Chicos
Chicos are a traditional staple food of the native tribes and Hispanic cultures of the American Southwest. Using a process that combines roasting with drying, the end product is a dried, wrinkled corn that stores well and cooks up to a soft, almost fresh corn consistency with a smoky flavor. Chicos are frequently cooked with beans, the two combining to make a complete protein under a tight budget. You can produce chicos from your own garden corn or from purchased ears.
Instructions
1. Choose plump ears of corn with tight husks. Field corn is traditional, but ordinary roasting ears will also work.
2. Place the ears in a baking pan, then cover the pan with foil. Bake in a 350-degree oven for three hours.
3. Remove the ears from the oven and allow them to cool. Pull the husks back, then tie the ears together in pairs. You can tie more than two ears together if you wish.
4. Hang your tied ears in an airy, well-ventilated place to finish drying. The dried corn can be stored on the ears but is usually rubbed from the cobs and stored in jars or bags -- any place that will keep the chicos free of pests.
Tags: Corn Chicos, Dried Corn, , ears together, Make Dried, Make
