Chiles en Vinagre Conventuales

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Two sterilized 1-quart glass jars with tight lids
• •Dry comal or heavy cast iron skillet
• •Wide clay cazuela or heavy saucepan
• •Clean tongs
• •Ladle

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the jars

   Wash two quart glass jars and their lids with hot soapy water. Rinse well. Submerge the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes, then let them dry upside down on a clean towel. This is vinegar preservation, not decoration. Dirty jars ruin good chiles.

2. 2

   Dry the chiles

   Wipe every chile dry with a clean towel. Trim long stems, but leave the caps intact so the chiles hold their shape. Pierce each chile once near the shoulder with the tip of a knife. That small cut lets the vinegar enter without turning the chile limp.

3. 3

   Blister on comal

   Heat a dry comal over medium. Blister the jalapeño, cuaresmeño, güero, and serrano chiles in batches, turning them until the skins show small dark freckles and the flesh just begins to soften. Do not roast them black. You are waking the chile, not making rajas. Así se hace y punto.

   If a chile collapses on the comal, it was too old for this recipe. Use it for salsa and buy firmer chiles for the jar.
4. 4

   Fry the aromatics

   Warm the olive oil in a wide clay cazuela or heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until pale gold, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and carrots and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring so the edges gloss over but do not brown hard. The oil carries the garlic and spice into the vinegar. This is why convent food tastes built, not dumped together.

5. 5

   Toast the spices

   Add the bay leaves, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, oregano, and mustard seed if using. Stir for 30 seconds, just until the cumin smells warm and the laurel opens. Do not burn the clove. Burned clove takes over the jar like a bad sermon.

6. 6

   Build the vinegar

   Pour in the white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, water, salt, and piloncillo. Stir and bring to a steady simmer. Taste the liquid carefully. It should be sharp, salty, and lightly sweet at the end, not sugary. The vinegar is the preserving wall around the chile.

7. 7

   Simmer the chiles

   Add the blistered chiles to the simmering escabeche. Cook 3 to 4 minutes for serranos and güeros, 5 to 6 minutes for larger jalapeños or cuaresmeños. They should turn olive-green and glossy but still hold their shape. No me vengas con atajos. Overcooked chiles become tired before they ever reach the table.

8. 8

   Pack the jars

   Using clean tongs, divide the chiles, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and spices between the warm jars. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over them, leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top. Tap the jars gently to release trapped air. The chiles must be fully submerged.

9. 9

   Rest before serving

   Close the jars and let them cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 48 hours before serving. The first day tastes like vinegar and impatience. By the second day the chile, garlic, laurel, and cumin begin to speak together. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Use chiles that feel heavy for their size, with tight skin and no soft shoulders. At a Puebla market, the vendor will separate chiles for rellenar, for salsa, and for vinagre. Ask. Si no conoces el mercado, no conoces la cocina.
• •Cuaresmeño is the older market name for the jalapeño used heavily during Lent. In many places the names overlap now. For this jar, choose thick-fleshed green chiles that can take vinegar without collapsing.
• •The vinegar must be 5 percent acidity. Anything weaker is for dressing a salad, not preserving chiles. Keep the finished jars refrigerated unless you process them with tested canning methods.
• •Olive oil is not a modern flourish here. It is part of the conventual register, along with laurel, clove, cinnamon, pepper, and cumin. Use enough to give the surface a golden gloss.
• •These chiles dress other dishes. They are not the plate. Put them beside bacalao, tortitas de camarón, beans, rice, roasted meats, or a plain quesadilla when the table needs acid and bite.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the chiles at least 48 hours before serving. They are better after 4 or 5 days, once the vinegar has settled into the flesh.
• •Refrigerated and kept fully submerged, the chiles hold for 1 month. Use clean utensils every time you take from the jar.
• •For holiday service, prepare the jars up to 1 week ahead and bring them to the table in small Talavera bowls with some of the carrots, garlic, and onion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 60g)