Chilies and chilli sauce

[Sir Nikolas Vendigroth]

Just made a jar of mild habanero ketchup 

Pics to be forthcoming as soon as I can make a snazzy label.

[CapnHarlock]

A friend of mine, a keen grower of veg on an allotment said it couldnt be done as capsicums are annuals, but if you keep them warm and away from frost, they will survive. If you dont use a light in winter, stop feeding and water sparingly, you may get some leaf drop but dont panic, come the summer it will start growing again.

I gave my plant away in the end, over 6ft tall, extremely bushy and 3 years old.

Many 'annuals' die after the first summer either because of a) frost or b) Ultraviolet 'sunburn'.  If they can be protected from both, they tend to keep growing.

An interesting experiment in Japan, about 20 years ago, called 'Sunflower' used large hexagonal Fresnel lenses and a sun-tracker to focus sunlight onto a large (glass) fiber-optic bundle and "pipe" daylight (with the harder UV filtered out by the glass) inside an office building. The hydroponic tomato plants they were growing in the basement parking-garage kept growing and producing  for 4-5 years with no ill-effects.

[Xenos]

I've got a jar of Homegrown (not mine) pickled chilli's in the larder - they are little green jobbies, I did add the large green Scots bonnet from his pickled onions (my they were a "touch" spicy) - they rate on the personal scale as "F*****G HOT" - Has anybody else tried "Dave's Insanity Sauce" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave%27s_Gourmet- I like the comment on the back of the bottle about it being able to remove oilstains from concrete drives!! - this one scores in the same area as my mate's pickles!!

Oh yeah I have to agree that the particular Simpson's episode (I didn't realise who the voice of the coyote was until now - y'learn summat new each day), is one of my faves along with the "fear and loathing in las vegas" themed (where homer and ned go to vegas and ned ends up married to the whore) one!!

My first encounter with Dave's Insanity Sauce was my Junior Year of High School.

My Home Room teacher had a bottle-he'd dole it out on the end of a toothpick to most students.

Not for me-he was out of toothpicks.

I just up'd the bottle on the end of my pinkie finger, licked it right off, and asked him what the big deal was.

Kinda tasted like burnt coffee...  I prefer Tabasco for flavor.

[Mrs. Whatsit]

I've tried Dave's as well...not something I want to do on a regular basis.

Don't get me wrong, I like hot, but the chili has to have a good flavor.  I can't do hot for hot's sake. 

One of the hottest meals I've ever had was in Albuquerque, NM.  A place called Sadie's.  We all ordered something that came with chili sauce on it.  Some got green, some got red, those that couldn't decide went Christmas.  We all suffered and it wasn't even their "hot" stuff.  We noticed most of the other tables had the chili sauce on the side in bowls! 

I'm in for the Chili cook-off in Terlingua, so let me know when it is.  Always wanted to do that!

[J. Wilhelm]

I've tried Dave's as well...not something I want to do on a regular basis.

Don't get me wrong, I like hot, but the chili has to have a good flavor.  I can't do hot for hot's sake.  

One of the hottest meals I've ever had was in Albuquerque, NM.  A place called Sadie's.  We all ordered something that came with chili sauce on it.  Some got green, some got red, those that couldn't decide went Christmas.  We all suffered and it wasn't even their "hot" stuff.  We noticed most of the other tables had the chili sauce on the side in bowls!  

I'm in for the Chili cook-off in Terlingua, so let me know when it is.  Always wanted to do that!

Alright then, we have several takers.  Shall we organize the First Weird-West/Steampunk Chili Cook-off in Terlingua?    We'd have to round up the wagons and organize a proper expedition, the area seems to be somewhat lacking, demographically speaking...

Just made a jar of mild habanero ketchup 

Pics to be forthcoming as soon as I can make a snazzy label.

Indeed!  Just one step away from Russian Dressing (actually a late Victorian period invention).  Excellent over poached eggs and toast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_dressing

Russian dressing is a salad dressing invented in the United States in the late 19th century or early 20th century. Typically piquant, it is today characteristically made of a blend of mayonnaise and ketchup complemented with such additional ingredients as horseradish, pimentos, chives and spices.[1][2]

[Xenos]

It's a two day trip for me to Terlingua, but, I think given enough time, we may could swing it.  My wife's got family out that way, it's certain I am they'd not mind seeing us out yonder!

