How To Roast and Prepare Green Chiles
Today’s Chile Pepper Chat is about how to roast green chiles.
Green chiles vary in heat from Mild to XXX Hot! and they are known by several names. Tap here to learn more about them.
Their skins are tough and inedible. That’s why as you’re reading this, millions of people in the Southwest are roasting them over a flame and prepping them to remove the skins, stems and seeds to reveal their luscious herb-y chile meat.
The steps to prepare them are simple and your kitchen will smell like August-September chile roasting season in the Southwest.
Fresh from the fields, harvested green chiles.
Wash the chiles under cool water.
Place a chile roasting stovetop grill over an electric burner. Bring to medium high heat. You can also use a stovetop gas burner, or in your oven broiler on a rimmed baking sheet.
Place the chiles on the stovetop grill.
Begin to char roast them using metal tongs.
Turn them until all sides are blistered and charred, but not burnt. A little green should still show through. This step usually takes about 10 minutes.
You can also place them over medium high heat on your bbq grill.
Again, rotating them often with metal tongs to char on all sides.
These beauties are perfectly charred and ready to steam.
Place them in a bowl. Cover with a clean, heavy kitchen towel, plastic wrap or a heavy plate to seal the bowl. Allow the chiles to steam for at least 30 minutes.
You can also put them in a sealed plastic baggie. Steaming loosens the skins from the chile meat.
Place them on a cutting board.
Peel off the skins with your hands. Always use gloves and don’t touch your face or eyes because oils from the chiles can sting. Rub and peel off as much of the loosened skins as possible. Experienced chile cooks discourage running them under water because you lose some of the char flavor. But if you happen to have a stubborn chile, use a paper towel to scrub it a bit and run under cool water if needed.
Cut off the stems and discard. (Unless you are making chiles rellenos — stuffed chiles — in which case leave the stems intact and do not slice and chop them).
Slice the chiles in half lengthwise and use a knife to scrape away the seeds.
You now have beautiful fillets to chop or slice according to your recipe.
It’s okay if a few seeds are left in the chop to show that they are fresh and homemade.
For rellenos you want the chiles to hold together for stuffing. Once you’ve removed the skins, leave the stems on, then make a gentle clean cut lengthwise along the side leaving 1/2-inch intact on the top and bottom of the chile. This creates a pocket for your fillings. Use your hands to gently scoop out the seeds. Pictured: poblano (left) and green chile (right).
Give yourself a round of applause – you are now an official chile roasting expert!
Freezing Chiles: In the Southwest, we buy bushels of chiles each harvest season and roast all of them to keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Simply roast them whole, do not remove the skins or stems, and seal them tightly in freezer baggies. Once thawed, the skins easily peel away and the chiles may then be prepped.
Check back with us for robust, flavorful low FODMAP green chile recipes such as chiles rellenos, green chile sauce, green chile burgers, poblano picnic salads, green chile desserts and many more delicious “chilehead” dishes.
Buen provecho!
Monash Note: Although chiles (chillies) are generally low in FODMAPs, some people with IBS may be sensitive to the capsaicin they contain. Capsaicin is a natural compound that gives chiles their spicy quality. You may need to limit how much chile you eat if your IBS symptoms are triggered by spicy food.