| Traditional Texas cooking requires a broad range of | | | | deeper red color than you will find in most packaged |
| seasonings, sauces, and spices. Many of these | | | | chile powders. This deep red color produces a chile |
| flavoring agents have drifted away from their early | | | | powder that is the purest there is. |
| roots and have begun to spice liven up other cooking | | | | When at all possible, grind your own chile powder. It |
| styles. You will find a large variation in blends of | | | | has deeper, more intense flavors than you will find in |
| seasonings within Texas food today. This is producing | | | | any packaged chile powder. To grind your own chile |
| dishes with bold, assertive flavors that are finding their | | | | powder takes hardly any effort or time, but it is |
| way into other parts of the country. | | | | well-worth it. Remove all stems and seeds from the |
| Chile, with an "e", is meant here when talking about | | | | peppers, toast in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit |
| peppers and pepper spices, not as the famous Texas | | | | until slightly crisp, break into pieces, then grind in a |
| bowl of red called chili (with an "i"). Chili cooking and | | | | blender or spice grinder. |
| recipes will be well-represented throughout the Food In | | | | A couple of other chiles include passillas and mulatos, |
| Texas website, but here we will be talking about | | | | which are similar in heat, but with slightly different |
| spices and seasonings. | | | | flavors. These can be grinded and blended to make |
| The chile pepper was introduced to Texans by | | | | your own special chile powder mixes, if you choose. |
| Spanish and Mexican settlers over 150 years ago. This | | | | There are also quite a few other hotter chiles that can |
| sometimes hot, sometimes not fruit finds its way into | | | | be used to make great chile powders in the same |
| almost every Texas recipe there is. Today, there is | | | | dried red form. These include the the tiny chiltepins or |
| about 120 varieties of chiles grown in the state. They | | | | chile pequins, which grow wild in the southern part of |
| can be found fresh, pickled, smoked, frozen, dried, and | | | | Texas. Chile de arbol and cayenne, two other red chile |
| canned. | | | | cousins, also provide an intense heat. Chile de arbol |
| Most of the dried chiles used in are found in the form | | | | ads more of a Mexican flavor, and the cayenne is |
| of chile powder. This is a mixture of one or more kinds | | | | normally associated with cajun food. |
| of dried chiles, combined with cumin and other dried | | | | A milder variety of red chile available to make chile |
| spices. When using the store-bought powder at home, | | | | powder is the paprika. It usually comes already |
| find brands that contain less or no salt, as well as a | | | | powdered, and provides a sweeter, less intense flavor. |
| sweet taste. A quality chile powder should be warm to | | | | Some varieties of ground paprika provide almost no |
| the taste but not burn your mouth. Chile powder should | | | | heat, and these should be avoided if wanting to add |
| not be confused with chili mixes, which contain onions, | | | | significant flavor to your dishes. |
| garlic, thickeners,and other ingredients. | | | | If purchasing packaged chile powders, only buy what |
| Many Texas recipes call for a ground dried red chile. | | | | you think you will use in the near future. The flavors of |
| This chile powder comes mostly from two chile | | | | these powders lose their intensity in a very short time, |
| peppers, the New Mexico chile, and the Ancho pepper, | | | | so be prepared to change out your chile powder |
| which has a chocolate, sweet taste. The New Mexico | | | | when it gets old. |
| chile, called the "long red" by some, is hotter and a | | | | |