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A
chipotle (pronounced chee-POTE-lay) is a smoke-dried jalapeño
chili used primarily in Mexican, Mexican-American, Tex-Mex, and
Mexican-inspired cuisine.
There
are many varieties of jalapeños which vary in size and heat. In
Mexico, the jalapeño is also known as the cuaresmeño and
gordo. Until recently, chipotles were almost exclusively found
in the markets of central and southern Mexico. As Mexican food
became more popular in the United States in the late 20th
century and into the 21st century, jalapeño production and
processing began to move into Northern Mexico and the United
States.
Typically,
a grower will pass through a jalapeño field multiple times,
picking the best green jalapeños for market. At the end of the
growing season, jalapeños naturally begin to turn red. There is
an extensive fresh market for red jalapeños in both Mexico and
the United States. Many U.S. growers disk the red jalapeños
into the ground. They are kept on the vine as long as possible.
When the jalapeños are deep red and have lost much of their
moisture, they are selected to be made into chipotles.
The
red jalapeños are moved to a closed smoking chamber where they
are spread out on metal grills. Wood is placed in a firebox, and
the smoke enters the sealed chamber. Every few hours the
jalapeños are stirred to improve smoke penetration. The chiles
are smoked for several days until most of the moisture is
removed. At the end of the process, the chipotles have dried up
in a manner akin to prunes or raisins. The underlying heat of
the jalapeños is combined with the taste of smoke. Typically
ten pounds of jalapeños make one pound of chipotle.
In
recent years, growers have begun using large gas dryers. Some
processors have even started to use liquid smoke. These
techniques produce what most culinary experts believe to be an
inferior chipotle chile.
Chipotles
are a key ingredient that impart a relatively mild but earthy
spiciness to many dishes in Mexican cuisine. The chiles are used
to make various salsas. Chipotle chiles can also be ground up
and combined with other spices to make a meat marinade known as
an adobo.
Taken
from Free Wikipedia |
