Just saw they now have green chile cheeseburgers at Whataburger!

i bought about 2-3lbs, im roasting them tonight and let you guys know the outcome.

I have another question. Has anybody compared the taste of an Anaheim chile to that of a Hatch chile? I do know that I ate a bowl (cup of soup size bowl) of jalapenos grown somewhere in Europe while I was visiting Scotland last year. They tasted as good as any jalapenos but I ate the bowl at a pub bar while having a couple of beers and there was almost no heat. I also have eaten jalapenos here that weren't very warm and more often than not, pretty hot, but they all tasted like jalapenos. So, that's the question, is it a matter of heat, or actually flavor/taste that separates the Hatch from all others? I'm going to the new market (63rd and May) Monday and I will pick some Anaheim chiles up at a homeland and compare the taste so maybe I will answer my own question.
Thanks,
C. T.

Hatch chiles generally have more heat than Anaheims, especially this year. The chile guy at our local Farmer's Market here in Arlington, TX brings them in by the truckload from his family farm in Hatch. He said that this year's low rainfall and long run of higher than normal temps in NM made for a spicier crop than usual. He divides them into mild-medium-hot. I usually get a half bushel of medium and a half bushel of hot, but based on his recommendation I went half mild and half medium, and a good thing too! I've already made a batch of green chile stew with only mild peppers and there was a noticeable pleasant burn. Mediums should be just right for green chile salsa and some stacked enchiladas.

As to the taste, I believe Hatch is better and has more character. Anaheims seem kind of generic to me.

As to the taste, I believe Hatch is better and has more character. Anaheims seem kind of generic to me.

Taste is such a subjective "thing". . . but I'm singing your song!!

I have another question. Has anybody compared the taste of an Anaheim chile to that of a Hatch chile? I do know that I ate a bowl (cup of soup size bowl) of jalapenos grown somewhere in Europe while I was visiting Scotland last year. They tasted as good as any jalapenos but I ate the bowl at a pub bar while having a couple of beers and there was almost no heat. I also have eaten jalapenos here that weren't very warm and more often than not, pretty hot, but they all tasted like jalapenos. So, that's the question, is it a matter of heat, or actually flavor/taste that separates the Hatch from all others? I'm going to the new market (63rd and May) Monday and I will pick some Anaheim chiles up at a homeland and compare the taste so maybe I will answer my own question.
Thanks,
C. T.

Yes. I've compared the flavor. While similar, it is different, and the Hatch chile is better. Why do you keep writing about this when you can just go buy some and try them? Seriously. You better hurry, though, as we can only get them for a couple of weeks or so every year.

Soonerguru,
A little fire in Northeast OKC got in my way so while I spent a couple of days in the Holiday Inn with my laptop (no power or water at my home while the fires burned less than a half mile away), I figured that I might as well ask about chiles. I plan to pick some up today.
C. T.

Yes. I've compared the flavor. While similar, it is different, and the Hatch chile is better. Why do you keep writing about this when you can just go buy some and try them? Seriously. You better hurry, though, as we can only get them for a couple of weeks or so every year.

heres what i did...

-fired up the grill, after i was done cooking dinner i threw on the peppers
-roasted for about 5-7 minutes until they started getting soft and roasted looking
-put them in a tuber ware container and placed the lid on them
-let them sit about 10 minutes to steam

-cut them up and removed the seeds / stem and used them with some american cheese inside of a flour tortilla to make a quesadilla(sp)...excellent.

I hope you removed the skins after the steaming!

Soonerguru,
A little fire in Northeast OKC got in my way so while I spent a couple of days in the Holiday Inn with my laptop (no power or water at my home while the fires burned less than a half mile away), I figured that I might as well ask about chiles. I plan to pick some up today.
C. T.

CT. . .hope everything is OK at your home. Enjoy your chiles!!

Just saw they now have green chile cheeseburgers at Whataburger!

