Matt Bray – Page 92 – PepperScale

Spicy Beef Tacos

Spice up your taco night…

Sure you can reach for a packet of taco seasoning to prepare your ground beef for taco night, but why not dive into that spice rack and turn things up a notch instead? We amp up the spicy beef with cayenne pepper kick. That delicious taco earthiness is still there, too, with both chili powder and cumin delivering the flavors you expect. Your taco building station won’t know what hit it!

Note: If you want more heat….first, we’re with you. Second, increase the cayenne by 1/2 teaspoon increments, Don’t increase the amount of chili powder used (or reduce it proportionately). Chili powder contains many ingredients beyond chilies that add to the taco flavor, like garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. As a heat source, it’s diluted compared to cayenne and adding too much can over-spice the meat.

Spicy Tomato Chutney

by Matt Bray

Big tomato flavor, fiery red chili heat. We love a fiery spicy tomato chutney for bruschetta or simply to use as a table dip for an evening of bread and cheese. But its uses can go much farther. Use it as a sandwich spread or dip …

Capsicum Frutescens: Tabasco And More

by Matt Bray

Characteristics of Capsicum Frutescens

Of the five domesticated Capsicum species, Frutescens is one of the easiest to identify. This particular species shows very little variation in the appearance of the pods, which are often produced in clusters.

Typically, the pods are small and tend to have an ellipsoid-conical shape. Frutescens plants are compact with short stubby growth and a large number of flowers, making them an ideal choice for container gardening.

Most often, the stem of this species grows straight up throughout the plant, curving suddenly just before reaching the flower head.

Serrano Vs. Habanero: PepperScale Showdown

by Matt Bray

Bold meet bolder (times two)… Serrano and habanero chilies are growing in popularity among mainstream grocers. But beyond the obvious size and color differences, what do you need to know? How different are these two chilies really? Does one trump the other in heat? Are the flavors …

Ghost Pepper Oil

by Matt Bray

Scorching hot… This is one simple, yet super-hot recipe. Ghost pepper oil can bring a layer of sun-like fire to your cooking. Whether you want to use it alone (or as a base) for a simple bread dip or as the fiery marinade for your next delicious …

Capsicum Chinense: The Hottest Peppers On Earth

by Matt Bray

Unique characteristics of Capsicum Chinense

In terms of physical appearance, Capsicum Chinense has a broad range of variation. Some plants, such as the habanero, grow in the form of small, compact bushes that have small, white flowers with five petals. Other plants are more typical of the species, growing full and busy with upright, rigid stems and large green leaves that are thin and wrinkled with two to six flowers per knot.

Bishop’s Crown Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are bishop’s crown peppers? Few hot peppers have as distinctive a look as the bishop’s crown pepper. Its shape is unique yet familiar – looking like, you guessed it, a bishop’s crown. Its look – along with its ease to grow, eatable medium heat (5,000 to …

Aji Panca Paste

by Matt Bray

Sweet berry-like flavor with a hint of smoke…

The Peruvian aji peppers are so unique, even among their closest relations. For instance – the aji amarillo tastes like fresh tropical sunshine, whereas the aji panca goes to a deeper, darker place. It features a berry-like sweetness with a smoky undertone, and so it is with this aji panca paste. It’s used in many authentic Peruvian dishes and sauces to provide that wonderful sweet-smoke taste. But there’s so much more you can do with this chili paste. Try it with breakfast eggs or as a taco or burrito sauce. It’s also very good as the base for a steak marinade or simply as a steak sauce.

We love it, too, as a much milder alternative to chipotle paste. It’s sweeter and not quite as smoky, and at minimum half the heat to chipotle. If chipotle’s medium heat is not for you, the mild simmer of aji panca provides a delicious alternative.

Capsicum Baccatum: Berry-Like And Bold

by Matt Bray

Unique characteristics of Capsicum Baccatum

Literally translated, “Baccatum” means berry-like. This is a great way to remember one of the best ways to differentiate this Capsicum variety from others, as the pods have a physical appearance that is—if not quite like that of a berry—certainly more berry-like than others.

Capsicum Annuum: Common With Countless Variety

by Matt Bray

Unique characteristics of Capsicum Annuum

As the most commonly cultivated and popular species of Capsicum, this particular variety can sometimes be difficult to separate from other cultivated species with a similar appearance.

That being said, Capsicum Annuum does have a distinctive growth configuration that can help you to distinguish this species from others. To differentiate Annuum from other varieties, pay keen attention to the configuration and appearance of its flowers and filaments (the threadlike stalks that support the anther).