EATS: Mexican Chile Rellenos Recipe
Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner and I’ve been preparing some of my favorite recipes from Mexican cuisine to come up with the perfect Cinco de Mayo menu. Chile rellenos are a classic Mexican dish. The fragrant, creamy tomato sauce compliments the deep fried, cheese filled, poblano pepper in a way that will have your taste buds singing. My Mexican chile rellenos recipe is vegetarian and filled with cheese. If you’d like you can add minced meat to stuff the poblano peppers.
Mexican Chile Rellenos Ingredients (4 servings)
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, chopped
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 Tablespoon avocado oil (for tomato sauce)
2 cups avocado oil (for frying)
1 cup of water
4 large poblano peppers
4 eggs, separated. 4 egg whites and 3 egg yolks
2 cups Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt for sauce + more for seasoning as you go
cilantro leaves for garnish
Mexican Chile Rellenos Instructions
Heat oven at broil setting
Wash poblano peppers and place them whole on a baking sheet. Set aside.
In a large sauce pan over high heat, add avocado oil, onions, garlic, jalapeños. Sweat for about 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes. Season with salt. Allow to cook over a medium simmer. About 4 minutes into cooking add water. Total cook time should take about 10 minutes (until tomatoes are soft and easily smashed)
While the sauce is cooking, place poblano peppers into the oven. Char each side evenly, checking and rotating the pepper ever 30 seconds to 1 minute.
In a medium mixing bowl, season egg whites with salt. Using a hand mixer, whisk until light and frothy.
Add egg yolks to the egg whites and whisk until combined
Place charred poblano peppers (fully in tact) into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to allow to steam while cooling to room temperature. This will make it easier to peel the skins.
Add tomato sauce into a blender. Blend until sauce is a smooth and creamy texture. Return to sauce pan and set aside.
Keeping stems on poblano peppers, wearing gloves, use your hands to peel the outer skin off of the pepper. Try to keep the pepper as whole as possible. Follow the natural line to create an opening on one side of the pepper.
Using your hands, remove the seeds from inside the poblano pepper. DO NOT rinse seeds out with water. It will remove the char flavor from your peppers.
Stuff peppers with Jack cheese
In a medium cast iron skillet heat oil to 375 degrees.
One at a time, roll poblano pepper in flour, carefully sealing the pepper as you go. Dredge in egg mixture and carefully place into the frying pan.
Cook pepper on each side until lightly browned.
Place fried pepper on cooling rack lined with paper towels. Salt pepper immediately out of the fryer.
Reheat tomato sauce
On a serving plate, spoon tomato sauce down. Place fried poblano on top of sauce. Add sauce over top, garnish with cilantro and serve!