[J. Wilhelm]

It's a two day trip for me to Terlingua, but, I think given enough time, we may could swing it.  My wife's got family out that way, it's certain I am they'd not mind seeing us out yonder!

I almost got hired 2 years ago at the Univ. of Texas' McDonald Observatory, which would have been a lot closer to Terlingua at Mount Fowlkes/Locke ( Elev. 6791 ft/ 2069m ).  But the drive from Austin is a prohibitive 375 linear miles away and 175 away from Terlingua!! (Texas is big, y'all!) .

The advantage of that area is the weather.  Even though it looks quite arid, the area happens to be at a slightly higher altitude (compared to the rest of the state which is near sea level), so the climate is a little cooler and dry at Terlingua (2800 ft / 853m)

EDIT: I know it's all conjecture now, but maybe we should synchronize it with the annual Chili cook-off on Nov 3. Another BBQ contest will be held on Nov. 1.  I'm willing to bet the weather will be quite cool by November (desert nights can be cold toward the end of the year)!

The 46th Terlingua International Chili Championship will be held at Rancho Casi de los Chisos, west of Terlingua, Texas on Saturday November 3, 2012.  Terlingua is in the Big Bend region of Texas. If you are having a hard time finding Rancho Casi on your map, it is at N29 18.663 degrees, and W 103 40.246 degrees on  your GPS.

AND to not hijack the thread too much   , let me compliment by adding last year's winning Chili con carne sauce recipe by Larry Walton (Note about 2 lbs. of meat are missing - I guess self-explanatory, and I have yet to decipher the "technical" language, e.g. "Chili Grind" = course ground meat, "dump"= vat?, granules = bouillon? ) :

1st Dump
1 TBS Mild Bills Onion Granules
1 TBS Mild Bills Garlic Granules
1 TBS Beef Granules
1 TBS Chicken Granules
1 TBS Mild Bills San Antonio Original Chili Powder
1 TBS Mexene Chili Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
2 Dashes Louisiana Hot Sauce

2nd Dump
1 tsp Garlic Granules
1 TBS Cumin Mild Bills
1 Package Sazon Goya
1 TBS Cowtown Light Chili Powder Mild Bills
1 TBS Mexene Chili Powder
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Dashes Louisiana Hot Sauce

Brown 2 lbs of Chili Grind drain off grease add 1 can beef broth, ½ can chicken broth, and add 1 ½ cans of tomato sauce. Bring up to a boil and then reduce heat to a slow simmer for 40 min. Add 1st Dump and simmer for 40 min. then add 2nd Dump cook on low heat for 25 min. Taste you may have to add salt and if it’s too hot, add 1/8 tsp brown sugar if needed.


It looks like most Chili con Carne (Texan) recipes use the same ingredients; beef and chicken bouillon, various kinds of powdered chili, as well as onion and garlic powder, cumin spice and the fat drained from the browned meat.

~ ~ ~

For a more exotic, ancient, and original use of Habanero peppers, I have this description (translated by yours truly from Wikipedia) of the traditional Mexican Maya dish known as Papatzul:

Papadzul or Papatzul is a colonial Mexican (mixed Native plus Spanish) dish from the Yucatan, Quintana-Roo and Campeche regions of Southern Mexico (Mayan states).  The dish is a relatively simple one consisting of maize tortillas doused in a pumpkin-seed based sauce then filled with hard boiled egg, and finally covered in a Tomato and Habanero chile based sauce with onions used as garnish.


Papadzul dinner main course, Serves 4 (http://www.fiery-foods.com/recipesearch/enchiladas-stuffed-with-hardcooked-eggs-papadzul)

    2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
    1 habanero chile, stem and seeds removed
    1 tablespoon dried Epazote (wormseed/Jesuit's tea/Paico/Herba Sancti Mariæ)
    2 cups chicken broth
    1 small onion, chopped
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
    1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, finely ground
    8 corn tortillas
    6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

Combine the tomatoes, chile, epazote, and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and strain, saving both the tomatoes and the broth. Heat one-half of the oil in a skillet and saute until hot and add to the tomato mixture. Place the mixture in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Saute the sauce in the remaining oil for 5 minutes.  Heat the tomato broth in a another skillet and slowly stir in the seeds. Simmer until the mixture thickens and is the consistency of thick cream, stirring constantly. Be very careful that the sauce does not boil or it may curdle.  Dip the tortillas in the warm pumpkin seed sauce to coat and soften. Place some of the chopped eggs in the center, roll up, and place on a platter. Pour the remaining pumpkin seed sauce over the top, then the tomato sauce, and serve.

