Ramblings from Chef Jay

There is a Whole Foods Market near our new home. If you've never been to one, they carry all kinds of foods that are healthy for you. Organic this, and tofu that. All kinds of herbs and sprouts, but I love the produce section. They keep a much wider array of vegetables in stock than most other local grocers.

Last night, to my delight, they were selling fire roasted Hatch Chiles. Now, I doubt that they actually were from Hatch, New Mexico as the name implies, but rather some version of the Anaheim we find more commonly in stores. Nevertheless, they were very tasty and had a little kick to them. I served them along with a salad and small pork chops.

As you may have guessed by now, this issue of The Heat! is going to center around the infamous Hatch Chile and what you might like to cook with it. We'll have a recipe from guest chef Bill Moran. I have a few product reviews which come from reader suggestions. And I'll introduce you to a wonderful cookbook from a husband and wife team, Cheryl and Bill Jamison, who have written some great books on mexican cooking and barbecue. So print this issue out, sit back and enjoy The Heat!.

The Hatch Chile

The annual celebration is in honor of the state's leading crop, chile peppers. Fresh green and red chiles are on display in numerous fashions. The most popular use of these pods is in sauces and stews. You can also purchase strings of dried chiles, ristras.

The festival includes competitions for the best variety of chiles, a parade which ends with the coronation of the Chile Queen, and a chile cook off. But, the cornerstone of the this event is the pod roasting. Booths selling the different varieties of peppers will roast yours if you buy a bushel. That's a lot of peppers.

Now if you can't make it to New Mexico this weekend, don't worry, I'm going to show you a few recipes you can try at home to get the taste of roasted peppers just like they do in Hatch. I recommend using either New Mexican, or Anaheim peppers and of course add some jalapenos or habaneros to get the heat level you desire.

Guest Chef

This recipe is credited to his wife Gloria. You can find Bill's cookbooks for sale on his website, Texas Chef .

Gloria's Green Chile Stew

Green chile stew is not a North Mexico/South Texas dish, but popular here. It is a high country New Mexico dish made with mutton and New Mexico chiles (Chiles Anaheims). We make it with either Boston butt or pork chops. The chiles are roasted and peeled as described in the appendix on chiles("Cocina Ranchera"). Chiles Poblanos may be used and if so, are handled the same way as the Chiles Anaheims.

Ingredients:
12 green chiles Anaheims, chopped coarse(substitute two-7 oz. cans)
1 Tbsp flour
2-1/2 lbs pork chops, trimmed
3 tomatillos, chopped coarse
½ cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp whole comino

Directions:
- Cube pork chops and dust in flour. Fry cubed pork until barely browned.
- Grind garlic, comino, and peppercorns into paste in mortar or molcejete.
- Add all ingredients together in large skillet or enameled cast iron pot. Simmer about 15 minutes.
- Mix chicken broth and garlic/comino mixture and add to meat in pot. Simmer until meat is tender and flavors are blended. Add water as needed to make "gravy".
- Serve over cooked rice.

Cookbook Review

Their latest, "The Border Cookbook", is located in my book store , and focuses on one of my favorite subjects. "Home cooking from the American southwest and north Mexico include some real winners; from Oysters Corona and Tomatillo Swordfish Steaks to Chorizo, Onion and Olive Enchiladas. No fancy photos here; but the book's packed with plenty of appealing dishes."

Hatch Green Chile Sauce

Source: "The Border Cookbook"
by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped roasted mild green chile, preferably New Mexican or Anaheim, fresh or frozen
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground coriander

Directions:
- In a heavy saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until well softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for an additional minute, then add the flour and continue cooking for another 1 or 2 minutes. Mix in the chile. Pour in the stock and add the seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened but still very pourable.
- Serve warm with enchiladas or other dishes. The sauce keeps, refrigerated, for about 5 days and freezes well.

Note from Linda: I buy loads of the fresh Hatch chiles from Hatch, New Mexico when they are shipped to Arizona each year. They are wonderful in this sauce and for everything else!

If you have a hard time finding Hatch Chiles in your neck of the woods check out this website. They sell authentic Hatch Chile products and deliver right to your door, Hatch-Chile.com .

Now you don't have an excuse, go buy some!

Product Reviews

I cooked some red snapper with the sauce and it was excellent! I added some lemon juice to the sauce and let it marinate for awhile before cooking, then grilled like I normally would, adding some sauce to each side and added a little more sauce after it was done. I must say, it is a unique taste with a good kick to it.

This leads us directly to the next product review. I have been getting lots of emails from people asking for ways to grill indoors. Here is what a few readers had to say:

"Chef Jay,
I enjoy your hot sauce recommendations, especially when you let us know the brand names. I am not as adventurous about trying some of them on my own and appreciate hearing someone else's opinions first!

Living in an apartment and having to follow the 'no barbeques' rules, I appreciate recipes that can be made on my stove or in the microwave. That's about the only recommendations I have for your newsletter except to maybe send them more often....hint, hint. I probably have too much time on my hands and you probably have a life ( I read minds...hehehe) so maybe it isn't possible to have more issues but I will enjoy any that you do send! Good luck!
Pat Wilson"

"Chef Jay,
Since this is the first letter I've received it's hard to comment on what you should change! What I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed it, the recipes are great and the e-book is excellent. For me, keep going as you are. If, however you do want a suggestion, as I am a gadget freak, an occasional review of new products associated with your cooking field (stove top smokers say?) would always grab my attention, even though I probably wont find then on sale here in England.
Thanks for your efforts.
Brian"

Well, thanks for the kind words Pat and Brian, since so many of you live in apartments and don't have the luxury of using a barbecue grill, a stovetop smoker is a great suggestion.

Reader Suggestions: Stovetop Smoker

This amazing smoker allows you to get the flavor of a grill, keeps the meat tender, and you can do it anytime. Just throw in some wood chips and you are on your way. I suggest trying the Dragon Sauce from SloanSauces.com on a couple of salmon steaks. Allow to marinate for an hour or so and grill them in the stovetop smoker. Let me know how you like it.

Chef Jay Asks You

Have a great month and don't forget to Eat the Heat!

Chef Jay