On Apr 1, 12:39 pm, "Nunya Bidnits" > wrote:

> Well you hit that pretty much dead on. I make "pork steaks in red chile
> sauce", and that's the base, but it gets some tomatoes, garlic, ground
> comino, chipotle powder, onions browned when I brown the pork steaks, and
> some chicken broth, and some roasted green chiles at the end if I feel
> fancy. Simmer the browned steaks and onions for a couple hours until falling
> apart. I have the meat dept at the grocer cut them for me 1 1/4 thick.

Well sir, I don't know how these recipes migrated that far away from
their home, but you are probably cooking in a more traditional fashion
than most folks are around here! If you post your recipe for green
pepper/tomatillo roasted pork, I'll fall out of my chair!

For me, I like to make my puerco out of loin chops (now, $1.98 per
pound at Sam's) that I debone. Cheap, easy to find, and enough fat to
have plenty of flavor. Tried it with pork loin, but it wound up more
like beef roast bits. Like a lot of "traditional" recipes from
different cultures, they are tailored for everyday cooking and
everyday budgets. The cheaper cuts of meat for this work much better
for me than more expensive one.

> > With the peppers toasted properly, and a tablespoon of creamy peanut
> > butter added, you have a damn fine version of a mole sauces, too.
>
> Hmm, never thought of the peanut butter! I use that mexican peanut stuff to
> make mole,

I'll bet I know what you are talking about, and I don't use that stuff
because it has unknown spices in it, and it is too oily for me.

Around here, there is a constant struggle to validate whose
grandmother made the best mole. They start with a base which is
usually (but not always) some kind of roasted peppers (not hot) and
some kind of liquid like tomato sauce or chicken broth depending on
whose abuelita they are imitating. Carmelized onions are usually in
the mix. A big item for the families from the interior of Mexico is
to add unsweetened/sweetened dark baker's chocolate. The peanut
butter is from another region, and some like it and some don't. I
have the luxury of liking both. Some add freshly ground espresso
sized coffee (almost powder) to the mix. Good mole recipes are like
good chili recipes. Everyone knows what is in them, but the amounts,
cook times, etc. are pretty well guarded for the best of them.

The moles I am familiar with are anywhere from a mahogany color to the
color of dark chocolate. No two are alike, so sadly, a guy is put in
the position of trying as many as he can to try to get a handle on
what he likes. It is daunting, but I persevere.

> I wouldn't think they could get away with that in your neck of the woods and
> its surprising that there are so few growers of bedding plants in an area
> where peppers grow so well. On the other hand, in your climate you can get
> away with just throwing the seed right into the ground and thinning as it
> comes up.

You are right about that. Most of the plants grown here go
elsewhere. Lone Star growers is about a 5,000 acre facility with
about 1200 of it being covered. It is quite impressive, especially
from the air. They sell under the Lone Star Growers name, but also as
Color Spot, who owns them now. You can tour the facility (of course I
have!) but they will no sell to the general public.

What really stinks for me is that our largest local nursery was
purchased by a national group, and the now treat us like we were in
other parts of the country.

With careful timing and a little bit of luck, you can get two growing
seasons of tomatoes. If we have a mild summer, which is about every
4th one, it is a cinch. You can be in the ground by the end of
February, and only face a 50/50 chance of a killing freeze. At $1.50
for six plants, I'll take the chance. So that means you will have
your second season in the ground before the really hot weather starts.

But since that is not the case in other places, they quit selling
plants in the last part of April, to early May. One season is all we
get on tomatoes. So that is why I was looking hard at the urls that
you and Brick put up. If it looks like we will a milder summer (not
past 100 too many days in a row) I will need to start some plants from
seed. A reputable seed dealer is a must.

For the peppers, it really doesn't matter when they go in as they are
pretty resistant to everything once they get started. Even in the
really hot summers they still do OK, they just stall out on
production. When the weather starts to get milder in the fall, they
start up again.


I used to start from seed around here, usually with seeds from
> Redwood, but to get the bedders in the ground in time you have to start
> early with grow lights that can be adjusted for height, repot them at least
> once indoors if you want big healthy plants by late april, and a big old
> indoor mess that I finally abandoned. I did win a bunch of ribbons with the
> peppers I grew from Redwood

Hey... you may be more of a pepper head than I am! Ribbons? What
kind of pepper did you grow to get them?

>and you just can't get the interesting stuff
> from the nurseries around here, but any more all I want is good stuff to
> cook with.

Ditto.

> > This has turned into an interesting thread.
>
> Yeah, us pepper freaks are at it again!

I'm telling you, either you get it or you don't. The pepper/chili/
heat guys are every bit as rabid about what they do and make as any
barbecue guy, coffee aficionado, sports freak, or anybody else that
obsesses over things.

Robert