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Articles Cooking School USA Southwest
LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO, USA – When I first started planning a visit to Las Cruces, New Mexico my taste buds tingled in anticipation of chile nirvana – red chiles, green chiles, mild chiles, hot chiles and everything in between. But before visiting I had no idea the area is also a major producer of pecans.
I started my culinary adveture in the land of chiles and pecans at The Game, a local sports bar that offers the best of both worlds in the form of their signature appetizer, an unforgettably tasty concoction known as the “Corked Bat.” The physical resemblance is obvious – strips of roasted green Hatch, New Mexico chiles, coated in a crust of chopped toasted pecans and seasoned panko bread crumbs, then deep fried. There’s no better way to get your palate ready for the culinary adventures awaiting coming up. The popular local hangout also offers terrific burgers, sandwiches, and salads, a shaded outdoor patio where they feature live music on warm weekend evenings, and plenty of televisions for watching the big games.
Educated Chiles
After the quintessential Las Cruces appetizer, it was time to get serious. We headed towards the New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute where they separate chile history from legend, and fact from fiction, all while continuing research in all things chile.
Unfortunately an early season frost put the kibosh on exploring the Institute’s demonstration and teaching gardens, maintained by the university’s department of plant and environmental sciences. Garden tours start in early May and continue until the first frost. Best times to visit are from the beginning of July through the early weeks of October.
No matter, we stopped into the Chile Institute’s headquarters/gift shop where they sell cookbooks, hot sauces and other food items, chile t-shirts and tzotchkes, and for the gardeners in the group -- just about every chile seed imaginable. The collection is constantly expanding as they try to come up with a new chile variety each year.
While there we learned a lot of valuable information. For instance, the heat of a chile is held not in the seeds as popularly believed, but rather in the inner veins and membranes – the only place where capsaicin is produced. The more yellow color on the veins the hotter the chile will be.
Hottest of all, the rare Bhut Jolokia chile scores over a million on the Scoville scale that rates chiles’ heat. Pick up some Holy Jolokia salsa, if you dare, or some seeds so you can grow your own.
Lunch Tip
If you happen to visit the Chile Institute on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, stop in for lunch at the 100 West Café. This on campus restaurant is run by students from the university’s Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management program. Hearty lunch buffets cost a mere eight bucks (as of this writing in 2009). They’re also open for dinner on Wednesday nights and periodically do special international dinners and events.
Ristras and More
We learned even more useful chile tips, like how to tell how hot a chile is likely to be just by looking at it, when visiting Chris Alexander at the Ristramnn Chile Company. Chris explains that if a pepper has three points on bottom, such as a bell pepper, it is likely to be mild. A chile pepper with two points on the bottom is likely to come with medium heat. A single straight pointed pepper would promise a lot of heat. If your chile has a single crooked point, watch out! This variety will likely be extra hot!
We also learned that because they ripen at different rates, all chiles must be hand harvested, and that sun dried chiles retain the best flavor.
Chris’s company grows, roasts and dries chiles as well as makes crimson dried chile ristras (pictured top of this post) in a variety of shapes and sizes and from a wide assortment of chile varieties.
It makes sense, Alexander says most of his customers puts the ristras to use in their kitchen for cooking, not just decoration. If not exposed to the elements the dried chile ristras last indefinitely, although those living in moist climates need to watch out for mold (not a problem in New Mexico).
It takes Chris and his staff about three pounds of chiles to make a foot of tightly tied ristra. Surprisingly the shredded corn husk ornament at the top of each ristra also has a practical purpose – to keep birds from landing on them and feasting on the chiles. Another surprising bit of trivia learned at the Chile Pepper Institute is that birds don’t feel the heat of the chile, making them appealing fodder for avian food.
After inhaling the aroma of roasting green chiles – it takes just 6-7 minutes in Chris’s tumbler (pictured right) to blacken the skins – we were ready to walk to nearby historic downtown Mesilla and La Posta restaurant to eat, what else, more chiles. The restaurant is so special, it merited its own article.
Suffice it to say after getting our chile cravings satisfied, it was time to check out Las Cruces other major agricultural star, pecans, for some sweet relief.
Pecans Galore
The sweet aroma from the on site candy factory hits you before you hit the door at Stahmann's Pecans. Stahmann’s offers estate grown pecans, selling only what their 150,000 trees produce on the estate’s 3200 acres. The view from nearby Bluff Mesa shows pecan trees stretching almost as far as the eye can see, set against a spectacular mountain backdrop.
