In talking to a Mexican lady about how to prepare stuffed Poblano
peppers , she mentioned preparing the peppers by sweating them.

Not wanting to appear too dumb , I didn't ask what sweating actually
is. I thought it was something like steaming them.

Can anyone tell me what 'SWEATING PEPPERS' actuall is ?


Gracias.

wrote:
> In talking to a Mexican lady about how to prepare stuffed Poblano
> peppers , she mentioned preparing the peppers by sweating them.
>
> Not wanting to appear too dumb , I didn't ask what sweating actually
> is. I thought it was something like steaming them.
>
> Can anyone tell me what 'SWEATING PEPPERS' actuall is ?
>
Lightly broiling, then putting them still hot into a paper bag, then
immediately put that into a plastic bag for an hour or so. Then they
are easy to peel.
>
> Gracias.

--Bryan http://myspace.com/BoboBonobo

Look here for pictures: http://rollybrook.com/chiles_rellenos.htm

wrote in news:5s6772phjp33mlsfrcmu2rpevfgnbot2qk@
4ax.com:

> In talking to a Mexican lady about how to prepare stuffed Poblano
> peppers , she mentioned preparing the peppers by sweating them.
>
> Not wanting to appear too dumb , I didn't ask what sweating actually
> is. I thought it was something like steaming them.
>
> Can anyone tell me what 'SWEATING PEPPERS' actuall is ?

Sweating is a cooking term meaning to cook something at low temperature
so that the moisture is removed from the item but it does not brown the
item. Since things like peppers can hold a fair amount of moisture, she
was telling you to slow (low temp) cook them so that they will not be a
soggy mess in the dish you are cooking.


--

Charles
The significant problems we face cannot be solved
at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them. Albert Einstein

You put the chile pods directly over a flame and burn the skin. Then you
wrap them in kitchen towel for half an hour. Put under stream of water and
peel off the burned skin. The chile will be untouched by the burn.
See Rolly's post.

> wrote in message
...
>
>
> In talking to a Mexican lady about how to prepare stuffed Poblano
> peppers , she mentioned preparing the peppers by sweating them.
>
> Not wanting to appear too dumb , I didn't ask what sweating actually
> is. I thought it was something like steaming them.
>
> Can anyone tell me what 'SWEATING PEPPERS' actuall is ?
>
>
> Gracias.

"Wayne Lundberg" > wrote in
:

> You put the chile pods directly over a flame and burn the skin. Then
> you wrap them in kitchen towel for half an hour. Put under stream of
> water and peel off the burned skin. The chile will be untouched by the
> burn. See Rolly's post.

Sorry this is NOT sweating, this is a method to remove the outer skin of
the pepper by burning the outer layer and it then peels after sitting.
This is similar to peeling after a sunburn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saut%C3%A9ing

Again sweating is using low heat to make the item give up moisture. If
the item is too wet the subsequent dish will be overly wet. Many peppers
have a high moisture content leading to soggy final dishes.

http://www.g6csy.net/chile/drying.html




--

Charles
The significant problems we face cannot be solved
at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them. Albert Einstein

"Rolly" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Granted, what I show on my webpage is not sweating. The OP was asking
> her friend about preparing a poblano chile for stuffing. Her friend
> used the word "sweating" which is not the way to make Chiles Rellenos.
> So, Charles, it looks like you and I have responded to different parts
> of the original post which itself is a bit confusing.
>
It is confusing, Rolly. I've never tried to sweat a Poblano chile, or any
other kind. I may try it sometime, though, just to see what happens. My
guess is that the chile flesh might shrink just a little inside the
cellophane-like skin, but not enough that would make it easy to remove that
skin. Also, we would lose that wonderful roasted-chile aroma, and much of
the flavor.

I wonder if the OP's friend was referring to sweating the chiles in a bag or
under a towel after they've been roasted. That's the only way "sweating"
makes sense to me WRT making chiles ready for stuffing.

FWIW, when I get my sack of New Mexico chiles in the summer, I like to roast
them all at the same time on the outdoor grill, and then freeze them
unpeeled in batches of 8-10 per bag. The freezing makes peeling pretty easy;
better, I don't have to do the whole sack at once. Also, I don't have to run
them under water so much when I use them, so I save more chile flavor.

David

"David Wright" > wrote in message
.net...
>
>
> I wonder if the OP's friend was referring to sweating the chiles in a bag
> or > under a towel after they've been roasted. That's the only way
> "sweating" makes sense to me WRT making chiles ready for stuffing.

Not that it is terribly important, but this process is actually called
"steaming". Steaming the newly charred chiles in a bag or towel enables the
skin to be removed more easily.