. . . and a Jalapeno Cheddar McChicken at McDonalds!

I work with a guy who grew up near Hatch New Mexico and as soon as I mentioned Hatch chiles to him he launched into a brief lecture on what makes them special. He indicated that volcanic soil is part of what makes the big difference.

A question did occur to me here . . . I like to use a certain type of tomatoes for my Pomodoro sauce: San Marzano plum tomatoes from Italy. At some point I was made aware that a particular brand of "San Marzano Tomatoes"--even LABELED "San Marzano"--were actually grown in California. When you consider the supply and demand regarding these chiles (and the lack of a previous personal reference point, tastewise) is it possible that Anaheim chiles could be being put in crates that say Hatch? (Or would that only happen at say . . . an Outlet Mall?)

. . . and a Jalapeno Cheddar McChicken at McDonalds!

I work with a guy who grew up near Hatch New Mexico and as soon as I mentioned Hatch chiles to him he launched into a brief lecture on what makes them special. He indicated that volcanic soil is part of what makes the big difference.

A question did occur to me here . . . I like to use a certain type of tomatoes for my Pomodoro sauce: San Marzano plum tomatoes from Italy. At some point I was made aware that a particular brand of "San Marzano Tomatoes"--even LABELED "San Marzano"--were actually grown in California. When you consider the supply and demand regarding these chiles (and the lack of a previous personal reference point, tastewise) is it possible that Anaheim chiles could be being put in crates that say Hatch? (Or would that only happen at say . . . an Outlet Mall?)


I don't know about Hatch chiles but I know an onion can't be called a Vidalia onion according to trademark laws, unless its grown in a certain region of Georgia.

Sorry about your misfortune, CT.

Foodiefan,
Thanks, it came close to my place but they contained it so I came back home on Friday. Picked up chiles at the new place on 63rd and May. Now I need some Anaheim peppers to compare the raw tasted of the two.
C. T.

CT. . .hope everything is OK at your home. Enjoy your chiles!!

Soonerguru,
I'm one of the fortunate ones. I had to leave, but I had something to return to. Others were not so fortunate. And I just read about the Austin area. I certainly am thankful that we didn't experience anything that bad.
Thanks,
C. T.

Sorry about your misfortune, CT.

I didn't get a chance to pick up an Anaheim pepper today, and I couldn't wait, so I took a nice bite of a Hatch chile and I'm a bit underwhelmed at this point. Not from a taste standpoint, it was good, but somebody mentioned that they were hotter than Anaheims. There was very little heat in what I had. I am going a few places tomorrow so I will pick up an Anaheim and take a bit of it, then take another bite of the Hatch and see. I do understand that the preferred preparation is toast them, remove the skins and use them in a preparation like a green chile stew or whatever. And I do want to use them properly but I was curious about the taste and heat.
C. T.

I am growing Anaheim peppers in my back yard and have quite the harvest right now. They look exactly like the Hatch chiles that I saw at Sunflower the other day but I could not bring myself to buy any to taste test since I have about 1000 of the suckers at my house. I roasted quite a few last night and now have to find something to do with them. I would love to duplicate the breakfast enchiladas at Michael's kitchen in Taos. Sometimes I wake up with such a craving for that dish.

Mmmm, love Michaels Kitchen

I didn't get a chance to pick up an Anaheim pepper today, and I couldn't wait, so I took a nice bite of a Hatch chile and I'm a bit underwhelmed at this point. Not from a taste standpoint, it was good, but somebody mentioned that they were hotter than Anaheims. There was very little heat in what I had. I am going a few places tomorrow so I will pick up an Anaheim and take a bit of it, then take another bite of the Hatch and see. I do understand that the preferred preparation is toast them, remove the skins and use them in a preparation like a green chile stew or whatever. And I do want to use them properly but I was curious about the taste and heat.
C. T.
Not sure if this applies in this particular instance but preparation/how it is served can definitely ratchet up the heat factor to the taste buds. For example, I can eat jalapeño pizza all day long if it is straight out of the ice box. But serve that same pizza hot, fresh from the oven, or even reheated, and my mouth is on fire. The beads of sweat start flowing. If served hot, I can usually tolerate it if i remove the peppers themselves and just the remaining seeds/juice are sufficient. Same thing with adding them from a salsa bar or served as a topping on a burger. They are chilled or slightly warmed by the food they are on. If that same item is served hot or reheated with the peppers in place, I can't deal with it. LOL

