Cook_s_Country_-_October_2019

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 • COOK’S COUNTRY 3

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Chip Clip Tip

–Ingrid Bloch, Needham, Mass.

I was making a recipe from one of your

cookbooks, and the pages wouldn’t stay open

since the recipe was situated in the fi rst part

of the book. I don’t have a cookbook stand, so

I grabbed a chip clip that was sitting on the

counter. It was the perfect inexpensive tool for

holding the book open.

Mess-Free Meat Pounding

–Mateo Sandoval, Longmont, Colo.

The classic method for pounding meat thin for

cutlets is to place it between two sheets of plastic

wrap, but I’ve always found that a zipper-lock bag

works much better. The thin plastic wrap is too

fragile and hard to work with; meat juices leak out

the sides and onto my cutting board, and the plas-

tic breaks or bunches up on itself. The zipper-lock

bag is durable and contains the mess.

KITCHEN

SHORTCUTS

Compiled by Matthew Fairman

Which Canned

Green Chiles

Are Best?

by Emily Phares

CANNED GREEN CHILES are an

inexpensive and convenient way to add

a burst of fl avor to foods, which makes

them a pantry

staple for some

folks. We like to

use this versatile

ingredient in all kinds of dishes: chilis,

stews, dips, biscuits, and more.

To fi nd our favorite, we rounded up

six nationally available products and

tasted each plain and in Green Chile

and Cilantro White Bean Dip. While

canned green chiles are available whole

and diced, we selected diced (one

product was labeled “chopped”) because

that’s what we most frequently call for

in recipes. When brands off ered both

“mild” and “hot” chiles, we selected

“mild” because “hot” varieties had

added “natural fl avor” and we wanted to

focus on the fl avor of the chiles them-

selves. And even though some products

were labeled “mild,” heat levels didn’t

always correspond—which ended up

being a great thing.

The heat levels among the chiles

varied widely. We liked the milder

products, too, but our top-rated chiles

had an assertive fi eriness that came

through even when mixed with the

other ingredients in the dip.

Texture was also key. The best

products were pleasantly tender but

maintained their structure. All our high-

ly rated chiles were roasted and peeled;

tasters noted that the one product that

wasn’t roasted was rough and fi brous

with unpleasant “bits of skin.”

Our favorite chiles, from Goya, were

soft and maintained their structure,

and they had a gentle kick of heat. And

at less than $1 a can, they were the

least expensive chiles in our lineup.

PRODUCT

TASTING

Goya Diced Green

Chiles Fire Roasted

“Full-fl avored pep-

pery taste” and

excellent texture “A good amount of

heat” that “kicks

in nicely at the

fi nish”

“Mild” with a “gentle

heat on the fi nish”

“Delicate” heat level

but with a “smoky,”

“sweet,” “complex”

fl avor

“Bitter” taste and “mild”

heat with “fi brous,

uneven texture”

“Bright” and “slightly

sweet,” with “decent heat”

Our Favorite

RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED

WITH

RESERVATIONS

Chile Roulette

All the canned green chiles we tasted listed either “green chiles” or

“green chile peppers” as the primary ingredient. We asked compa-

nies if they would further specify chile type, and while most did not,

two said they use Anaheim peppers—a variety of the Capsicum an-

nuum ‘New Mexico No. 9’ cultivar with a low to moderate heat level

that ranges from 500 to 2,500 Scoville Heat Units.

However, Danise Coon, senior research specialist at New Mexico

State University’s Chile Breeding Program and Chile Pepper

Institute, explained that the cultivar name ‘Anaheim’ can be used

to describe many diff erent green chile cultivars. “Unfortunately

in the food packing industry, all green chile cultivars and varieties

have been given the moniker ‘Anaheim,’ whether it is actually an

‘Anaheim’ or a ‘Big Jim,’ ‘Sandia,’ ‘6-4,’ or ‘AZ20.’” So there may be

diff erences among products in the exact variety of green chile used,

which will translate into diff erences in fl avor and heat levels.

Web subscribers can read the full

testing and see the complete chart

at CooksCountry.com/nov19.

The products are arranged from left to right in descending order of preference.

Keeping Eggs Warm

–Don Wilson, St. Augustine, Fla.

I often make soft-cooked eggs for the whole family

at breakfast. I cook them and then run them under

cold water so that they’re not too hot to peel.

Problem is, by the time I’ve peeled all 10 eggs,

they’re cold. To keep them warm as I peel, I fi ll the

pot back up with hot water from the tap and place

the peeled eggs in the water as I go. They’re warm

and ready to serve with toast all at once.