Chorizo Chile con Queso
Morita chiles are red, fully mature Chipotles. This gives them a unique, medium – hot smokey flavor which is popular in many Southwestern dishes. These can be added to sauces (including Mole) to add smokey flavor and maintain the red color of the sauces. These peppers are about 2-4 inches in length, 1 inch in width, and have a deep brick reddish brown color. The word Chipotle translated to smoked chile. Consider the Chipotle a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hottest). Scoville heat units 7,000-25,000.
Suggested Use:
Use Morita in enchilada sauces, chili, stews, barbecue ribs, and corn bread. Their smoky quality combines well with poultry, meats and fall squash.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. pure olive oil
1/4 pound bulk pork chorizo
1/2 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, diced
2 tomatoes, cored, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
Instructions:
In a 4 quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and swirl it around to coat the pan. Add the chorizo and saute, stirring constantly and using the side of a spatula to break up any chunks, until it has cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, chiles, and tomatoes and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about 3 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and add both cheeses, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and stir until heated through.
Transfer the mixture to a fondue pot set over an alcohol or sterno flame. Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, crusty hard peasant bread cut into 1″ cubes, potato or yuca chips, taro root chips, pita chips and/or other “dippables” of your choice.
Note: The dip can be prepared 1 day in advance. Let the mixture cool and transfer it to a covered container and refrigerate. Reheat it in a saucepan over low heat and transfer to a fondue pot for serving.
Recipe by Diane Morgan.