Mmmm, love Michaels Kitchen

Oh yum! I love that place so much!

Larryokc,
Since the heat is derived from capsicum, how can preparation make them hotter? I would suspect some preparations could make them less hot. I don't know, but interesting theory. I will experiment with something hotter, either serranos, jalapenos, or habaneros. Probably jalapenos would be best because too much heat could prevent me from making an objective opinion though the tears. I'm always glad to try things like this, I use peppers in a lot things that most folks would never think of.
C. T.

Not sure if this applies in this particular instance but preparation/how it is served can definitely ratchet up the heat factor to the taste buds. For example, I can eat jalapeño pizza all day long if it is straight out of the ice box. But serve that same pizza hot, fresh from the oven, or even reheated, and my mouth is on fire. The beads of sweat start flowing. If served hot, I can usually tolerate it if i remove the peppers themselves and just the remaining seeds/juice are sufficient. Same thing with adding them from a salsa bar or served as a topping on a burger. They are chilled or slightly warmed by the food they are on. If that same item is served hot or reheated with the peppers in place, I can't deal with it. LOL

CT: Don't really know but that has been my consistent experience when it comes to jalapeño.

I didn't get a chance to pick up an Anaheim pepper today, and I couldn't wait, so I took a nice bite of a Hatch chile and I'm a bit underwhelmed at this point. Not from a taste standpoint, it was good, but somebody mentioned that they were hotter than Anaheims. There was very little heat in what I had. I am going a few places tomorrow so I will pick up an Anaheim and take a bit of it, then take another bite of the Hatch and see. I do understand that the preferred preparation is toast them, remove the skins and use them in a preparation like a green chile stew or whatever. And I do want to use them properly but I was curious about the taste and heat.
C. T.

It depends on which batch you get regarding the heat. Also, please roast the pepper first and you'll note that it brings the heat out in the pepper. They seem to get more fiery when cooked, also. We put some in the blender -- after deseeding them -- and the resulting puree was very hot.

Remember, it's not like a jalapeno. It's a more subtle burn. But it's the depth of flavor that makes it so good in cooking.

I'm no expert, and this is just a guess, but maybe it has something to do with cooking releasing the oils of the peppers.

Debzkidz,
That's a possibility. As I said earlier, I am going to experiment. My curiosity will kill me if I don't. I think I know a good way to experiment, prepare a plate of nachos like I normally do, cheese, butter, bacon, green onions and on half of them, jalapenos. Cook them and when ready to eat, put raw jalapenos on the other half. Then eat one of each till they're gone, and take my time to feel the heat from each nacho. Heck, I'm getting excited just thinking about a plate of nachos. I haven't made them in almost a year. they used to be on my rotation (weekly menu), and I don't know why I quit making them. There a little bit of work between quartering, then deep frying the tortillas, slicing onions, grating cheese, and frying bacon. But, they are meal for me. I hope to make these next week and I will respond with my (non)expert opinion.
C. T.


I'm no expert, and this is just a guess, but maybe it has something to do with cooking releasing the oils of the peppers.

I just ate a thick slice of the Hatch and Anaheim chile and they both taste good and neither is all that hot. I did feel a little heat though. They taste the same to me.
C. T.

I just ate a thick slice of the Hatch and Anaheim chile and they both taste good and neither is all that hot. I did feel a little heat though. They taste the same to me.
C. T.

