Recipe - Home-Smoked Chipotles Adobado

1 One fourth pound Redripe Jalapeno chiles;
with stems
One half cup Dried red New Mexico chile
puree or commercial chile
paste; such as Santa Cruz
1/3 cup Water
2 tablespoon Tomato paste
2 tablespoon Cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Packed dark brown sugar
1 Clove fresh garlic; peeled
and crushed
One fourth teaspoon Salt

Recipe By: W. Park Kerr in "Burning Desires"
Use Chunks or logs of fragrant hardwood, preferably a combination of oak &
mesquite. Prepare a smoker according to the manufacturer's directions,
using the wood chunks and achieving a steady temperature of 275 to 300
degrees F. Place the chiles directly on the smoker rack (or use a shallow
disposable foil pan) at the cooler end of the smoking chamber or on the
upper rack if your smoker has one. Lower the cover and smoke the chiles for
2 One half hours, or until they are soft, brown, and slightly shriveled.

Remove the chipotles from the smoker. In a medium nonreactive saucepan,
combine them with the chile puree, water, tomato paste, vinegar, brown
sugar, garlic, and salt. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook,
stirring once or twice, until the sauce is very thick, about 15 minutes.
Cool to room temperature.

Transfer the chipotles to a covered storage container and refrigerate for
at least 24 hours before using. They can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks
or frozen for up to 2 months.

UNSAUCED DRIED CHIPOTLES: After removing the chiles from the smoker, place
them on a rack and leave them, loosely covered, at room temperature, until
crisp, light, and dry, 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the humidity. Store
airtight at room temperature.

NOTES : Green jalapenos can be used, but red ones are more beautiful and
have a deeper, sweeter flavor. Grow your own, or in the store, select
chiles that have begin to turn red; they will eventually ripen. (Those
picked without any red at all in their peels will always remain green.)

Curtis sez: "If you want to use storebought dried chipotles (which means
the time to make this recipe goes down to under One half hour), it might help
you to know that I just weighed 1 One fourth pounds of jalapenos, and it took 30
peppers. But since my jalapenos were on the small side, I'd think that
2025 dried chipotles would be about the right amount."

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

CHILEHEADS ARCHIVES

From the ChileHeads recipe list. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe
Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.