Smoking Peppers
- Thread starter Matt Y
- Start date
Steve Petrone
TVWBB Diamond Member
Matt, i have just tossed em on the grill(off the direct heat) and leave overnight or better put them on the wsm after a cook....smoke for a few hours and then dried in a dehydrator
Traditional fajitas use Poblano pepper, grilled/sautéed but if you want to use jalapeños feel free. Many talk about fajitas made with skirt steak but most restaurants use sirloin. I use flank steak, onions and poblanos with pickled jalapeño, guac and creama to dress the tacos.
Michelle in New Orleans
TVWBB Fan
I posted this recipe in another area but thought you might like knowing how good smoked red bell peppers are -- in soup and as an addition to sandwiches or appetizers. I store several bags of these in the fridge and peel them when I need them. With the air sucked out of the bag with a straw, they seem to last forever. Cut in half, they're great to use in lieu of a tomato on a sandwich, especially when tomatoes are out of season and they're just "wet" with no flavor.
Make crostini on the grill, and then put a piece of smoked red bell on it with a slice of fresh mozzarella on it and some freshly ground black pepper. You can serve as is or heat on a cookie sheet on a covered grill (or heated in the oven) to melt the cheese a bit.
Smoked Red Bell Pepper Soup
Ingredients:
3 lbs. red bell peppers (about 9 large)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 stalks celery
1 medium onion
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed between fingers
1 bay leaf
6 cups homemade rich chicken stock with little to no salt, heated (vegetable stock can also be used)
2 cups whipping cream
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Croutons (garnish)
Directions:
Prepare smoker and soak 4 hickory blocks for 1 hour. Once coals are ready and smoker is hot, arrange bells on two grills, leaving a bit of space between each pepper. Add hickory blocks to coals and smoke peppers for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until skin is very puckered and the peppers have collapsed a bit. Cool peppers in freezer bag (yes, you can put them in hot) and peel (you can also put in fridge to hold them for a day or two; save liquid peppers give off, though). Remove core, seeds and ribs inside each pepper and chop fine, reserving any juice that accumulates while chopping.
Melt butter in heavy large soup pot over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped peppers with any reserved liquid and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add heated chicken stock, crushed thyme and bay leaf and simmer for 1 hour to reduce, stirring occasionally.
Remove bay leaf. Puree soup in blender in several batches. Return pureed soup to pot. Add whipping cream to soup, stirring until well blended. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure soup isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot (if sticking, reduce heat slightly and stir more often). Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Ladle into warm soup bowls and sprinkle with croutons. If you have some fresh thyme sprigs, they look great on top of the soup as well.
This makes about 6 servings but could easily serve 8, as the soup is very rich.
This was a recipe I adapted from Bon Appetit about 25 or so years ago. Their version used chicken breasts cooked in stock to make it richer but I usually have homemade chicken stock in the freezer so after making it a couple of times, I eliminated the chicken from the recipe and added croutons. Also, I think they "smoked" the peppers on a BBQ grill using indirect heat method instead of on a smoker. Plus, they strained the soup after blending it which is totally unnecessary, and also blended it after adding the cream, which is something I never do with a cream soup.
Make crostini on the grill, and then put a piece of smoked red bell on it with a slice of fresh mozzarella on it and some freshly ground black pepper. You can serve as is or heat on a cookie sheet on a covered grill (or heated in the oven) to melt the cheese a bit.
Smoked Red Bell Pepper Soup
Ingredients:
3 lbs. red bell peppers (about 9 large)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 stalks celery
1 medium onion
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed between fingers
1 bay leaf
6 cups homemade rich chicken stock with little to no salt, heated (vegetable stock can also be used)
2 cups whipping cream
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Croutons (garnish)
Directions:
Prepare smoker and soak 4 hickory blocks for 1 hour. Once coals are ready and smoker is hot, arrange bells on two grills, leaving a bit of space between each pepper. Add hickory blocks to coals and smoke peppers for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until skin is very puckered and the peppers have collapsed a bit. Cool peppers in freezer bag (yes, you can put them in hot) and peel (you can also put in fridge to hold them for a day or two; save liquid peppers give off, though). Remove core, seeds and ribs inside each pepper and chop fine, reserving any juice that accumulates while chopping.
Melt butter in heavy large soup pot over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped peppers with any reserved liquid and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add heated chicken stock, crushed thyme and bay leaf and simmer for 1 hour to reduce, stirring occasionally.
Remove bay leaf. Puree soup in blender in several batches. Return pureed soup to pot. Add whipping cream to soup, stirring until well blended. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure soup isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot (if sticking, reduce heat slightly and stir more often). Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Ladle into warm soup bowls and sprinkle with croutons. If you have some fresh thyme sprigs, they look great on top of the soup as well.
This makes about 6 servings but could easily serve 8, as the soup is very rich.
This was a recipe I adapted from Bon Appetit about 25 or so years ago. Their version used chicken breasts cooked in stock to make it richer but I usually have homemade chicken stock in the freezer so after making it a couple of times, I eliminated the chicken from the recipe and added croutons. Also, I think they "smoked" the peppers on a BBQ grill using indirect heat method instead of on a smoker. Plus, they strained the soup after blending it which is totally unnecessary, and also blended it after adding the cream, which is something I never do with a cream soup.
Last edited:
Scott in CT
TVWBB Member
I have smoked Poblanos (Anchos) and Jalapenos (Chipotles.)
I got a flat disposable tin pizza tray and poked some holes in it, to help the smoke get through a bit.
I kept the peppers whole and placed them all over the tray and flipped every hour, or so.
I keep the temps low 200-225.
Remove when the peppers are pretty dark and dry.
They should still have a slight leathery give to them, but not brittle, that's too dry.
I save them and grind them fresh to use at a 50/50 ratio for chile powder for my homemade chili!
I actually won a trophy for my chili this way!
They are so good!
I got a flat disposable tin pizza tray and poked some holes in it, to help the smoke get through a bit.
I kept the peppers whole and placed them all over the tray and flipped every hour, or so.
I keep the temps low 200-225.
Remove when the peppers are pretty dark and dry.
They should still have a slight leathery give to them, but not brittle, that's too dry.
I save them and grind them fresh to use at a 50/50 ratio for chile powder for my homemade chili!
I actually won a trophy for my chili this way!
They are so good!
John Sp
TVWBB All-Star
Hello All,
I did a batch of smoked peppers on the fly with some ribs last weekend. I washed a dried a mixture of jalapeno, Serrano, Poblano, banana, and Cajun Bell peppers, added the peppers and a dozen peeled cloves of garlic to a plastic bowl, drizzled with EVOO, and sprinkled with Montreal steak seasoning. I placed them in a grilling pan and put them in the Weber for about the last hour of my smoke run for baby backs. I pulled them and covered them to cool and then chopped them up to serve as a topping with the ribs. I used some leftovers in scrambled eggs the next morning and the family loved them...
Regards,
John