Note: If your tortillas are stiff, heat some vegetable oil until very hot and dip the tortillas in the oil for a couple of seconds. Drain on paper towels.

The original breakfast taco?

Cheers,

JWD

[von Corax]

(Note about 2 lbs. of meat are missing - I guess self-explanatory, and I have yet to decipher the "technical" language, e.g. "Chili Grind" = course ground meat, "dump"= vat?, granules = bouillon? ) :

I would speculate that the chicken and beef "granules" are, as you suggest, instant bouillon powder; the onion and garlic granules are simply dehydrated minced onion/garlic, available at any bulk-foods outlet; and a "dump" is obviously just a spice addition ie. "dump all this stuff together into the pot."

That recipe sounds like it might be interesting if I knew what to substitute for the not-available-outside-Texas brand-name chile powders.

[J. Wilhelm]

(Note about 2 lbs. of meat are missing - I guess self-explanatory, and I have yet to decipher the "technical" language, e.g. "Chili Grind" = course ground meat, "dump"= vat?, granules = bouillon? ) :

I would speculate that the chicken and beef "granules" are, as you suggest, instant bouillon powder; the onion and garlic granules are simply dehydrated minced onion/garlic, available at any bulk-foods outlet; and a "dump" is obviously just a spice addition ie. "dump all this stuff together into the pot."

That recipe sounds like it might be interesting if I knew what to substitute for the not-available-outside-Texas brand-name chile powders.

Honestly my approach would be to use what I have available locally.  The recipe is pretty straight forward.  Fat drippings, chile powder, cumin, paprika (just another another pepper), garlic and onion powder and beef plus chicken bouillon/stock.  All the "winning" recipes are almost identical.  

Unless you can find which pepper is being used in each powdered type.  In markets around the world you can get the chile powder by weight at the market.  In the advanced world we get it at stratospheric prices in small salt-shaker type containers  

[pakled]

Closest I've ever got to Terlingua is Wick Fowler's 2 alarm chili... commercially available in the US. As I recall, at least in central Texas, we used something like stew meat, cubed, as the meat in chili. (Beef, naturally, except once it was venison, but that requires extra fat, since venison usually doesn't have any). Actually, the closest I've been to Terlingua is El Paso, my home town...

[von Corax]

Actually, the closest I've been to Terlingua is El Paso, my home town...

Yeah — I think I got into Ohio and/or Pennsylvania once on a maple syrup producers' tour once, many many many years ago…

[J. Wilhelm]

Actually, the closest I've been to Terlingua is El Paso, my home town...

Yeah — I think I got into Ohio and/or Pennsylvania once on a maple syrup producers' tour once, many many many years ago…

That would be very far off from the Chisholm Trail, pilgrim!
http://www.thechisholmtrail.com/map2.htm

[Lady Ava]

I once made chocolate brownies with the TINIEST bit of chilli in it, they were so very yummy...

Never made a chili sauce though, might have to have a go!

[Uncle Arthur]

I once made chocolate brownies with the TINIEST bit of chilli in it, they were so very yummy...

Never made a chili sauce though, might have to have a go!

 



I am not a huge fan of spicy foods. My insides just won't handle them any more. BUT! Recently I had some wonderful chili chocolates that a friend made. AMAZING!

[The Squire]

I once made chocolate brownies with the TINIEST bit of chilli in it, they were so very yummy...

Never made a chili sauce though, might have to have a go!

Lady Ava, brownies with chili sounds great! I must try it. Chocolate is used with chiles in Mexican food in the form of mole (mo-lay). It's a sauce made of many kinds of chiles and unsweetened chocolate and takes days to make (or so I'm told) and your grandmother's mole was the best there ever was. One of the great things about living in Austin, Texas, is the spectacular Mexican food, and a plato grande of chicken mole can be had all over town.

[J. Wilhelm]

I once made chocolate brownies with the TINIEST bit of chilli in it, they were so very yummy...

Never made a chili sauce though, might have to have a go!

Lady Ava, brownies with chili sounds great! I must try it. Chocolate is used with chiles in Mexican food in the form of mole (mo-lay). It's a sauce made of many kinds of chiles and unsweetened chocolate and takes days to make (or so I'm told) and your grandmother's mole was the best there ever was. One of the great things about living in Austin, Texas, is the spectacular Mexican food, and a plato grande of chicken mole can be had all over town.

