[Sca-cooks] Re: smoking chilis

[Mary Denise Smith]

Ah, yes! The Autumn smell of chili roasters on almost every corner!
Those of us in the western US see these things everywhere. They are
propane fired. There's a @20 gallon drum made of expanded metal,
attached horizontally to an axle and handle. This sits on "A" frame legs
attached to each end of the axle. Mere inches below the drum is a pipe
with jets/nozzles for the gas flames. When it's time to roast, a couple
bushels of chilis get tossed in (usually Anaheims, if my local roasters
are any indication but I think anything can be roasted) and the flame
gets turned on. It is quite a high heat, as the sound is akin to that of
a hot air balloon and can be heard a block away. The guy stands there
and turns the thing constantly while the smell draws slavering chili
fans from miles around like vultures to road kill.

The smell is invasive like wood smoke, so you know you've been near a
chili roaster because your clothes and hair smell of it until they get washed.

MD/Marged
gonna go buy more roasted chilis today . . .

Phlip wrote:
> 
 
> Incidently, as Adamantius was mentioning smoking jalepenos to make them
> chipotles- that's another cool-smoke method, intended for preservation,
> although, obviously, it takes much less time to smoke a few peppers than an
> entire ham. The reason chipotles are smoked is because of their fleshy
> nature. Most hot peppers are fairly thin fleshed, and can be easily
> sun-dried. Chipotles, however, because of their thicker flesh can't be,
> without risking molds and such invading them during the drying period.
> 
> Saint Phlip,
> CoDoLDS