CHIPOTLE CHILES

      Title: CHIPOTLE CHILES
  Categories: Sides
       Yield: 1 Servings
  
       1 lb Ripe jalapenos
  
   Americans who love the smoky taste and fiery bite of chipotles have
   recently been hit with high prices and a scarcity of product. With
   prices for these smoked jalapenos reaching $15 a pound wholesale,
   home growers yearn to smoke their own. But the Mexicans have been
   fairly secretive about their techniques, and none of the books on
   chiles describe home smoking. After a trip to Delicos Mexico, I think
   I have solved this mystery -- but the process takes some dedication.
   First, let's look at how the Mexicans do it.
   
   They use a large pit with a rck to smoke-dry the jalepenos. The pit
   containing the source of heat is underground, with a tunnel leading
   to the rack. The pods are placed on top of the rack where drafts of
   air pull the smoke up and over the pods. The jalapenos can be whole
   pods or pods without seeds. The latter are more expensive and are
   called "capones", or castrated ones.
   
   It is possible to make chipotle in the back yard with a meat smoker or
   Weber-type barbecue with a lid. The grill should be washed to remove
   any meat particles because any odor in the barbecue will give the
   chile an undesirable flavor. Ideally, the smoker or barbecue should
   be new and dedicated only to smoking chiles.
   
   The quality of homemade chipotle will depend on the maturity and
   quality of the pods, the moisture in the pods, the temperature of the
   smoke drying the pods, and the amount of time the peppers are exposed
   to the smoke and heat. The aroma of wood smoke will flavor the
   jalapenos, so carefully choose what is burned. Branches from fruit
   trees, or other hardwoods such as hickory, oak, and pecan, work
   superbly. Pecan is used extensively in parts of Mexico and in
   southern New Mexico to flavor chipotle. Do not be afraid to
   experiment with different woods.
   
   The differenc between the fresh weight of the fruits and the finished
   product is about ten to one, so it takes ten pounds of fresh
   jalapenos to produce approximately one pound of chipotles. A pound of
   chipotles goes a long way, as a single pod is usually enough to
   flavor a dish.
   
   First, wash all the pods and discard any that have insect damage,
   bruises, or are soft. Remove the stems from the pods before placing
   the pepperrs in a single layer on the grill rack. Start two small
   fires on each side of the grill with charcoal briquets. Keep the
   fires small and never directly expose the pods to the fire so they
   won't dry unevenly or burn. The intention is to dry the pods slowly
   while flavoring them with smoke. Soak the wood in water before
   placing it on the coals so the wood wil burn slower and create more
   smoke. The barbecue vents should be opened only partially to allow a
   small amount of air to enter the barbecue, thus preventing the fires
   from burning too fast and creating too much heat.
   
   Check the pods and the fires hourly and move the pods around, always
   keeping them away from the fires. It may take up to forty-eight hours
   to dry the pods completely. The pods will be hard, light in weight,
   and brown in color when dried. If necessary, let the fires burn
   through the night. After the pods have dried, remove them from the
   grill and let them cool. To preserve their flavor, place them in a
   zip-lock bag. It is best to store them in a cool and dry location. If
   humidity is kept out of the bags, the chipotles will last for twelve
   to twenty-four months.
   
   Buen apetito!
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