Splendid mention, Mr. Squire!  Chiles and Chocolate indeed; Mole is another traditional Mexican sauce.  Some types of mole (many varieties are available) also have nuts and or various ground seeds; Green Mole, Red Mole, and there is a peanut based Mole!

"Mole Poblano" paired with chicken is probably the first authentic "high-cuisine" dish introduced from Mexico into the United States sometime in the 20th. C.

A Chicken in "Mole Poblano" recipe from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-in-Mole-Puebla-Style-238185#ixzz21VGt7BH4; Plenty of chile pepper varieties in the recipe:

Chicken in Mole

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

yield: Makes 8 servings
Pollo en Mole Poblano

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, by Tom...

more ›

Ingredients

    4 pounds chicken pieces, skin on
    Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
    2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
    white rice


Mole Poblano

    Makes 9 cups.
    9 mulato chiles*
    7 pasilla chiles*
    6 ancho chiles*
    1 cup plus 9 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard plus additional as needed
    4 or 5 tomatillos,** husked and cooked until soft
    5 whole cloves
    20 whole black peppercorns
    1-inch piece of a Mexican cinnamon stick***
    1 tablespoon seeds from the chiles, toasted
    1/2 teaspoon anise seeds, toasted
    1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
    8 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
    4 garlic cloves, roasted
    3 tablespoons raisins
    20 whole almonds, blanched
    1/4 cup pumpkin seeds****
    2 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
    3 stale French rolls, cut into 1-inch slices
    6 to 7 cups reserved chicken broth as needed
    1 1/2 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped


    *Mulato, pasilla, and ancho chiles are three varieties of dried chiles often used in Mexican cooking. The ancho chile (a poblano that has ripened to a dark red color and dried) is rust-colored, broad at the stem and narrowing to a triangular tip. The mulato, a relative to the poblano, is dark brown and triangular. The shiny black pasilla chile, a dried chilaca chile, is narrow and five to six inches long. Good quality chiles should be fragrant and pliable. Wipe them carefully with a damp cloth or a paper towel to remove any dust.
    **Tomatillos are often referred to as "green tomatoes," but are members of the gooseberry family. To prepare tomatillos for the salsa, remove their papery husks and rinse away their sticky outer coating. Or, canned whole tomatillos are available under the San Marcos brand.
    ***Mexican cinnamon, known as canela, is the bark of the true cinnamon tree, native to Sri Lanka. It is sold in very thin and somewhat flaky curled sticks and is much softer than the more common variant of cinnamon, which comes from the bark of the cassia tree.
    ****Also known as pepitas, the pumpkin seeds used in Mexican cooking are hulled. When frying or toasting pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet, keep a cover handy, as they will pop like popcorn.


Preparation

In a large stock pot, parboil the chicken in water seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Drain, reserving cooking broth, and refrigerate until ready to assemble the dish.

Prepare the Mole Poblano. Clean the chiles by removing stems, veins, and seeds; reserve 1 tablespoon of the seeds. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a heavy skillet until it shimmers. Fry the chiles until crisp, about 10 to 15 seconds, turning once; make sure they do not burn. Drain on paper towels. Put the chiles in a nonreactive bowl, cover with hot water, and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking water. Puree the chiles in a blender with enough of the soaking water to make a smooth paste. It may be necessary to scrape down the sides and blend several times to obtain a smooth paste. In a heavy Dutch oven heat an additional 1/2 cup oil over medium heat and add the chile puree (be careful — it will splatter). Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.

Puree the tomatillos in a blender. In a coffee or spice grinder, grind the cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and toasted seeds. Add the seed mixture and the garlic to the pureed tomatillos and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Heat 6 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy frying pan. Fry each of the following ingredients and then remove with a slotted spoon: the raisins until they puff up; the almonds to a golden brown; the pumpkin seeds until they pop. If necessary, add enough oil to make 4 tablespoons and fry the tortilla pieces and bread slices until golden brown, about 15 seconds per side; remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Add raisins, almonds, pumpkins seeds, tortillas, and bread to the tomatillo puree and blend, using 1 to 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth, as needed, to make a smooth sauce. This may have to be done in batches. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the chile puree, the tomatillo puree, and the Mexican chocolate (be careful — it will splatter). Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the remaining 5 cups of chicken broth, cook over low heat for an additional 45 minutes, stirring often enough to prevent the mixture from scorching on the bottom. During the last 15 minutes of cooking time, add the parboiled chicken and heat through. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve with white rice.

