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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Zone 5A, Poconos
Posts: 959
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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. |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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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. |
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
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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.
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
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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. Last edited by greenthumbomaha; December 31, 2017 at 07:31 PM. |
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#5 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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![]() Worth |
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
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Thank you, Worth. I know this is right up your allley and that you always remember a question. - Lisa
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MA/NH Border
Posts: 4,919
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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.
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: San Diego-Tijuana
Posts: 2,598
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No such thing, cuisine too diverse due to geography.
Depends on what your target is. Use them all, your palate will lead the way |
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#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 1,836
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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.
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#10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: NewYork 5a
Posts: 2,303
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A million ways to make it the way you like it, no rules.
Tamales, no lard. |
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#11 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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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 |
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b)
Posts: 1,337
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I like Onza. Pretty tasty pepper dried.
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#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 6,794
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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. ![]() ![]() |
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#14 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Zone 5A, Poconos
Posts: 959
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#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Zone 5A, Poconos
Posts: 959
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