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Raw ingredients/ roast or use raw

C

cmwr

For my fruit and my onions I have been putting them on a broiler sheet and cooking them till they have a caramelized appearance. That was recommended to me by the hot pepper on another topic I posted. I have recently read that you should roast your fresh peppers on high in a skillet for 20 to 30 seconds before you put them in the mixture to start boiling as this supposedly releases more flavor. Can anyone verify what pre-cooking my fruit and onion and possibly even roasting my fresh peppers before hand really does to change the flavor of the sauce? To an average person whos tasting a sauce and dealing with the heat can they really tell the difference between two identical batches where one was made with pre-cooked and roasted ingredients and the other was not?

Something I never considered was that when Im tasting my sauce on the tip of my finger right from the bottle I can actually taste the flavor before the heat sets in. But when I put my sauce on food the flavor gets masked by the flavor of the food. I mean its not like Im dousing this stuff on like you would ketchup LOL.

And to me the more Scovil units a sauce has the less I notice the taste because the minute it hits my tongue it starts burning LOL. I can, however, notice more flavor differences in milder hot sauces.

Someone enlighten me and help me understand please. Thanks
 
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jhc said:
Here's what you get with roasting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction
 
I personally never understood the idea of briefly toasting peppers when they are just going to be cooked and blended. How can those processes not release all the flavors the pepper has?
Click to expand...
 

Thank you for that link! That was an interesting read although some of the terminology was confusing. So in essence when caramelizing stuff for putting into a hot sauce mixture do you guys leave the food in till it is black on the edges or just light brown? I am getting ready to make a batch of sauce up to give to some friends and family for Christmas gifts. Got me a batch of 5 ounce bottles on order right now. :drooling:
 
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jhc said:
I personally never understood the idea of briefly toasting peppers when they are just going to be cooked and blended. How can those processes not release all the flavors the pepper has?
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What do you like better? Hot dogs: grilled or boiled?
Same concept ;)

Pineapple would be another good example. The flavor of grilled pineapple vs. baked (think spiral ham) is night and day different
 
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MikeUSMC said:
What do you like better? Hot dogs: grilled or boiled?
Same concept ;)

Pineapple would be another good example. The flavor of grilled pineapple vs. baked (think spiral ham) is night and day different
Click to expand...
 

Making a batch right now. Haven't been able to find fresh peaches anywhere so I bought some fresh pears. I broiled the pear and vidalia and the sugars oozing out of that pear were making my mouth water!!
 
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Best way to describe why you caramelize is, the difference between granulated sugar and... caramel. It's all about what you want in your sauce, the idea is, you can use many cooking methods in a sauce individually. Smoked peppers, grilled onions, toasted cumin, etc.
 
jhc said:
Here's what you get with roasting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction
 
I personally never understood the idea of briefly toasting peppers when they are just going to be cooked and blended. How can those processes not release all the flavors the pepper has?
Click to expand...
 
Bread and toast my friend, bread and toast. ;) No ingredient is added, profile changes with method.
 
However, as far as toasting the pepper in the pan, it won't do as much as proper roasting, grilling, or smoking. You could skip that one.  :) I'd do raw or on the grill personally. If superhots, prob. raw.
 
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MikeUSMC said:
What do you like better? Hot dogs: grilled or boiled?
Same concept ;)

Pineapple would be another good example. The flavor of grilled pineapple vs. baked (think spiral ham) is night and day different
Click to expand...

It's a very different concept. You don't grill a hotdog to "release" its flavors. You are creating new chemical reactions which create new flavors. If you want to roast or char peppers to get those roasty or charred flavors, by all means. If you think briefly toasting them will release some intrinsic flavor that won't get released after boiling and pulverizing, that's just silly.
 
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Like I said, bread vs. toast! You can play semantics if you want... release... create... etc. but the flavor is different.

And you do toast seeds to "release" the oils. They are more prominent when released and you do get a nuttier toastier flavor.
 
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I can say without a doubt that roasted peppers taste different. The aroma alone of roasting the skins on pasillas for example (which I just did 2 nights ago) is amazing and it definitely goes into the flesh. If it didn't make a difference, I wouldn't go through the trouble of doing it every time.
 
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The Hot Pepper said:
You can play semantics if you want... release... create... etc. but the flavor is different.
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 You took the words right outta my mouth, haha

jhc said:
If you want to roast or char peppers to get those roasty or charred flavors, by all means. If you think briefly toasting them will release some intrinsic flavor that won't get released after boiling and pulverizing, that's just silly.
Click to expand...
If you don't think there's a difference in the way grilled peppers vs. boiled peppers taste, I don't know what to tell you. I mean, I know taste is subjective, but.....come on.

The Hot Pepper said:
And you do toast seeds to "release" the oils. They are more prominent when released and you do get a nuttier toastier flavor.
Click to expand...
 zackly ;)
 
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Point being, flavor changes, so if you like the changed flavor, then use such methods. As far as words and semantics, who cares? ;)
 
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The Hot Pepper said:
Like I said, bread vs. toast! You can play semantics if you want... release... create... etc. but the flavor is different.

And you do toast seeds to "release" the oils. They are more prominent when released and you do get a nuttier toastier flavor.
Click to expand...
 
Words have meanings and in no universe do "release flavor" and "create flavor" mean the same thing. I find it a little irritating that at the same time you guys are whining about "semantics" Mike is putting words in my mouth that I've never written or implied, and then insulting me over them.
 
An no, I don't toast seeds to release the oils. I toast them to, well, toast them. Just like I toast bread to change it's flavor and texture. Don't you think if someone told you "toasting bread releases its flavors" they would sound a little ridiculous?
 
Bottom line grilling/charring/roasting/smoking your peppers or fruits/veggies adds a new flavor and if that flavor is desired then go ahead and do it!
 
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IMG_5928.GIF
 
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If you don't boil hot dogs, you don't get the bonus hot dog water to make a Bloody American.
 
Red solo cup:
Fill with ice
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces hot dog water
1 ounce ketchup
Bacon bits
Shake, and serve with pickle spear
 
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