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 will 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.
