Re: [CH] Preparing pods for molcajete?
Rich McCormack (macknet@cts.com)
Mon, 30 Mar 1998 07:20:48 -0800
Lancer7676 wrote:
>
> I am not sure what a Molcajete is, ...
Think of it as a mortar made out of a fairly porous (as opposed to glassy)
basalt. The pestle, made out of the same material, is called a tejolote.
> ... but I grind my peppers in a food processer.
I use a dedicated (I like chiles in my food, but not in my...) coffee
grinder. The problem I've found with grinding in a food processor is
the grinding time required...too long a grinding and the end product
can come out a bit scorched. Whatever one uses for a blade, it should
be pulsed with a brief period (5-10 seconds) between each pulse to allow
the blades to cool.
> If the air has been really humid, the dried peppers might pick up enough
> moisture to be a little soft. Wonder if a new turn in the dehydrator might
> crisp them up for grinding?
Yeah, I'm sure that'd work...but I usually throw 'em on a hot comal to
slightly char (seems like it might be the same as scorching with the hot
blades of a grinder, but it's not if done carefully) and then let 'em
rest before grinding. At first they plump up and soften (apparently from
internal moisture, I'm unsure of the chemistry involved here) but then
become dry enough to grind. And the smell of the chiles on the hot comal
that waft thru the kitchen...ahhhh, I love it. Reminds me of the smells
from the chile processing plant up wind from the high school I used to
attend...a few years ago.
--
Rich McCormack (Poway, CA) macknet@cts.com
Who is Rich McCormack? Find out at:
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