What should I do with some dried habanero chiles?

Crush them into a powder and use it like you would any other spice to make foods hotter. I mix dried serrano and jalapeno as well.

I'd soak them in cold water to reconstitute them and one at a time because usually one is all it takes.

I generally use them with dried beans and peas, meat sauces, chillies, and some soups. I like them most in starchy dishes. I put them in whole and make every effort to make sure they don't get pierced while cooking and then remove the entire pepper before serving. That way you get the flavor of the pepper and a not too intense heat.

I have used them in meat marinades too when I am grilling. I finely chop the entire pepper but make sure not to bring any seeds over when I take the meat out of the marinade lol. If I am going to include them as a seasoning to remain in a stove top or oven dish then I remove the seeds.

I like spicy food so your usage is going to depend on how spicy your like your food. I strongly recommend reconstituting though. Also, start small. I like to use one pepper, but you start off with 1/5 of it if necessary while you test out your limits.

Oh also you can wash your hands after handling them, tbut that doesn't not always make the heat from the capsicum go away. Life might be easier if you use plastic gloves.

They provide dangerously high heat but a relatively low flavor yield since the heat factor is not balanced by a proportionate amount of the other elements in the chile pepper. In other words, if each drop of the super-sauce equaled one jalapeno, you would get a greater depth of flavor from including five jalapenos in your dish than from five drops of the sauce. Here’s my recipe for habanero sauce, which will provide blistering heat and satisfy all but the most masochistic fire-eaters.

1 cup water

1/3 cup of red wine vinegar

1-3 fresh or dried habanero peppers, depending on how hot you like it.

1 large red bell pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

Chop up the bell and habanero peppers, (or grind the habaneros if using dried). Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 8-10 minutes. Finally, puree the mixture in a blender. You can use this sauce in numerous dishes but here’s my favorite: Steak Habanero.

1 pound flank steak

1 large onion

5 cloves garlic

6 roasted poblano peppers, (or bell peppers if you can’t find poblanos).

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 batch of habanero sauce

salt & pepper to taste

First, roast the peppers in the broiler and then peel and remove the seeds. For those of you who have never roasted peppers, let’s go through the mechanics. Place your broiler pan as close to the flame as possible and allow the broiler to get fully heated before adding the peppers. You want fast, intense heat to char the skin but not the underlying flesh. Turn the peppers as each side turns black. Then place them in a covered container to allow them to steep. When they have cooled the seeds and stems can be easily removed. Place the peppers aside and continue with the recipe.

Pound each side of the steak with a meat tenderizer and then brush with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. Sear each side in a sauté pan. The moment it’s browned flip it, and then remove it as soon as the other side is browned. Set the steak aside. In the same pan add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onions and roasted peppers. As soon as the onions and peppers get soft add the garlic. Sauté 1-2 minutes and then add the habanero sauce and half of the chopped cilantro. Simmer for a few minutes. Add the steak and continue cooking until desired doneness, (medium rare is just moments away). Add the remaining cilantro at the end. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm tortillas for dunking in the sauce.

add olive oil and reconstitute them