”We like to think outside the shell,” says owner Sally Stahmann-Solis. While not organic, Stahmann’s uses natural and sustainable farming practices whenever possible. Throughout the groves you’ll see ladybugs, lacewings and other natural pest deterrents. Air canons chase away crows.
Sally is the 3rd generation of her family to run the business. She says many of Stahmann’s employees are too, with parents and grandparents continuing to work for the family business that employs 150 people full time.
You can shop to your heart’s content and have a sweet snack at the company store. They make terrific pecan pie that goes perfectly with a cup of pecan coffee. The toffee is some of the best I have ever had, anywhere. Stahmann’s is also known for their signature chocolate covered pecan-caramel Zias (known as turtles in other parts of the world).
Stahmann’s uses only fine Belgian chocolate in all of their candies. You can tour the factory most times of year except during the pre-holiday rush when workers are busy filling orders for pecans and candies that come in from all over the country.
The Game Sports Bar and Grill is located at 2605 S. Espina in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001. Phone 575-524-4263 or click to www.TheGameBarAndGrill.com.
The Chile Pepper Institute at the New Mexico State University is located on campus. Phone 575-646-3028 or click to http://aces.nmsu.edu/chilepepperinstitute/.
The 100 West Café at New Mexico State University is located on the campus. Hours and days of operation depend on class schedules so it’s always best to call ahead before visiting to avoid disappointment. Phone 575-646-5995 or visit their website at http://aces.nmsu.edu.
The Ristramnn Chile Company is located at 2531 Avenida de Mesilla in Mesilla, New Mexico 88005. Phone 575-526-8667 or visit their website at www.RistramnnChile.com.
Stahmann’s Country Store, Candy Factory and pecan groves can be found at 22505 Highway 28 South in La Mesa, New Mexico 88044. Call them at 575-525-3470or visit their website at www.Stahmanns.com where you can have their estate grown pecans and pecan candies shipped to you anywhere.
For more information about visiting this area in general, contact the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau at 211 N. Water St. in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001. Call them at 575-541-2444 or visit their website at www.LasCrucesCVB.org.
Articles Cooking School USA Southwest
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I started my culinary adveture in the land of chiles and pecans at The Game, a local sports bar that offers the best of both worlds in the form of their signature appetizer, an unforgettably tasty concoction known as the “Corked Bat.” The physical resemblance is obvious – strips of roasted green Hatch, New Mexico chiles, coated in a crust of chopped toasted pecans and seasoned panko bread crumbs, then deep fried. There’s no better way to get your palate ready for the culinary adventures awaiting coming up. The popular local hangout also offers terrific burgers, sandwiches, and salads, a shaded outdoor patio where they feature live music on warm weekend evenings, and plenty of televisions for watching the big games.
Educated Chiles After the quintessential Las Cruces appetizer, it was time to get serious. We headed towards the New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute where they separate chile history from legend, and fact from fiction, all while continuing research in all things chile.
Unfortunately an early season frost put the kibosh on exploring the Institute’s demonstration and teaching gardens, maintained by the university’s department of plant and environmental sciences. Garden tours start in early May and continue until the first frost. Best times to visit are from the beginning of July through the early weeks of October.
No matter, we stopped into the Chile Institute’s headquarters/gift shop where they sell cookbooks, hot sauces and other food items, chile t-shirts and tzotchkes, and for the gardeners in the group -- just about every chile seed imaginable. The collection is constantly expanding as they try to come up with a new chile variety each year.
While there we learned a lot of valuable information. For instance, the heat of a chile is held not in the seeds as popularly believed, but rather in the inner veins and membranes – the only place where capsaicin is produced. The more yellow color on the veins the hotter the chile will be.
Hottest of all, the rare Bhut Jolokia chile scores over a million on the Scoville scale that rates chiles’ heat. Pick up some Holy Jolokia salsa, if you dare, or some seeds so you can grow your own.
Lunch Tip
If you happen to visit the Chile Institute on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, stop in for lunch at the 100 West Café. This on campus restaurant is run by students from the university’s Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management program. Hearty lunch buffets cost a mere eight bucks (as of this writing in 2009). They’re also open for dinner on Wednesday nights and periodically do special international dinners and events.
