 at 2:37 pm

    @2th&nayle: I think the truth is I’m not a pork person. Most pig products are distasteful to me.
    I love sausage! (I am nothing if not a walking mass of contradictions.)

  85. 85.

    John Cole

    March 15, 2009 at 2:44 pm

    Re: Cast iron skillets.

    I have a set I got from my grandmother in varying sizes. They are great.

  86. 86.

    mcd410x

    March 15, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    Whenever I find a pepper that has the maximum amount of heat, still allowing all of the flavor of the fruit to emerge, it’s a beautiful day. Tres magnifique.

  87. 87.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 2:47 pm

    @John Cole: Just don’t tell me you wash them with soap. I have a friend who also inherited a number of cast iron skillets who always washes them with soap, to which I ask "What is the point then?" It’s ok though, he also denies the utility of unsalted butter. Why? I don’t know!

  88. 88.

    jetan

    March 15, 2009 at 2:58 pm

    Ahab:
    I thought yu wuz down wit’ soap.

    "Wash it in soap
    Wash it in soder
    Yu jus’ cain’t git rid of
    That fishy odor"

    Lest we get accused of a flame war, let me hasten to add that I am just kidding with you.

  89. 89.

    John Cole

    March 15, 2009 at 3:00 pm

    @AhabTRuler: No. I just wipe em out with a dry cloth and then season em with kosher salt.

  90. 90.

    Tsulagi

    March 15, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    If you want to try a salsa verde maybe a little different than you’re used to, try one simply called Aji in Peru. They use it on everything there even for bread dipping as it uses an olive oil base. I love the stuff and luckily know a Peruvian woman locally who gives us some when she makes batches of it. Aji peppers are hotter than jalapenos, but not as hot as habaneros.

    Doing a 30 sec. google, this looks like a decent stock recipe for Aji. Easy to make using a blender and you can bring as much heat as you like adding jalapenos, ajis, or habaneros.

    With the lime juice it goes well with pork and fish. If you could find it, substitute a SA herb called huacatay for the cilantro. It’s much better. Has more of a mint taste. Aji made with huacatay is really good on lamb.

    Good thing also is that it freezes well. Make a big batch and what you aren’t going to use in the next few weeks put in the freezer.

  91. 91.

    Wini

    March 15, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    @crustaceanette: Pretty sure I have you beat in the loser department: I ended up at Chipotle today after reading this thread. (I do not cook)

  92. 92.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    March 15, 2009 at 3:44 pm

    I’ve been away from the intertons for this weekend so I know this is too late for our immediate needs but I will post my apple-jicama salsa as soon as I can dig it up. You can use it for another time.

  93. 93.

    Gladhe8er

    March 15, 2009 at 3:49 pm

    John

    The foundation for any good chili and especially salsa verde is GREEN chili powder. You can get all things chili from these guys- http://www.dagiftbasket.com/index.php?cPath=106

    You are now thanking me in advance. Enjoy.

  94. 94.

    datacine

    March 15, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    Mentioned as a McDonald’s owned mexican chain is Chipotle.
    Chipotle chiles are stewed (in adobo) jalapenos. If you want to add a smoky heat, they can be very sublime. Experiment slowly with these as they can be overpowering. Start using one chile and a little adobo in your burrito meat.

  95. 95.

    JenJen

    March 15, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    If you’ve never tended a bar at a cheesy nightclub, you’ve probably never experienced the agony of cheap well tequila combined with lime splashing into your eye. And if you’ve never tended bar but have still experienced this, I think you should tell everyone your story, because it’s gotta be good.

    You don’t know pain until you’ve felt that. Plus, you have to keep working, and pretend it doesn’t feel like your eye is coming out.

    So bring on the habs! More, the merrier.

  96. 96.

    Stooleo

    March 15, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    If you don’t want to make fresh, this canned version is very good.

  97. 97.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 4:07 pm

    @John Cole: You are indeed a wise child.

  98. 98.

    James K Polk, Esq.

    March 15, 2009 at 4:52 pm

    @Laura W: Kale must be dried, though. Water=Steam at 212°F, so they won’t crisp up unless they are quite dry. Don’t know how much lime the leaves would be able to soak up.

    After they are cooked perhaps?

  99. 99.

    cleek

    March 15, 2009 at 5:28 pm

    @Arachnae:

    does anyone know the name of the sauce that comes with the roasted chicken you get at the salvadoran and similar takeout places?

    sounds like a chimichurri

  100. 100.

    Krista

    March 15, 2009 at 5:41 pm

    @AhabTRuler: No. I just wipe em out with a dry cloth and then season em with kosher salt.

    Details, please. I just got a Lodge pan and want to make sure I don’t fuck it up. Any good resources on how to season, how to clean, etc?

  101. 101.

    AhabTRuler

    March 15, 2009 at 5:46 pm

    Details, please. I just got a Lodge pan and want to make sure I don’t fuck it up. Any good resources on how to season, how to clean, etc?

    whistles

  102. 102.

    Krista

    March 15, 2009 at 5:48 pm

    AhabTRuler: Is that supposed to be a link? Linky no worky…

  103. 103.

    Krista

    March 15, 2009 at 6:00 pm

    That’s better. Thanks! I had actually clued in after writing that, and figured "Well, it’s a Lodge pan, so just go to the Lodge website, dumbass."

  104. 104.

    protected static

    March 15, 2009 at 10:45 pm

    Next time, how about beef tongue? I tried it last week in a torta, and it was delicious…

    [edited to reflect that fact that I’m late to the party…]

  105. 105.

    2th&nayle

    March 16, 2009 at 2:15 am

    @protected static: Thought I’d leave you a little sumthin cause you’re late to the party.
    Guy goes into a little cafe to get a bite and he asks the cook/waiter what’s the special? The cook sez, "Today’s special is "Hot Beef Tongue Sandwiches"!" The guy gives the cook a puzzled look, and answers, "Hot Beef Tongue? Are you kiddin’? Ahh, nawh! None for me man, thanks. I ain’t eaten nothin’ been in a cows mouth….. just fix me an egg."

  106. 106.

    Booger

    March 16, 2009 at 7:31 am

    "…kick up my burrito meat up a notch…"

    Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays?

  107. 107.

    GG

    March 16, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    Best bet is dried or ground peppers —

    Chipotles — try ground (Google the Spice House for a great online store), or buy them in adobo sauce (in this case, restrain yourself to using a teaspoon or so of the sauce).

    Pasilla — sweet, mild flavor.

    Ancho — smoky, dark, medium heat.

    Also, Dean & Deluca puts out ground varieties of several of these that are fantastic.

    Other ideas include giving your meat a squeeze of lime.

  108. 108.

    Svensker

    March 16, 2009 at 3:54 pm

    @GG:

    Other ideas include giving your meat a squeeze of lime.

    My husband likes this.

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