In Colorado, we typically use roasted peppers in our Green Chili. But, roasted peppers are also used in recipes such as Chile Rellenos which use Anaheim and/or Poblano peppers. If you do not have the luxury of a big roaster, you can do them by hand for smaller recipes. It helps to have a gas stove-- but any open flame will do--- you can also use the grill, broiler, or hand torch. The point is that you are scorching the skin of the pepper so that it can be peeled off. In these pictures, you can see that I am using a gas stove to scorch the peppers.
Once the peppers have been scorched all the way around, place them in a covered bowl or plate to get the steam to continue to loosen the skin. After about 10 minutes, you can use your hands (HINT: use disposable gloves if they are hot peppers!) to rub off the remaining skin. This is also a great time to cut off the pepper tops and carefully remove seeds with a teaspoon. If you keep the pepper intact, it will make for easier stuffing with cheese, etc, for recipes like Chili Rellenos. If you do not plan to use them immediately, put them in a freezer bag and freeze. They keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