Ristras and More
We learned even more useful chile tips, like how to tell how hot a chile is likely to be just by looking at it, when visiting Chris Alexander at the Ristramnn Chile Company. Chris explains that if a pepper has three points on bottom, such as a bell pepper, it is likely to be mild. A chile pepper with two points on the bottom is likely to come with medium heat. A single straight pointed pepper would promise a lot of heat. If your chile has a single crooked point, watch out! This variety will likely be extra hot!
We also learned that because they ripen at different rates, all chiles must be hand harvested, and that sun dried chiles retain the best flavor.
Chris’s company grows, roasts and dries chiles as well as makes crimson dried chile ristras (pictured top of this post) in a variety of shapes and sizes and from a wide assortment of chile varieties.
It makes sense, Alexander says most of his customers puts the ristras to use in their kitchen for cooking, not just decoration. If not exposed to the elements the dried chile ristras last indefinitely, although those living in moist climates need to watch out for mold (not a problem in New Mexico).
It takes Chris and his staff about three pounds of chiles to make a foot of tightly tied ristra. Surprisingly the shredded corn husk ornament at the top of each ristra also has a practical purpose – to keep birds from landing on them and feasting on the chiles. Another surprising bit of trivia learned at the Chile Pepper Institute is that birds don’t feel the heat of the chile, making them appealing fodder for avian food.
After inhaling the aroma of roasting green chiles – it takes just 6-7 minutes in Chris’s tumbler (pictured right) to blacken the skins – we were ready to walk to nearby historic downtown Mesilla and La Posta restaurant to eat, what else, more chiles. The restaurant is so special, it merited its own article.
Suffice it to say after getting our chile cravings satisfied, it was time to check out Las Cruces other major agricultural star, pecans, for some sweet relief.
Pecans Galore The sweet aroma from the on site candy factory hits you before you hit the door at Stahmann's Pecans. Stahmann’s offers estate grown pecans, selling only what their 150,000 trees produce on the estate’s 3200 acres. The view from nearby Bluff Mesa shows pecan trees stretching almost as far as the eye can see, set against a spectacular mountain backdrop.
”We like to think outside the shell,” says owner Sally Stahmann-Solis. While not organic, Stahmann’s uses natural and sustainable farming practices whenever possible. Throughout the groves you’ll see ladybugs, lacewings and other natural pest deterrents. Air canons chase away crows.
Sally is the 3rd generation of her family to run the business. She says many of Stahmann’s employees are too, with parents and grandparents continuing to work for the family business that employs 150 people full time.
You can shop to your heart’s content and have a sweet snack at the company store. They make terrific pecan pie that goes perfectly with a cup of pecan coffee. The toffee is some of the best I have ever had, anywhere. Stahmann’s is also known for their signature chocolate covered pecan-caramel Zias (known as turtles in other parts of the world). Stahmann’s uses only fine Belgian chocolate in all of their candies. You can tour the factory most times of year except during the pre-holiday rush when workers are busy filling orders for pecans and candies that come in from all over the country.
Practicalities
The Game Sports Bar and Grill is located at 2605 S. Espina in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001. Phone 575-524-4263 or click to www.TheGameBarAndGrill.com.
The Chile Pepper Institute at the New Mexico State University is located on campus. Phone 575-646-3028 or click to http://aces.nmsu.edu/chilepepperinstitute/.
The 100 West Café at New Mexico State University is located on the campus. Hours and days of operation depend on class schedules so it’s always best to call ahead before visiting to avoid disappointment. Phone 575-646-5995 or visit their website at http://aces.nmsu.edu.
The Ristramnn Chile Company is located at 2531 Avenida de Mesilla in Mesilla, New Mexico 88005. Phone 575-526-8667 or visit their website at www.RistramnnChile.com.
Stahmann’s Country Store, Candy Factory and pecan groves can be found at 22505 Highway 28 South in La Mesa, New Mexico 88044. Call them at 575-525-3470or visit their website at www.Stahmanns.com where you can have their estate grown pecans and pecan candies shipped to you anywhere.
For more information about visiting this area in general, contact the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau at 211 N. Water St. in Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001. Call them at 575-541-2444 or visit their website at www.LasCrucesCVB.org.
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Comments
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I'm amazed
Written by: Samui GuyTuesday, 22 March 2011 |
| I'm amazed, yet pleasantly surprised That New Mexico State has a chilli pepper studies program! Where can I sign up. Chillies are my favorite ingredient, both as a spice and a vegetable. What more could you ask for? Regards, Simon Koh Samui Resort |
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