# Mild chili pepper questions



## Caslon (Jan 1, 2015)

My "El Pollo Loco" chicken knock off marinade  called for 1/4 teaspoon of minced Anaheim chili peppers.  I minced them as fine as I could but wonder if I imparted any real flavor to the recipe.  Is just mincing them okay or would I have benefited more by preparing them beforehand, such as roasting them by broiling, placing in a bag afterwards to let them steam a little, removing the skin and seeds, then finely dicing?   

The marinade called for 24 hours, but I just think that mincing them might not have imparted as much flavor as doing the roasting method.  The chicken came out delicious BTW,  I'm just   looking to improve.

Do any of you just mince freshly bought mild chili peppers and add to a marinade or do you prefer to roast them beforehand, then mince?  I read that the roasting method is  what you want to do to bring out more flavor or if you wish to freeze green chili portions for future use, which I  also want to do.


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## Dawgluver (Jan 2, 2015)

Hmm.  I would think 1/4 tsp of chilis wouldn't make a difference if roasted or not.  I'd go ahead with the marinade as you'd planned.

I freeze a lot of peppers.  I freeze the little ones like jalapenos and other hot ones whole.  I roasted my poblanos before freezing, just because they have tough skins and at some point I would like to stuff them for chiles rellanos.


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## Caslon (Jan 2, 2015)

Dawgluver said:


> Hmm.  I would think 1/4 tsp of chilis wouldn't make a difference if roasted or not.  I'd go ahead with the marinade as you'd planned.
> 
> I freeze a lot of peppers.  I freeze the little ones like jalapenos and other hot ones whole.  I roasted my poblanos before freezing, just because they have tough skins and at some point I would like to stuff them for chiles rellanos.




I agree,  1/4 teaspoon is not a lot,  but  it's part of that recipe.

Maybe  roasting the chili peppers  might help the marinade, just because it's only 1/4 tsp.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 2, 2015)

It's my understanding that Anaheims should be roasted before use because they have tough skins, like poblanos. 

I think there must be an error in the recipe. 1/4 teaspoon of dried chili powder would be noticeable, but not a mild fresh pepper. Where did you find the recipe?


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## Caslon (Jan 2, 2015)

GotGarlic said:


> It's my understanding that Anaheims should be roasted before use because they have tough skins, like poblanos.
> 
> I think there must be an error in the recipe. 1/4 teaspoon of dried chili powder would be noticeable, but not a mild fresh pepper. Where did you find the recipe?




It was  from a few nights ago, what's for dinner.  
I agree that 1/4 tsp isn't a lot, which is why I asked about getting the most flavor out of the chilies.

"1/4 teaspoon mild chili pepper, remove stem and seeds from chiles, finely minced (Anaheim or California)."

El Pollo Loco Chicken Recipe - Food.com


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## GotGarlic (Jan 2, 2015)

Roasting chiles does give them more flavor, but I don't think it's worth the effort for such a small amount. It may be a typo in the original recipe that spread around the Internet (I did some searching and some people say it's pretty bland), or it could be deliberate, to keep the actual recipe secret. Some people have weird motivations 

If you want to make it again, I'd think about the flavors you're trying to achieve and adjust based on that You can increase the amount and roast it if the original has a caramelized flavor.


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## Caslon (Jan 2, 2015)

GotGarlic said:


> Roasting chiles does give them more flavor, but I don't think it's worth the effort for such a small amount. It may be a typo in the original recipe that spread around the Internet (I did some searching and some people say it's pretty bland), or it could be deliberate, to keep the actual recipe secret. Some people have weird motivations
> 
> If you want to make it again, I'd think about the flavors you're trying to achieve and adjust based on that You can increase the amount and roast it if the original has a caramelized flavor.



I'm trying to achieve El Pollo Loco.  I wondered if just mincing the chilies would impart anything.  My guess is...the way I prepared them...no.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 2, 2015)

Caslon said:


> I'm trying to achieve El Pollo Loco.  I wondered if just mincing the chilies would impart anything.  My guess is...the way I prepared them...no.



I've never eaten El Pollo Loco chicken so I don't know what it tastes like. That's why I suggested that you make changes based on how you know it should taste. 

IMO, that small amount of minced chile isn't enough to flavor the dish, no matter how you prepare it.


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## Caslon (Jan 3, 2015)

GotGarlic said:


> I've never eaten El Pollo Loco chicken so I don't know what it tastes like. That's why I suggested that you make changes based on how you know it should taste.
> 
> IMO, that small amount of minced chile isn't enough to flavor the dish, no matter how you prepare it.



I was thinking the same thing. Maybe I'll roast them mince them and use twice the amount.  Remember that I'm allowing 24 hours marinating.  

BTW with this recipe,  baking at 400F  the chicken started showing browning burning spots on top after only 20 min, even tho I basted them frequently.  It must be the sugar burning at the temp or something.  I had to lower the temp.   I bet if I had tried broiling them, it would have been burn city after just 5 minutes. I might add more oil to this marinade to prevent that.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 3, 2015)

Did it taste the way it's supposed to? 

I often increase the amount of seasonings in recipes because I like highly flavored dishes. I would probably double the amount of oregano, too. 

Remember too that you're talking about 4 pounds of chicken. The fruit juices and vinegar could easily overpower 1/4 teaspoon of fresh mild chile. If it were me, I'd use a whole Anaheim chile roasted and peeled before mincing and increase the other seasonings as well.


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## Caslon (Jan 3, 2015)

Just saying, the skin started getting a burnt look after 20 min baking at around 425F. The burnt skin wasn't crusty bad, I'm just saying not broiling, the chicken started getting some burnt-ness on top.  Is that cause of the sugar in the marinade?

As far as noticing 1/4 tsp of minced chili pepper, that's why i asked here.  Ya, thats not much.

Oh ya, that's right,  I'm gonna add more oil to the marinade to prevent burning while I'm not even broiling. I think it's the sugar content of the marinade, am I right?


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## GotGarlic (Jan 3, 2015)

Caslon said:


> Just saying, the skin started getting a burnt look after 20 min baking at around 425F. The burnt skin wasn't crusty bad, I'm just saying not broiling, the chicken started getting some burnt-ness on top.  Is that cause of the sugar in the marinade?



425? You said 400 before. Yes, probably the sugar in the pineapple juice is burning. You could turn the heat down to 375 or cover it for part of the cooking time. 



Caslon said:


> As far as noticing 1/4 tsp of minced chili pepper, that's why i asked here.  Ya, thats not much.



No, I was asking whether the dish tastes like you expect it to. Let the answer to that question guide what changes you make next time.


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## Caslon (Jan 3, 2015)

So...ok.  Prepare them and add twice the amount.    That's what I think I'll do. ha


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