Charlie

> wrote in message
...
>
>
> In talking to a Mexican lady about how to prepare stuffed Poblano
> peppers , she mentioned preparing the peppers by sweating them.
>
> Not wanting to appear too dumb , I didn't ask what sweating actually
> is. I thought it was something like steaming them.
>
> Can anyone tell me what 'SWEATING PEPPERS' actuall is ?
>
>
> Gracias.

Six thousand years ago, more or less, a fire raged around the campground of
an Amerindian tribe. When they came back to recover whatever was left, they
found bloated burned dogs, burned chile pods and burned corn.... from which
have evolved tacos, chile rellenos and popcorn. The burned chile pods were
soaked in water to remove the burned skin and the natives found the inside
flesh green, sweet/hot and delightful. From then, to today, the evolution of
the chile relleno is always a favorite at any setting.

Charles Gifford wrote on 26 May 2006 in alt.food.mexican-cooking

>
> "David Wright" > wrote in message
> .net...
> >
> >
> > I wonder if the OP's friend was referring to sweating the chiles in
> > a bag or > under a towel after they've been roasted. That's the only
> > way "sweating" makes sense to me WRT making chiles ready for
> > stuffing.
>
> Not that it is terribly important, but this process is actually called
> "steaming". Steaming the newly charred chiles in a bag or towel
> enables the skin to be removed more easily.
>
> Charlie
>
>
>

Sweating to me means cooking in a fry pan with some butter or oil at a
low temp till the veggies start to release their juices into the pan.
(Hence the sweating reference). At a low temp setting the released juices
aren't evaporating quickly. An Example would be cooking sliced onions in
a pan till they were just reaching translucent; at around a temp setting
of 3 on a electric stovetop. Usually a sprinkling of salt helps this
process along.

Steaming to me means cooking with the steam from a boiling liquid cooking
the food. In other words the food is suspended above a pot with a boiling
liquid such as water, in a manner that allows the steam to penatrate the
food and drain back into the pot...with a lid involved to help retain
heat. And veggies seem to retain their colour and texture better when
cooked this way.

When roasting or blackening peppers to ease the skin removal and improve
flavour; the step where they are placed in a paper bag to allow their own
juices to help them to release their skins. I've never had a name for
other than 'resting in a closed paper sack'. I've seen this done in
ziplock bags but I don't trust the plastic from melting and or effecting
the flavour (guess I'm just an old fashioned grouhy old fart).

--
-Alan

Charles Gifford wrote:
> "David Wright" > wrote in message
> .net...
> >
> >
> > I wonder if the OP's friend was referring to sweating the chiles in a bag
> > or > under a towel after they've been roasted. That's the only way
> > "sweating" makes sense to me WRT making chiles ready for stuffing.
>
> Not that it is terribly important, but this process is actually called
> "steaming". Steaming the newly charred chiles in a bag or towel enables the
> skin to be removed more easily.
>
> Charlie

Hey, Charlie, you know that, and I know that, but we don't know the
OP's friend's command of English. What she called 'sweating' might have
been what you and I call 'steaming.'

Anyway, most of us seem to know that flaming or roasting chiles and
then letting them rest under some kind of cover is both the way to get
rid of the tough skin and the way to get tasty fruit.

David

"David" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Hey, Charlie, you know that, and I know that, but we don't know the
> OP's friend's command of English. What she called 'sweating' might have
> been what you and I call 'steaming.'
>
> Anyway, most of us seem to know that flaming or roasting chiles and
> then letting them rest under some kind of cover is both the way to get
> rid of the tough skin and the way to get tasty fruit.
>
> David

That is a valid point David. For the OP's friend, "sweating" might well be
the best way she could express herself. My post was, I think, more directed
to the English speaking posters who did not know the proper term. Thank you
for the clarifying point!

Charlie

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> "David" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>>
>> Hey, Charlie, you know that, and I know that, but we don't know the
>> OP's friend's command of English. What she called 'sweating' might have
>> been what you and I call 'steaming.'
>>
>> Anyway, most of us seem to know that flaming or roasting chiles and
>> then letting them rest under some kind of cover is both the way to get
>> rid of the tough skin and the way to get tasty fruit.
>>
>> David
>
> That is a valid point David. For the OP's friend, "sweating" might well be
> the best way she could express herself. My post was, I think, more
> directed to the English speaking posters who did not know the proper term.
> Thank you for the clarifying point!
>
> Charlie

Charlie,

I love it when we have this kind of quiet discussion on this newsgroup.

