# Ever Use Dried Chilis?



## Mylegsbig (Oct 24, 2007)

Someone said he made a great salsa with chile de arbol.

He said he toasted them then mixed with other stuff blah blah.


ive never used dried chiles, except to grind up to make chile flakes.

When are dried chiles preferable to fresh?

Does anybody have any good ideas or things to use dried arbols, or ancho, etc, etc....

How do you use them technique wise..it seems like the dried skin pieces could be a tough nasty bite..am i wrong???

cheers


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## Caine (Oct 24, 2007)

Whole dried chiles are normally used to add flavor to recipes, such as Kung Pao chicken for instance. You are expected to just squeeze them between your fingers to crack them before you add them to the dish. Most people make a serious attempt to avoid actually EATING these chiles because they are extremely hot!


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## Mylegsbig (Oct 24, 2007)

oh i love eating those with the dish.

the ones that come with orange beef and with general tso chicken


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## PytnPlace (Oct 24, 2007)

I use them.  Rick Bayless used them in a lot of his recipes.  That's what inspired my inspiration.  I use them for salsa.  A whole new smoky dimension.  People swoon over the salsa when I make it this way.  It is time consuming tho.  Lately I have been taking short cuts (like toasting chile powder in a skillet).


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## Caine (Oct 24, 2007)

Here, 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 hold this.


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## Fisher's Mom (Oct 24, 2007)

I'm with you, leg. Orange beef is my favorite and I love munching on the little chilis. Of course, I have a huge glass of iced tea and a box of kleenex next to me when I do.


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## Mylegsbig (Oct 24, 2007)

heh

cheers

Pytn what is your go to salsa recipe?  I'd like to try it.

Please post it in the original form, the one you said takes alot of work.


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## qmax (Oct 24, 2007)

I use them to make chili powder.  Way better than pre-packaged.


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## justplainbill (Oct 24, 2007)

To my taste *Tien Tsin *are one of the best for Asian style foods.  For most other purposes I use the long skinny ones.  To get the biggest bang for the buck, I reduce most dried herbs / spices to a fine powder in a mortar before adding them to the ingredients being cooked.


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## AllenOK (Oct 25, 2007)

I concur with PytnPlace.  I just got one of Rick Bayless's cookbooks this year, and in many of the recipes, you make a chile sauce (same technique for Mole, as well), by toasting the dry chiles in a skillet, removing the stems and seeds, then soaking in hot water for about 30 minutes.  Then they are usually pureed, and if you use a chile with a thicker skin, you usually strain the puree, then proceed with the recipe.


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## velochic (Oct 25, 2007)

I use them a lot in cooking curries.


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## jpmcgrew (Oct 25, 2007)

For New Mexico red chli sauce we use either the ground ot the whole dried red chili pods.For the pods you break them open dump ot the seeds and soak them in hot water until soft then puree them and start the sauce.


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## Andy M. (Oct 25, 2007)

The dried versions of chiles have a very different flavor from the fresh ones.  Think about fresh jalapenos and the dried version - chipotle.  

The fresh and dry versions of a pepper usually have different names.  Check out this site.


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## mitmondol (Oct 26, 2007)

I use them a lot! Love the deep flavors. Most of the time I combine different chiles and make up a batch then use them as a flavoring too in dishes that do not necessarily call for them.
I mean a puree of chiles.
Dry toast them shortly, take out the seeds, soak then puree them.
Or fry them in fat (lard is best) very shortly etc.
Sometimes you want to toast the seeds too and add to the sauce.
Good stuff!
They taste VERY different than fresh ones.


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## PytnPlace (Oct 29, 2007)

mylegsbig, Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. It's been a bit crazzzzzyyyy around here. Their are several salsa recipes in Rick Bayless book "Salsas that  cook". Can you check that out of the library. I can type one out later this week.


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## bknox (Oct 30, 2007)

I use dry chiis all the time and probably have 5 or 6 different types on hand. I think my favorite is to toast them as you mentioned earlier. They get a chocolaty flavor when toasted, especially the Ancho's. I also grind them into a powder, sometimes toasted, sometimes not, to make chili powder for chili or to rub on meat. You will find the flavor much more potent than what you find pre ground in the grocery.

I also toast fresh peppers for a bit of added flavor as well.

Also I should add that a dry jalapeno is not a Chipotle. Chipotle means smoked and smoked Jalapenos are called Chipotle peppers. Hope this helps.


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## cheftom (Oct 31, 2007)

Yea, I'll saute some in oil with garlic.  Serve on pasta.


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## Rom (Oct 31, 2007)

I buy the packets dried crushed chillis and throw it in a dish i want a little hot. Like butter chicken, and stuff like that.


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