Grilled Vegetables
Ancho Chili Lime Butter
This unique and tasty chili lime butter uses ancho chile pepper which is a sweet type of dried chile, often used in authentic Mexican recipes. Lime zest is also used in this recipe and a bit of cayenne is optional depending on how hot and spicy you prefer your butter to be. You can get ancho chilies in well stocked supermarkets and Latin American grocery stores.
Chile lime butter is great with pork, lamb and game meats, as well as being ideal to melt over grilled vegetable recipes. Like most other butters, it keeps for a few weeks in the refrigerator or for months in the freezer, so it is worth making a lot of this delicious chile lime butter to use in other recipes.
Chile Lime Butter (Chili)
Ingredients -
1 ancho chili
Zest from 1 lime
1 stick unsalted butter
Dash cayenne pepper (optional)
Preparation:
Wearing rubber gloves, take the seeds out of the ancho chili.
Put the chili in warm water to soften for 5 minutes, then drain the water and mince the chili until it is paste-like.
Wash the chopping board immediately so it doesn't stain.
Keep ½ teaspoon of the paste and throw the rest away or freeze it.
Mix the zest from the lime, the butter and the ancho chili paste together using a fork or handheld blender.
You can add a dash of cayenne pepper if you want a spicier flavor.
Spoon the butter on to plastic wrap and form a sausage shape.
Wrap it tightly and chill it.
Wrap it again in foil if you want to store it for longer.
To use the ancho chili lime butter as a sauce, slice off a disk and melt it on hot food.
For using as a spread, let it warm up to room temperature and serve with your favorite meat, fish or grilled vegetables recipe.
(Makes ½ Cup)
A Picture of Ancho Chilies used to make Grilled Vegetable Recipes like Ancho Chile Lime Butter - The chilies are a favorite south of the border and add a nice southwestern fare to your next barbecue cook out.
Ancho Chili Pepper
Pronounced: AHN-choh, n.
They dry to a deep reddish brown chili pepper about 3 inches wide and 4 inches long or so they produce a sweet hot flavor when at full ripeness. When fresh they are referred to as poblanos. Anchos are heart shaped chili peppers that are wrinkled and rather flat.
Of the dried chilies the Ancho is among the sweetest of dried chilies. It is the most often used in authentic Mexican recipes and is a staple in red chili and tamales.
When purchasing the Ancho chili in the dried form it is necessary to soak them in hot water for approximately 30 minutes to bring them back to life before using them in dishes and in most Mexican recipes.
You should store them in an airtight container or freeze them for up to one years time. The Ancho chili is available all year and makes for a nice way to liven up any dish especially those veggies on the grill.