Were they both roasted?

Skyrick,
Neither was roasted. I wanted to start out on an even keel and taste what nature produced. I will cook with them shortly (before they go bad).
C. T.

Were they both roasted?

ctchandler,

As has been stated numerous times in this thread, the chiles need to be roasted to bring out the full flavor (and some of the heat).

Soonerguru,
I think you missed my point. I said that I wanted to start out on an even keel and taste what nature produced, I didn't say "finish". Now, I have done that, today I am going to use a couple of both peppers for dinner, a linguini preparation, and over the weekend try something else for dinner, with roasted peppers of course. I'm not sure about roasting them for the linguini dinner. I'll have to think about that. I understand that cooking anything changes everything. I eat some raw things that I can't stand cooked, carrots especially.
C. T.
ctchandler,

As has been stated numerous times in this thread, the chiles need to be roasted to bring out the full flavor (and some of the heat).

One thing I noticed as I was slicing the Hatch and Anaheim peppers, the Hatch seem to be abnormally shaped with not a lot of consistency, unlike the Anaheim. Also, the Hatch peppers seem to have a lot less seeds. I don't know if that's an anomaly with the batch of peppers that I have, but I suspect it is normal.
C. T.

Well, I have prepared an Italian dish with the Hatch and Anaheim peppers and unfortunately, there was little heat. If my last two Hatch chilis are still good tomorrow, I will try to roast them and use them in a different manner. If not, I will go to 63rd and May and get more. I did find this on a web site promoting Hatch, NM.
"Hatch chiles, those infamous Anaheim-like peppers from Arizona's eastern neighbor, will be available in Valley groceries until late October. Hatch, a town of about 1,000 in southern New Mexico, calls itself the chile capital of the world and produces varieties from mild to triple-X, or tongue-blasting hot. ". I sure don't see them ever being "tongue-blasting hot". I think I need to travel to Hatch next year. I am retired and I would like to find out the true meaning of the Hatch chili. I don't like things so hot that you can't taste them, but so far, I'm underwhelmed. I am curious about why roasting and cooking in a recipe would make a difference in heat. Maybe tomorrow I will find out.
C. T.

I meant to ask, what is a good choice for using roasted Hatch chilis? I cook for one person, so keep that in mind. Just let me know the name of the dish and I will google it to see the actual recipe.
Thanks again,
C. T.

I meant to ask, what is a good choice for using roasted Hatch chilis? I cook for one person, so keep that in mind. Just let me know the name of the dish and I will google it to see the actual recipe.
Thanks again,
C. T.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.

Basically, you take chicken and hand shred it (just buy the premade Rotis chicken from Sunflower) and, if you prefer, lightly season, and set aside.

Then, after roasting chiles (a lot of them), peeling and deseeding them, chop them up. Then mix them with chicken broth and onions and make a green chile stew of sorts. Set aside.

Pour more chicken broth in a pan and heat to medium hot temperature. Slowly drop corn (or better, blue corn) tortillas into chicken broth to soften. After softening one by one, place them on paper towels to dry.

Add chicken and green chile stew (reduced) inside tortillas and wrap into enchiladas. After enchiladas are added to glass cooking dish, pour more reduced green chile stew to the top along with shredded medium cheddar cheese. Put into 350 degree oven and cook for about 15 minutes.

Take out of oven and serve with a couple of dollops of sour cream on the side.

Seriously guys...why is this thread still alive. :)

We were in New Mexico and Colorado last week and they were selling them all over the place.

Seriously guys...why is this thread still alive. :)

Umm, because people are interested in Hatch chiles?

:LolLolLol
Umm, because people are interested in Hatch chiles?. . . and because people keep posting info (well. . .not in this case. . . but I have!)

