Ingredients
For a Vegetarian Filling*:
3 cups Brown Rice
Water
Salt
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Onion
2 tbsp ground Chili Ancho
2 tbsp ground Cumin
1/2 cup Pasilla or similar medium Salsa
1/2 lb Colby Longhorn
1/2 lb Jalapeno Jack
For the Chilies:
16 large firm Poblano Chilies
Water
6 Eggs plus one**
3 cups Flour**
2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper**
8 tbsp Corn Oil
(**Beer)
Tools
Pressure Cooker or other pot for rice
Gas Grill
Tongs
Damp Dishtowel
Paper Bag
Sink
Measuring tools as necessary
Wooden Spoon
Cutting Board
Knife
Cast Iron Skillet
Paper Towels
Aluminum Foil
Baking Sheet
Oven
Instructions
Prepare the Filling
1. Pressure cook or otherwise prepare the rice (not presented here) with water and salt to taste
2. Heat oil in skillet on medium
3. Dice onions medium and sweat in skillet
4. Add spices
5. Add rice
6. Add salsa
7. Shred and add cheeses
8. When well-combined, remover from heat and refiregate or otherwise allow to cool
Prepare the Chilies
1. Heat grill on high
2. When hot, arrange the chilies
3. As soon as they are blistered black, turn them, doing all two or three sides
4. Remove to damp towel, wrap, place in paper bag and allow to cool.
5. Prepare to peel skin. Under slow running water, peel all chilies.
6. Then, under running water, find the weakest part of the flesh, open it, and gently remove all the seeds and veins. Pull the veins up toward the stem - if you pull them down, they will shred the chili
7. Stuff each with an appropriate amount of mix (around 1/3 cup) and set aside
Cook the Rellenos**
1. Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl for dredging
2. Separate all eggs except one. Mix the last one in a bowl with water to form an egg wash
3. Use a mixer to beat the whites until soft peaks form
4. Hand beat yolks until they are pale yellow
5. Fold yolks into whites and set in a bowl for coating
6. Clean the skillet, add 4 tbsp oil and reheat to medium
7. Set oven to 350
8. Dredge each chili in flour, coat with egg wash and then with the egg mixture
8. Place in skillet and turn when golden, just a few minutes. Place only 2 or three at a time so as not to overcrowd them.
9. Drain on paper towels and place on foil-covered baking sheet
10. Place in the oven for ten minutes to complete cooking and prepare for service
Plate some Sauce, Top with a Chili Relleno, and Serve
Notes
Big Jims are standard in New Mexico and in the Trans-Pecos (Far West Texas) and are available locally in the early fall. Chilies Poblanos are used in Central Texas and elsewhere because of their availability. I use Poblanos because I can't get Big Jims.
*Ground beef with onion is standard in New Mexico and Cheese is standard in Texas. This version is an approximation of Alexis' vegetarian filling and is likely not accurate. With this much work, a two person team is a good thing.
Serve with a suitable sauce such as chipotle-tomatillo or corn-tomatillo.
Serve with an accompaniment of Black or Pinto Beans and a roasted corn tortilla.
Cautions
**The eggwash was an idea for the next time because although this method is superior to others, the mix doensn't stick well to the flour and therefore is a little messy. And this method of coating these did not leave them quite crispy enough. For this amount, Mark Bittman says to ditch the yolks and modify as follows: 8 egg whites, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp salt (as shown but ni pepper) and 4 cups (3 cans) of beer. Combine and fold in prepared egg whites. This shold make a thinner and more crispy batter. He also suggests more oil.
This dish is generally made when big chilies become abundant, usually at least in the fall. (They also become cheap but that's not the point.) This means that you never really have control over when you will choose to prepare this. But it will take two people one day, so it will need to be done on a weekend for sure.
This is a bastardized Tex-Mex recipe I developed since I can't get to the old Paul's roadside restaurant in Carizzozo, New Mexico like I did in the 80s. With Big Jims and ground beef, they were the standard. But with a good sauce, these will stand up to any tex-mex recipe around.
Roasting, peeling, de-veining and stuffing are each difficult. Working with chilies takes practice. Follow the instructions.
This is tough enough without using a charcoal or wood fire to roast the chilies like they do in New Mexico. A gas grill will do, but using chipotle in the sauce can bring back some of the flavor, albeit at a price where the spice might overwhelm the dish. Exercise caution.