How to Cook Stuffed Poblano
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
Ingredients needed to make Stuffed Poblano:
For the filling:
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 can (15 oz) whole, peeled tomatoes, juice reserved
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp pickled jalapenos, finely chopped
- ¼ cup raisins, finely chopped
- ¼ cup almonds, blanched, slivered and finely chopped
- ¼ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup canola oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the chiles:
- 8 poblano chiles
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups canola oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Chopped cilantro, for garnishing
Cooking instructions for Stuffed Poblano:
- To make the filling, drizzle oil in a 6 qt saucepan and heat it over moderately high heat.
- Throw in the onion as well as garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, while stirring at times, until they soften.
- Stir in the beef and brown the beef for about 12 minutes, stirring often, until the liquid ebbs away.
- Skim off any grease in the pot and place the pot back to heat.
- Drop the bay leaf and cinnamon into the meat and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until they give out a piquant aroma.
- Empty the can of tomatoes into the above mixture, along with raisins, almonds, whole olives and jalapenos.
- Stir them all together until well combined and cook for about 5 minutes or until it thickens.
- Adjust the seasonings and turn off the heat.
- To make the stuffed chiles, preheat your broiler to high.
- Arrange the chiles on a baking sheet, lined with baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes, turning them over several times, until they are charred thoroughly.
- Transfer them to a bowl and allow them to cool.
- Peel off the blackened skin and chop off the stems before splitting each of them longitudinally.
- Do away with the ribs plus seeds and stuff 1/8 part of the stuffing into each chile.
- Seal the open ends of the chile and leave it in the fridge until necessary.
- Pour oil in a large skillet and heat it over moderately high heat.
- Spread the flour across a shallow plate and set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites in another bowl until they form soft peaks and beat in the egg yolks; adjust the seasonings and set aside.
- Place the stuffed chiles onto the flour and flip them over to coat well.
- Shake off any excess flour and transfer them to the bowl with whisked egg.
- Dip them into the hot oil to fry them in batches, for about 5 minutes or until the filling is heated through and the chiles turns golden brown.
- Drain them out using slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease.
- Arrange them on serving platter and top it up with chopped cilantro.
- Serve hot alongside hot salsa.
image credit: Wikimedia Commons