WilliamTell,
Actually, I started it and have had questions up till September 16th. It was answered yesterday. Since this is a forum, I would think a thread could live and breath as long as there is interest. I guess my question to you is "Why do you care"? Does it bother you? I don't read threads that don't interest me. I suppose if the moderators think it should be ended, they have the tools to do it. I'm not offended by your question, just curious. I hope you will respond.
C. T.

Seriously guys...why is this thread still alive. :)

Note to self: Ignore William Tell.

Why don't you just braise a pork shoulder with a whole bunch of those peppers and some onion and garlic?

Or try working a mess of them into a recipe like this:

This one--a cousin of Chili and another of my favorites, Puerco Verde- started out as an excerpt from the Weight Watchers Crockpot Cookbook, "Slow Good." My wife picked up a copy of this little, softbound, book a few years ago. Now it is out of print. Guess what: Even eBay and Amazon have it listed for about $80.00!! The book described it as a “brothy, hearty, stew” and noted, "can also be made with chicken."

The trick to getting this to come out right is to cook the pork "low and slow" and then add the other ingredients much later in the cooking process. As with my chili, I start with large chunks of pork, let them simmer for about 40 min. then cut them into smaller, bite-sized pieces. If you start out with the pieces too small, they often seem to disappear during the cooking process. Here's a summary of the way I did it the other day (that produced excellent results, by the way):

Pork Posole ("6 Servings")
1-1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder (trimmed of excess fat)
1 t. salt (m.o.l. / to taste)
1 t. coarse ground black pepper (m.o.l. / to taste)
1 t. lemon pepper
1 T. olive oil
2 cups (MOL) reduced sodium chicken broth (or beef stock—preferred)
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (to 4) chipotles en adobo minced (To taste: Pretty hot. Last time I used 3 of them)
1 T. chili powder
1 T. ground New Mexico chiles
2 t. dried oregano (Mexican oregano if available)
2 t. ground cumin
3-4 tomatillos, quartered
3-4 large spoonfuls Herdez Salsa Verde
1 can chopped Hatch green chiles
2 large tomatoes, diced (Or "fire-roasted" large-diced canned tomatoes)
1 (15 ox.) can yellow (or white) hominy rinsed and drained (I prefer yellow)
(Garnishes / Sides)
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce (I don't mess with this)
6 radishes, chopped (I can't eat radishes or cucumbers)
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley, or green onions)
Lime wedges . . . Sour cream . . . Grated cheese . . . Etc…..

Season (salt, pepper, lemon pepper) and sear large chunks of pork in oil and move them to large pot.
Deglaze the skillet with whatever you have on hand. Add beef stock (or broth). Stir-in two spoonfuls of the adobo sauce from the chipotles, chili powder, cumin, oregano and ground New Mexico chiles. Pour over pork in pot. If necessary, add enough broth or stock to cover pork pieces at least halfway.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about forty minutes.
After about forty minutes, remove pork from pot, cut into smaller pieces and return them to pot.
Add the chipotles, onion, and garlic. Mix in and simmer for about thirty to forty minutes.
If the pork pieces still seem too large, cut them down a little in the pot.
(If you can do this with a wooden spoon, the pork is approaching desired tenderness.)
Add the ("fire-roasted") tomatoes, chopped green chiles, tomatillos and (golden) hominy.
Simmer another thirty-plus minutes, uncovered.. Allow to cool slightly, and then serve in bowls with garnishe(s) of choice and warm tortillas or corn bread.

Soonerguru and Radicalmoderate,
Thanks, two good ideas. I will try both. Not today mind you, but I have copied them to my very limited recipe folder. I'm a widower with limited cooking skills, but some things I can handle. If the instructions are clear and it's not too complicated, I'm OK with it, and both of these fall into that category.
C. T.

CT. . .refer back to post # 11. . .I didn't list all of the recipes, but gave some resources that I use frequently. . .esp take a look at the Garden Web site. . ."good things" . . .and not difficult!!

Foodiefan,
Thanks, I need to browse the complete thread and make sure I haven't missed anything.
C. T.