Chef Ravago shares his tips with Epicurious: ·To seed dried chiles, use a sharp paring knife to make a slit down the side and carefully scrape out the seeds. It's a good idea to wear gloves when handling chiles. According to Ravago, you can vary the number of each chile you use, so long as the total number equals 22, but only use pasilla, mulato, or ancho chiles. Do not substitute another type.
·Making mole is a time-consuming process, but Chef Ravago warns against taking shortcuts; otherwise, the mole will have an off taste. For instance, the recipe calls for toasting each type of seed individually. This is done to intensify and lock in the flavor of each, as the heating process brings the oils to the surface. If you heat all types of seeds together, the flavors will become mixed, resulting in a muddy-tasting mole.
·To make the most of your efforts, prepare a double batch of mole, serving a portion and keeping the rest to freeze. According to Ravago, the mole will keep frozen for up to a month. Simply thaw and reheat. If the texture is grainy after reheating, simply reblend the sauce.
·For easier serving, chunks of boneless, skinless chicken can be used. The recipe calls for parboiling, but you can prepare the chicken in any number of ways, Ravago says, either baked, roasted, or grilled. You can even use a purchased rotisserie chicken. Or, Ravago says, you can substitute duck, quail, turkey, or any kind of poultry for the chicken.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-in-Mole-Puebla-Style-238185#ixzz21VGt7BH4

Another recipe from a TV personality chef (and apparently someone who lived and studied in Mexico in his youth, like myself ), Rick Bayless:
http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=225

~ ~ ~

EDIT:

And probably the second traditional high cuisine dish imported into the US in the late 20th. C (I saw it first in the US in the 1990's I'd say): Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Chiles).

This one is really worth your effort, folks, as this is one dish everyone should have at least once in their lifetime.  The recipe can be varied but the correct way to prepare it is with chiles large enough to be stuffed, chiles that are sufficiently hot to force you to stop eating every couple of bytes, and sweet, savory and delicious enough to force you to pick that fork again and take another byte.  Again many varieties but the spirit is to roast (peel) the chiles, fill them with a meat, typically shredded pork, and cheese (never use yellow/Cheddar varieties!), and often a variety of nuts and raisins, then deep fried, and lastly baked in a tomato sauce, not unlike baking a lasagna!!!  It does take forever to make!

A simpler chicken-based recipe from Rick Bayless as well at http://mexican.food.com/recipe/chiles-rellenos-in-tomato-broth-56452?oc=linkback :

Chiles Rellenos (stuffed Chiles)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ingredients: Servings: 8 Units: US | Metric BROTH 2 medium white onions, diced 3 tablespoons lard 2 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes with juice, undrained and pureed 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 cups chicken stock CHILES 8 poblano peppers, peeled, seeded and slit 1 lb monterey jack cheese vegetable oil (for frying) 48 inches skewers BATTER 6 large eggs, separated (cold) 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons flour flour (for dredging) cilantro (to garnish)

 Directions:
1 Brown onions in lard.
2 Add tomatoes, cinnamon and pepper.
3 Cook briskly until sauce becomes the consistency of a thick tomato sauce.
4 Add stock, simmer partially covered for 45 minutes.
5 Stuff chiles with cheese and hold together with skewers.
6 Batter: Beat whites to stiff peaks with 1/2 tsp salt.
7 Beat in yolks 2 at a time until well incorporated.
8 Beat in flour.
9 Dust chiles with flour and dip quickly into batter then lay in 350 degree oil.
10 Baste tops with hot oil.
11 When they are golden on bottom, turn over and cook other side.
12 Drain. Once all chiles have cooled at least 5 minutes (they can sit up to 1 hour), put on sheet pan with parchment, slip out the skewer, and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.
13 To serve, place a pool of sauce in a bowl and top with a chile.
14 Note: The easisest way to peel chiles for this dish is to deep fry in 350 degree oil for abou 45 seconds, remove, let cool and then peel--there is less chance of breaking the chile this way.
15 The oil can then be used to cook the chiles.

