Chicharrón de Chile Verde
Oil infused with the flavors of jalapeño, serrano peppers, onion and garlic! The crisp, charred chiles are delicious on tacos, salads, soups and more!
Servings 3 cups
Equipment
- 1 medium skillet
Ingredients
Chicharrón de Chile Verde-Green Chile Oil
- 6 medium to large jalapeños peppers
- 4 large serrano peppers
- 1/4 medium white onion
- 2-3 large cloves of garlic
- 1/3-1/2 tsp salt
Tortillas
- 4 c ap flour, plus 1/3 c for dredging later
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup, plus 1 tbsp chile oil
- 1 1/4 c hot water
- 2 tbsps oil, shortening or lard
Instructions
Chile oil
- Wash the peppers, then dry them off. Slice them into thick rings and set them aside. Slice the onion into a large dice. Remove the skins from the garlic.
- Transfer the peppers and onion to the medium skillet. Cover with enough oil so the ingredients begin to float. It could be a little more than 2 cups. Turn heat to medium. I prefer to start with the cold oil instead of preheating it first.
- After several minutes, the ingredients will begin to fry lightly. You will begin to stir the ingredients now and then and the frying becomes more intensified. Stir often for the next 25-30 minutes. If they are caramelizing too fast, turn the heat down slightly. Add the garlic and sprinkle in the salt. Continue frying until you get an even color and some darkening around the edges of the peppers and onions. This may take another 20 minutes or more.
- If you are happy the color of the ingredients, you can transfer the fried chiles to a plate lined with paper towels. The peppers will turn crisp as they cool. You can store the strained oil in glass jars. Or you can store the chiles in the oil as serve as a green version of salsa macha. Use the oil for cooking, salad dressings, marinades or creamy blended salsas.
Tortillas
- In a large bowl, add the flour. Mix in the salt. Add the chile oil and stir to combine or use your hands to mix. Gradually mix in the water a little at a time. You may or may not use the entire amount. The dough should feel sticky. If so, continue kneading the dough on a flat surface until it feels smooth and stops sticking to your hands. Cover with plastic or a damp paper towel and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
- When ready, divide the dough into 14-15 equal parts and roll into balls. You can slightly flatten so they resemble a disc shape. Place in an even layer in a shallow bowl or sheet pan. Rub the extra shortening, oil or lard on your fingers and apply a light coat on the tops of the dough balls. Cover once again and let them rest for another 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat your griddle(comal) to medium heat as you get ready to roll out the tortillas. When ready, dredge the masa balls/disc in the reserved flour. With a rolling pin, roll up then down until it looks even, just once. Rotate slightly and repeat rolling up and then down. Continue rolling and rotating as needed, flipping the whole tortilla over, if needed. If it sticks to the counter, sprinkle on minimal flour to help roll out easier.
- Cook tortillas on preheated griddle for about less than a minute total time. Flip over as soon as you see a lot of bubbles. If the tortillas are browning too fast, turn the heat down slightly. Flip over a second time and tortillas should inflate a bit, sometimes a lot! Transfer cooked tortillas to a warmer and keep covered. Stack cooked tortillas. The steam created will yield a soft, flexible tortilla. Cool completely before storing in a plastic storage bag. They will last on the counter fresh for only a few days. Refrigerated for 7-9 days. Reheat on hot griddle for 20 seconds per side.
Notes
If you would like the chiles to be crispier, you can fry them longer. Just be careful they don't burn, or the flavor will be bitter.