The 'Holy Trinity' Does Not Exist !!! (for Mexican cooking)

[cmpman1974]

If any holy trinity in Mexican varieties, I'd say Chilhaucle Rojo, Amarillo and Negro. Combined these three have similar attributes and are very popular in mole sauce making .

Chris

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by rhines81

I am limited to bell peppers and jalapenos at my grocery. Banana peppers are only sold jarred. On rare occasion, I see poblanos. Even the powdered pepper selection is limited. The nearest Mexican grocery that offers fresh produce is an hour away. A good price for bells (green) is $0.85 each and Jalapenos can be had for around $0.35 each. If I were picky and insisted on organic labeled, the price doubles. Anyhow, even if they were $0.10 each, I would still grow my own - to me it is the satisfaction of eating something from the 'fruits' of my labor.
If I were to value my time versus the price of the product I raised - I'd be a Maine lobster farmer!

Check out the spice stores on Amazon. I’ve bought pounds of smoked jalapeños,smoked paprika and other dried pepper s for very cheap. Hot ground stays fresh much longer. I always grind my spices and peppers in a coffee grinder fresh.
Sumac is another spice that I always use for Mexican food and chili. It adds a nice tang and just gives it another dimension.

[Worth1]

I honestly think the so called ""Holey Trinity"" needs to be left in Louisiana where it belongs.
And even then it is just an alteration of the french mirepoix which is onions carrots and celery.
I have been known more often than not to exchange the flavorless bell pepper with poblano peppers in the Holey Trinity.

Worth

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

Check out the spice stores on Amazon. I’ve bought pounds of smoked jalapeños,smoked paprika and other dried pepper s for very cheap. Hot ground stays fresh much longer. I always grind my spices and peppers in a coffee grinder fresh.
Sumac is another spice that I always use for Mexican food and chili. It adds a nice tang and just gives it another dimension.

I guess I am not good at finding the deals, the best I see is averaging $15/pound for dried peppers (and they all seem to come packaged in a PVC-looking plastic bag with an oily sheen). Am I missing something?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by rhines81

I guess I am not good at finding the deals, the best I see is averaging $15/pound for dried peppers (and they all seem to come packaged in a PVC-looking plastic bag with an oily sheen). Am I missing something?

You and me both.
I hate Amazon and cant find anything I cant find some place else for less.
I ordered two fishing poles factory direct same price on a Saturday and they were at my door Wednesday when I got home.

Still looking for the molter load of dried peppers for less than what I can get them here with no luck.

[roper2008]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

I use many different peppers in my cooking. Last night tacos included Datil,carolina reaper,Korean Chile,cayenne,dried chipotle and smoked paprika,plus garlic,onions,oregano and cumin. The cumin is really important to the flavor.

Wow, your tacos include the Carolina Reaper. You have a good tolerance. I couldn't
even put a sliver in mine.

[roper2008]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I'm surprised no one has mentioned chili arbol it is a very popular chili, a household staple.

Worth

I am growing this one this season.

[SueCT]

Chili Arbol is in my chili mix!

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by rhines81

It is well known that the Holy Trinity for Cajun cooking is the onion, celery and bell pepper … although I hate onion and don’t put it in anything I make.

Anyhow … with that out of the way --- the Holy Trinity for Mexican cooking is a bit more confusing and I really do not think it exists. Several internet sites refer to it as the [Ancho, Pasilla and Guajillo] – others sites say it is the [Mulato, Poblano and Pasilla] or the [Mulato, Pasilla and Guajillo].

The Mulato is a variant of the Poblano (Ancho) with perhaps just a slightly more earthy taste and the Ancho listed is just a dried Poblano. The Pasilla and the Poblano are also so very close in heat and flavor that it is hard to tell them apart once mixed in a dish. The Pasilla is a great substitute for the Poblano in recipes (slightly hotter). Even to confuse matters more I have seen the Trinity listed with Chile Chilaca as one of the peppers, so let’s duly note that the Pasilla is the name for the Chilaca pepper when it is dried out. While we are at it, the Guajillo is actually the dried version of a Mirasol pepper. Another popular Mexican pepper is the Pulla (Puya) pepper which is a great substitute for the Guajillo in a recipe (slightly hotter). Some sights also suggest that a good substitution for the Guajillo is either the Pasilla or the Poblano pepper, so you see … they are not a Trinity at all, but rather interchangeable actually.

I have never been able to find any sort of wide use of all three peppers used in any one Mexican dish except for some odd one-off sauce (mole) recipe. There are numerous dishes that use the Poblano (Ancho or Mulato), Pasilla and Guajillo peppers but they are either paired (two at a time) or used alone in a recipe.

I call bull on whoever states there is a “Holy Trinity” of peppers for Mexican food, it just doesn’t exist.

So true. Now that I have a crop of ripe peppers because of the extended hot weather, I can't figure out what to do with the pasilla guajllio(brown). Not really feeling it for a mole sauce. Saw a recipe for sauce that goes over eggs. Has anyone tried this (and did you like it?)


- Lisa

[Gerardo]

It's a versatile pepper, you can do it over eggs, nopales, as part of a soup, pairs well with chicken in creamy sauces, pork too.

These might provide inspiration.
https://www.cocinadelirante.com/carn...chile-guajillo

This one I'm gonna try myself soon, pork w orange guajillo
https://lossaboresdemexico.com/recet...hile-guajillo/

[Worth1]

Not been helping out much here with things.
Completely whipped at the end of every day.
The peppers in subject are fantastic in so many things it could be thousands.
None of the ones I buy are hot.

[roper2008]

Originally Posted by roper2008

I am growing this one this season.

My seeds never germinated for chili de arbol. I did get one seed of Onza Rojo that I got from C.P.I. to germinate(2015)pack. They don't sell it anymore. I have plenty seed now from that one plant. I'm going to order Costeno Amarillo from them this year, along with other seeds.