# Replacement for Ancho or New Mexico chiles in recipe



## eastkygal (Feb 19, 2006)

I need 4 ounces of New Mexico or Ancho chiles to make enchilada sauce. I can't find them anywhere. I really want a very mild sauce. Does anyone know any replacement. I'm not sure if these chiles are hot or mild, but I am looking for mild. Thanks. Any other enchilada sauce recipes will be great too.


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## deditus (Feb 22, 2006)

Poblanos? They might be easier to find in the store and are mild.


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## cristeen (Jan 20, 2007)

Any dried (large) chile that you can find should work. You don't want the little red chiles (chile japones) that are used in asian cooking, you want the big leathery wrinkley dried chiles. Each type of chile will have a different flavor, so experiment with what you can find.

If you can't find any dry chiles, then look for fresh. Poblanos are pretty much the mildest, and the most common of the larger chiles - green and about the size of a bell pepper but pointed rather than round. Blended with a red bell pepper for color and sweetness, the flavor won't be as rich as dried, but it should still work. If you have a gas stove, char both chiles to peel them, it gives them a bit of the depth of flavor you want, a touch of smokiness.


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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

Personally, I'd use canned green chilies... being in NY, the other chilies are not necessarily easily available.


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## Code Name Mama (Oct 5, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Juvysen* 
Personally, I'd use canned green chilies... being in NY, the other chilies are not necessarily easily available.

Yep - canned green chile (usually from Hatch, NM) should be fairly mild. Green chile is a NM staple.














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## Juvysen (Apr 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MahnaMahna* 
Yep - canned green chile (usually from Hatch, NM) should be fairly mild. Green chile is a NM staple.














:

They're totally one of my favorites. I hate that I can only get canned, here. I loved when my mom lived in El Paso and we could just go out and there were farmers roasting them right there along the road. MMMMmmmmmm... sooooo yummy. It's annoying I can't get that around here.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

canned green work out alright. For those of you who, like me live far from new mexico but LOVE green chilis... you can order them online in august/sept and have them shipped fresh, or sometimes already roasted & frozen







Last time we got them from New Mexico Collection, I think.


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## Code Name Mama (Oct 5, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamadelbosque* 
canned green work out alright. For those of you who, like me live far from new mexico but LOVE green chilis... you can order them online in august/sept and have them shipped fresh, or sometimes already roasted & frozen







Last time we got them from New Mexico Collection, I think.

Oh man they are SO flippin' expensive that way. When we lived in NM we would get 40 lbs of fresh roasted chile for $13















When we moved I had a huge cooler full of them, they lasted me a year. A friend from NM visited us last summer and brought a small baggie of them - we are divvying them out like gold









I just roasted red bell peppers in the oven, the smell reminded me of the green chiles roasting every summer in NM.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MahnaMahna* 
Yep - canned green chile (usually from Hatch, NM) should be fairly mild. Green chile is a NM staple.














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this was going to be my reccomendation.


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamadelbosque* 
canned green work out alright. For those of you who, like me live far from new mexico but LOVE green chilis... you can order them online in august/sept and have them shipped fresh, or sometimes already roasted & frozen







Last time we got them from New Mexico Collection, I think.

that's what we do. my BIL still lives there so they mail us some in a styrofoam box and the chile is still frozen when it gets here


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

Hell I'm in NM and use canned more often than not. I love fresh green chile but with two small children who love to "help" in the kitchen, canned is easiest. You don't want a 2 year old with green chile in their eyes, ya know?


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elmh23* 
Hell I'm in NM and use canned more often than not. I love fresh green chile but with two small children who love to "help" in the kitchen, canned is easiest. You don't want a 2 year old with green chile in their eyes, ya know?


hey, canned might be dangerous, too. Not that long ago #3 (why on earth he did this, I dunno) picked up an open can of jabanero peppers and drank the juice out of it. Oh, man!! I am surprised he didn't freak out more than he did. To me, they are hotter than jalapeno's. He has always liked spicy stuff like salsa, but this was just waaay too hot for him.


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## Minerva (Jul 7, 2005)

Ancho chiles are sweet -- they're dessert chiles. That's what is in Mexican chocolate.







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Do you need whole chiles, dried chiles, or ground chiles? Penzey's has dried and ground, and you can order from their website if they aren't local to you.


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## mnnice (Apr 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Minerva* 
Ancho chiles are sweet -- they're dessert chiles. That's what is in Mexican chocolate.








:

Do you need whole chiles, dried chiles, or ground chiles? Penzey's has dried and ground, and you can order from their website if they aren't local to you.

My first thought was the dried ancho powder at Penzey's too (but I have a retail Penzey's just a few miles from my house too)


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## eastkygal (Feb 19, 2006)

The chiles are supposed to be chopped. I used canned green chiles and processed the sauce after making it. It turned out great. I found a source for dried chiles. Would those work just as well?


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