Read more at: http://mexican.food.com/recipe/chiles-rellenos-in-tomato-broth-56452?oc=linkback

[Mrs. Whatsit]

I LOVE both of these dishes, J. Wilhelm.  There is a Mexican restaurant w/i walking distance from my apt that serves GREAT mole.  Thank you for posting.

[J. Wilhelm]

I LOVE both of these dishes, J. Wilhelm.  There is a Mexican restaurant w/i walking distance from my apt that serves GREAT mole.  Thank you for posting.

Well if you’re really lazy like me, you’ll buy a jar of Mole in the supermarket 

[von Corax]

And probably the second traditional high cuisine dish imported into the US in the late 20th. C (I saw it first in the US in the 1990's I'd say): Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Chiles).

As I understand it, Monterey Jack (used in the above Chiles Rellenos recipe, is a Californian "Cheddar substitute" cheese. Is there a more authentic Mexican (or other Latin American) cheese I could look for? (I know there's a Latin American grocery store in The Deforested City, just down the street from the Shriners' Mocha Temple…)

(And now any Shriners on BG will be able to identify The Deforested City exactly!)

[J. Wilhelm]

And probably the second traditional high cuisine dish imported into the US in the late 20th. C (I saw it first in the US in the 1990's I'd say): Chiles Rellenos (Stuffed Chiles).

As I understand it, Monterey Jack (used in the above Chiles Rellenos recipe, is a Californian "Cheddar substitute" cheese. Is there a more authentic Mexican (or other Latin American) cheese I could look for? (I know there's a Latin American grocery store in The Deforested City, just down the street from the Shriners' Mocha Temple…)

(And now any Shriners on BG will be able to identify The Deforested City exactly!)

Indeed there is!  Monterey Jack may be American, but being developed by Mexican Franciscan Friars in California it is a full derivative of the Mexican version of Manchego Cheese.  In Mexico Manchego is a Colby type cheese, cow-milk based and in Spain Manchego is very different and sheep-milk based, much more pungent and more solid, as a result of aging.

The flavour of Monterrey Jack is very similar to Mexican Manchego but the Mexican version is considerably more solid, a tad yellow, more buttery and less creamy; loosely related in flavour to the family of string cheeses, of which many worldwide varieties would make a good choice; for a Mexican string cheese example you have "Oaxaca Cheese" which basically is a tad more salty and quite chewy, and consists of a string of cheese rolled into a ball (all string cheeses in the world give me the impression of being very similar in taste and texture so take your pick, but you will need to compensate for the extra salt content in string cheese).

While not my preference, on top of the tomato sauce, you could conceivably garnish (and even stuff) with Queso Fresco ("Fresh Cheese"), a salty white wet curd similar to cottage cheese, and get creative if you use pungent herbs together with the cheese, maybe as a way to take a "rest" from the intense heat of the chili pepper!

The correct pepper type to use is a Poblano pepper http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poblano
http://www.worldcrops.org/images/content/Poblano_peppers_in_S._Deerfield_-_550.JPG

[Engineer]

We grow our own chillies - usually a hot chilli called Apache and long thin Thai type chillis. Mmy wife also makes an amazing chilli jam.

For anyone in the Dorset (Wimborne) area on the weekend of the 4th/5th August look up the Dorset Chilli Festival 

[The Corsair]

So yesterday I accidentally had some of the hottest chilli sauce in the world. I was babysitting and one of the ones that went and got our pizza for dinner got this 'Pizza Roulette' promotional thing, which puts some of this chilli on one slice of a pizza (he did it for all 3 pizzas) and I didn't know, so I got hit on my 2nd slice...

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/13/play-at-your-own-risk-hell-pizzas-scorching-pizza-roulette/

[J. Wilhelm]

So yesterday I accidentally had some of the hottest chilli sauce in the world. I was babysitting and one of the ones that went and got our pizza for dinner got this 'Pizza Roulette' promotional thing, which puts some of this chilli on one slice of a pizza (he did it for all 3 pizzas) and I didn't know, so I got hit on my 2nd slice...

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/13/play-at-your-own-risk-hell-pizzas-scorching-pizza-roulette/

I imagine you get the pizza for free...  Not bad if you can stand it.   A restaurant chain called "Hell Pizza" ? (And they sell churros!)  Sounds evil.  This is not a chain but in the "Sixth St." area in Austin we have "Hoek's Pizza" (yes as in Ren Hoek) where you can chomp down pizza to the tune of heavy metal music so you can complete the ambiance. http://hoeksdeathmetalpizza.com/