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

[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.

[Worth1]

I have lived with one foot in Mexico almost all my life.
I have never heard of a holy pepper trinity that is exact form one spot to the next.
There are a few you will find almost anywhere.
The problem is Mexico is like the USA we/they have southern northern and central tastes in food and peppers, really even more than that.
I consider myself a little beyond Tex Mex.

[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.

[greenthumbomaha]

Anyone have success growing cumin? I bought seeds many years ago but nothing. I would gladly keep it as a border ornamental but can't get it to take.

- Lisa

Even though it's sacrilege to mention in this thread, I start tacos with a sodium free powder package (and homegrown tomato sauce) and add cumin to cut down on the "packaged" taste. The Mrs. Dash I buy is $1.49 a packet. There must be a better way.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Anyone have success growing cumin? I bought seeds many years ago but nothing. I would gladly keep it as a border ornamental but can't get it to take.

- Lisa

Even though it's sacrilege to mention in this thread, I start tacos with a sodium free powder package (and homegrown tomato sauce) and add cumin to cut down on the "packaged" taste. The Mrs. Dash I buy is $1.49 a packet. There must be a better way.

I have a good simple recipe but I will let others chime in first and you know I wont forget.

Worth

[greenthumbomaha]

Thank you, Worth. I know this is right up your allley and that you always remember a question. - Lisa

[Father'sDaughter]

I've seen many dishes that call for sofrito as their flavor base, but I've never heard of a Mexican "Holy Trinity." And if you go hunting for sofrito recipes, you'll find hundreds of variations from several different countries.

[Gerardo]

No such thing, cuisine too diverse due to geography.

Depends on what your target is. Use them all, your palate will lead the way

[pmcgrady]

I have Pasilla Bajio, Mulato Islano, Ancho San Luis and Guajillo dried peppers from last season, sounds like I need to grind a few and start mixing them.

[oakley]

A million ways to make it the way you like it, no rules.

Tamales, no lard.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Anyone have success growing cumin? I bought seeds many years ago but nothing. I would gladly keep it as a border ornamental but can't get it to take.

- Lisa

Even though it's sacrilege to mention in this thread, I start tacos with a sodium free powder package (and homegrown tomato sauce) and add cumin to cut down on the "packaged" taste. The Mrs. Dash I buy is $1.49 a packet. There must be a better way.

I just use the fiesta brand chili powder a little cumin and salt no tomato sauce.
I buy both by the pound.
The taco seasoning stuff is too salty for me.
The place I worked it was so salty it would blister my mouth almost.

Worth

[roper2008]

I like Onza. Pretty tasty pepper dried.

[bower]

I'm a complete newb for Mexican cooking, but I've grown all the peppers listed in the OP except for the Poblano/Ancho thanks to the generosity of a pepper collector who donated to seed swap. The different flavors of peppers were unknown to me until I started growing them myself, and it is so delightful.
Guajillo is a huge favorite for me and relatively early. The amount of heat and rich taste is just right for many things.
"Mirasol" was certainly not the same pepper. Much hotter, smaller fruit in clusters that point upwards, later to fruit and more cold sensitive, and a completely different taste. The Guajillo if it is the true one, is a long pepper that hangs down.
Puya was smaller and hotter than Guajillo, and later to fruit. It was okay but couldn't bump Guajillo from its favorite status. Just didn't have the richness of taste that G combines with heat. Nor the size and production either, at least in my climate/growing conditions.
Or maybe I'm oversensitive to heat and just can't taste the other flavors as the heat goes up?

I do love the Pasilla/Chilaca as well for the completely different flavor and wierdly pretty color as it turns from dark green to brown with real red showing only on the inside. Pretty strong flavor and a big crop relative to the amount needed - one plant provided enough peppers for several years. I thought the Guerito flavor was similar although a completely different looking pepper. We had so many that I got really tired of the taste. I know they are used for pickles, but to be honest I far prefer the taste of Santa Fe.
I don't think I could ever have too many Guajillos.

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by bower

"Mirasol" was certainly not the same pepper. Much hotter, smaller fruit in clusters that point upwards, later to fruit and more cold sensitive, and a completely different taste. The Guajillo if it is the true one, is a long pepper that hangs down.
Puya was smaller and hotter than Guajillo, and later to fruit.

The guajillo, puya, catarino, and cascabel are all "Mirasol" cultivars. The guajillo, puya and catarino are long chiles while the cascabel is cylindrical in shape like a small ball. The Puya, as I recall, pointed upwards when I grew it last year. My cascabels did not survive to fruit so I don't know. Yes, the "guajillo" peppers hang. The naming conventions of peppers is very confusing and inconsistent ... I'm still looking for one good source of information that doesn't throw around all of the slang.

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by roper2008

I like Onza. Pretty tasty pepper dried.

Best I can tell is that the Onza is a Chilaca (Pasilla) pepper cultivated/grown in a different region of Mexico.