On 2008-01-28, Scott > wrote:

> My chili is about to get a major makeover and one thing I'm debating is
> chopping up my own fresh peppers vs. using canned.
> I'm using 2lbs of meat.
> Jalapeno and serrano peppers(1/8 cup each): should I use fresh chopped
> or canned peppers in vinegar? Will the vinegar mess up the chili?
> Anaheim peppers(1/3 cup): isn't canned chopped green chiles the same?
> Also what do you think of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce?

The only canned chiles I would consider would be chipotle en adobe, but as
previous posters have indicated, it will significantly change the flavor
profile of the chili. How to use fresh chiles is another consideration. You
can significantly reduce the heat of the chile by removing the placenta, the
white pith with the seeds. I prefer to just slice the chiles in half and add
chile halves to the chili. In tasting while the chili cooks, you can stop the
some of the heat by removing chiles, but I never get the chili spicy enough
with fresh chiles. Sometimes I use dried chipotle or morita chiles. Sometimes
I use Thai phrik phon (ground phrik ki nu) which add heat without changing
the flavor.

Another poster indicated you should use "different critters" for the meat.
I agree 100%. One of my favorites is chorizo. Chorizo, beef or pork, adds a
really nice flavor. I also like to vary the textures. If I use a ground meat,
I also like to use a chunkier meat. I use sirloin, chuck, round or whatever
and cut it into small cubes. In a long simmer, the cubed meat will break
down, but add a diffent texture, and flavor, to the chili.

I wouldn't want vinegar in the chili. Its nice to add acid (lime juice)
when the chile is served, but I wouldn't want the flavor in the chile during
cooking.

Anaheim chiles are not spicy chiles. If you are going to make a chili with
some kick to it, I'm not sure what the Anaheim chiles will add to it.

Another spice I like to use is a stick of cinnamon -- Not like a Cincinnati
chili, though! When the chili is spicy, cinnamon adds a subtle flavor. I
usually add about a four inch long stick of cinnamon. During tasting, I can
remove the stick if I think it is adding too much cinnamom flavor. You want
the cinnamon flavor to not be obvious and no one to guess the cinnamon is
providing a subtle kick.

Then, there is cilantro. My chili has to have fresh cilantro cooked in the
chile.

Finally, I present a few ideas for you:

http://www.panix.com/~clay/cookbook/...ents.cgi?chili

Hope this helps!

--
Clay Irving >
Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp
- or what's a heaven for? -- Robert Browning