Gallup-grown Pear and Poblano Chutney

The peppers and pears

The lack of a late spring freeze on the Colorado Plateau this year has led to bountiful fruit harvests all over the region and here in our frosty morning town. And so when a friend dropped off a bushel basket of bosch pears, grown in the Hill/Green region of Gallup, the first preserving recipe that came to mind was a gingery sweet pear and poblano chutney. 

The Gallup Trails 2010 annual party in McGaffey gave us the perfect opportunity to try the recipe on a grand scale. We peeled and peeled and peeled the pears, without a peeler, and then seeded and charred the poblanos over the grill, finally we diced it all with fresh ginger, garlic, red onion, and a few hot peppers from the garden (jalapeno, bird's eye, and thai).  Simmering in white vinegar and brown sugar for 4 hours, delivered a tasty sweet sauce to accompany the banana leaf-wrapped pork shoulders beautifully pit-roasted (fired by oak from 4-7am) for 11 hours by Mike S, Jake G and the GT2010 kitchen crew. Bill's tamed, yet still kicking, habanero salsa puree was said to give the chutney some zing, and in return, the chutney gave some cooling relief from the fiery hot orange peppers. In the end, all the sauces where gone mid-service, and 6 picnic-cut pork shoulders (whole bone and skin), a huge brisket, and two turkey breasts disappeared into the crowd of cyclists and Gallup Trails 2010 member/supporters within an hour. The local home-brewing competition, won by Brian Culligan's #4, washed it all down, and greased the dance floor for the southwest's best bluegrass: The Back Porch Band!