Just to add to it, I roasted and steamed some Poblano chiles this afternoon,
and we'll have some chiles rellenos this evening, stuffed with the ground
turkey picadillo that I made earlier. Life is good! ;-)

David

Wow, you guy here take terminology too serous when interpreting these
recipes. When I first found this site the Menudo explanations were pretty
funny, as was that Barbocoa means cooking cow head. but
"sweating" peppers is just what the Mexican lady in the link was showing
you. It is not the same as "sweating" onions and other veggies. Burn em
over a flame, roast em in the oven, dip em in hot oil, ALL TO BLISTER THE
SKIN and then put them in a some kinda wrap; a plastic bag, paper bag, towel
, as one stated, stick in the freezer to preserve and all this to take the
skin off, peel later.

It is to get the hard outer layer off so as to get to the tasty inner skin.

Don't make it difficult.

de

"de" > wrote in message
...
> Wow, you guy here take terminology too serous when interpreting these
> recipes.
>

To understand cooking and discuss it with others, proper terminology must be
used. The increasing laxity of food and cooking terminology is damaging to
communication.

>
> Don't make it difficult.
>
> de

Using the proper cooking terminology of a person's primary language makes
communication less difficult.

Charlie

Understand your comment Charles and your point is taken, yet do you
understand the difficulty in interperting languages, cultures, nuiances?
Please do not be so firmly planted in Euro-centriways that you do not
understand my point here.

de
"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> "de" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Wow, you guy here take terminology too serous when interpreting these
>> recipes.
>>
>
> To understand cooking and discuss it with others, proper terminology must
> be used. The increasing laxity of food and cooking terminology is damaging
> to communication.
>
>>
>> Don't make it difficult.
>>
>> de
>
> Using the proper cooking terminology of a person's primary language makes
> communication less difficult.
>
> Charlie
>

"de" > wrote in message
...
> Understand your comment Charles and your point is taken, yet do you
> understand the difficulty in interperting languages, cultures, nuiances?
> Please do not be so firmly planted in Euro-centriways that you do not
> understand my point here.
>
> de

Of course I understant this difficulty. That is why proper terminology
usage, whatever the language used, is necessary. Cooking terminology is not
complicated but it is extensive. All cooking processes and techniques have
specific English and/or French terminology. All the processes of cooking
described in any other language can also be described in English. While
foods (dishes) are ethnic dependent, cooking terms are not.

What makes you so sure that I am "firmly planted in Euro-centri(c)ways" that
you feel you can lecture me about it? I do note your point. I just feel that
it is wrong. No harm with that. People can disagree without being rude.

I might also point out that this is an English language newsgroup. Other
languages are certainly not banned, but have a lesser impact as not all (or
even most) readers do not speak Spanish, which is the most common
non-English language posted here. When reading a message written in English
by a person who has a different first language, or when attempting to
translate a message from another language to English, great care must be
used. Using proper English terms for cooking makes it easier.

Charlie

wrote:

> Many thanks for the comments. I am going to try a number of your
> suggestions and see what works best for me.
>
> Thanks.

You are very welcome, and good for you. If you're like most of us,
you'll come up with little tricks of your own that will work even
better then what you've read here.

Please let us know what you learn.

David

I just do not know where I would get the idea of you being Euro-Centric.?
Perhaps it was reading such as this?
"Cooking terminology is not complicated but it is extensive. All cooking
processes and techniques have specific English and/or French terminology.
All the processes of cooking
described in any other language can also be described in English. While
foods (dishes) are ethnic dependent, cooking terms are not. and then this
"this is an English language newsgroup. Other
languages are certainly not banned, but have a lesser impact" and here I
thought this was as it was labeled; a Mexican Cooking newsgroup. little did
I know the Mexican cooking must define itself in Anglo/Franco terminology.

"Using proper English terms for cooking makes it easier" . I have to ask
for who?
de


"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> "de" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Understand your comment Charles and your point is taken, yet do you
>> understand the difficulty in interperting languages, cultures, nuiances?
>> Please do not be so firmly planted in Euro-centriways that you do not
>> understand my point here.
>>
>> de
>
> Of course I understant this difficulty. That is why proper terminology
> usage, whatever the language used, is necessary. Cooking terminology is
> not complicated but it is extensive. All cooking processes and techniques
> have specific English and/or French terminology. All the processes of
> cooking described in any other language can also be described in English.
> While foods (dishes) are ethnic dependent, cooking terms are not.
>
> What makes you so sure that I am "firmly planted in Euro-centri(c)ways"
> that you feel you can lecture me about it? I do note your point. I just
> feel that it is wrong. No harm with that. People can disagree without
> being rude.
>
> I might also point out that this is an English language newsgroup. Other
> languages are certainly not banned, but have a lesser impact as not all
> (or even most) readers do not speak Spanish, which is the most common
> non-English language posted here. When reading a message written in
> English by a person who has a different first language, or when attempting
> to translate a message from another language to English, great care must
> be used. Using proper English terms for cooking makes it easier.
>
> Charlie
>