CT. . .refer back to post # 11. . .I didn't list all of the recipes, but gave some resources that I use frequently. . .esp take a look at the Garden Web site. . ."good things" . . .and not difficult!!

Now that Hatch chiles are back, everything I see says blister them on a grill or in the broiler of my oven, then peel them. Why? When I use peppers, I use everything but the stem, I don't remove seeds or anything, I just slice or chop depending on what I'm preparing.
Thanks,
C. T.

Now that Hatch chiles are back, everything I see says blister them on a grill or in the broiler of my oven, then peel them. Why? When I use peppers, I use everything but the stem, I don't remove seeds or anything, I just slice or chop depending on what I'm preparing.
Thanks,
C. T.

Because when you roast them and remove the skin, you bring out the flavor in the chile. The skin doesn't add any flavor and becomes paper-like after roasting.

As for the seeds and pods, keep them in if you like, they add heat. Just be prepared for a lot of heat!

You can still dice them up fresh like a jalepeno if you want, but you would be missing out on the flavor of the chile.

Now that Hatch chiles are back, everything I see says blister them on a grill or in the broiler of my oven, then peel them. Why? When I use peppers, I use everything but the stem, I don't remove seeds or anything, I just slice or chop depending on what I'm preparing.
Thanks,
C. T.


I do the exact same. I like to roast them whole on the grill then pull the stem and put it right on my burger. It's heaven.

Soonerguru,
I haven't found any, or very little heat in Hatch chiles, so that's not a problem. I will try roasting a couple of them and see how it works out. It's a real pain in the neck though.
C. T.
Because when you roast them and remove the skin, you bring out the flavor in the chile. The skin doesn't add any flavor and becomes paper-like after roasting.

As for the seeds and pods, keep them in if you like, they add heat. Just be prepared for a lot of heat!

You can still dice them up fresh like a jalepeno if you want, but you would be missing out on the flavor of the chile.

I do the exact same. I like to roast them whole on the grill then pull the stem and put it right on my burger. It's heaven.
Stew,
I like your style! I will have to give that a try, sounds fairly easy to prepare, and I enjoy peppers on my burgers. I normally use two habaneros (chopped) on a burger, so I know the heat won't be there, but I'm sure the flavor will be good.
C. T.

I grabbed three, fresh, Hatch Chiles the other day at Homeland. Fire-peeled them, chopped them and added them to a little chicken thigh filet thing I put together. They were GREAT and with just the right amount of heat for the dish.

They roast them fresh right outside of Whole Foods and man it smells great.

ha... saw some hatch chiles at sprouts today and wondered if this thread would get resurrected. -M

Didn't buy any? (they are also available at Buy For Less)
tsk tsk tsk. =)

you actually had to ask? of course i bought some. haven't decided their fate yet, though. i don't think i could've worked them in to tonight's homemade marinara & meatballs.

-M

what SoonerGuru said. . . skin becomes a little papery. You don't have to get every bit off. . . just scrape most of it off with the blade of a knife. I like to chop and freeze 6 - 8 in baggies to use during the year.

Fish City had a special appetizer last night, fried hatch chiles. Sliced like calamari and deep fried. Pretty good, but no "heat". The waitress said they would vary from mild to hot. I never found the hot.
C. T.

So far I've found some at Sprouts and the Homeland on 18th and classen.

Homeland, Britton and May

Trader Joe’s has big display of them

Crest is the way to go. In addition to having an onsite roaster they also offer Crest sourced Hatch sausages, bread, rolls, and cheeses. Crest offers this at 2 of their stores every weekend rotating through 8 of their stores. Call for info at your local store.

Crest @ Hefner & Rockwell is this coming Friday & Saturday. I was told that Friday is best.

I'm going to roast my own this time. They take such a beating in the flame roller contraption.

Also, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers usually has a seasonal Hatch Chile burger starting any day now. Pretty dang good stuff!