recipe for chile relleno

[nancya]

I love you guys! Ya'll want to come over for dinner while I try several different varieties?

Whatever happened to a green chili recipe?

Just wanted to say also how much I enjoy ChefTalk. I find something new I want to try everytime I log on.

[Kimmie]

Nancya,

I'm sorry I didn't find a good green chile recipe for you. Didn't even find a bad one!

[mudbug]

Nancya,

I don't know if you saw my post above but here is the link for whole chile relleno recipes

If you are specifically looking for green chili recipes, Click on this link.

[lovindewgirl]

I myself love Chiles Rellenos. I searched around to find a recipe of my favorite mexican entree. Here is a Rellenos recipe I found in Better Homes and Gardens Mexican Cook Book from 1977. It is great and I love it!!

Chilles Rellenos

8 large poblano chilies
1 16oz. can tomatoes
1 small onion, cut up
1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon granules
Dash pepper
Dash ground cinnamon
4 cups shredded monterey jack cheese (1 pound) or 4 cups Picadillo, heated
8 egg yolks
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 egg whites
Fat for frying
Cilantro or parsley

Broil peppers 2 inches from heat for about 15 minutes, turning often, till all sides are blistered. Place peppers in a paper or plastic bag. Close bag and let stand about 10 minutes or till cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, make tomato sauce. In blender container combine undrained tomatoes, onion, bouillon granules, pepper, and cinnamon. Cover; blend till smooth. Transfer to a saucepan. Heat to boiling; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat while preparing peppers.
Peel peppers; remove stems and seeds. Stuf each pepper with 1/2 cup of the cheese or 1/2 cup hot Picadillo. Set aside. Slightly beat egg yolks and water. Add flour and salt; beat 6 minutes or till thick and lemon-colored. Beat egg whites till stiff peaks form. Fold yolks into whites.
In a large heavy skillet heat 1/2 inch fat to 375 degree. For each serving spoon about 1/3 cup egg batter into hot fat, spreading batter in a circle. Fry 3 or 4 at a time. As batter begins to set, gently top each mound with a stuffed chili. Cover with another 1/3 cup batter. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes more, till underside is brown. Turn carefully; brown second side. Drain on paper toweling; keep warm in 300 degree oven while preparing remainder. Serve with tomato sauce; garnish with snipped cilantro or parsley. Makes 8 servings.

I hope this is helpful to anyone who loves Chiles Rellenos

[MuskyHopeful]

Someone earlier mentioned Rick Bayless. I make them as described in Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen. Some of the recipes here are similar. Roast skin and peel the poblanos. Make a slit in the side and remove the seeds. Stuff with cheese or pork pecadillo. Close with a couple toothpicks. I usually do two of each. That cookbook also has an excellent pecadillo recipe with raisins, almonds, and a hint of cinnamon, and also a great sauce.

I struggled with these until I found a little hint in another of Bayless's cookbooks. After stuffing, put the peppers in the freezer for a short time to firm them up. After the slight freeze, dip them in an egg batter (stiff whites with yolks incorporated as someone else described). They float and I fry them in deep oil turning once. Then I set them on papers towels on a cookie sheet (again per Bayless), and put them in a 250 degree oven for about ten minutes which firms them and sweats out a little oil. Set them on a plate on the sauce. Lots of work, but well worth it.

These rellenos are absolutely one of my favorite things to eat. At Bayless's Frontera Grill, they only make about 15 servings every day. They go quick. When we eat there, which is most every time we go to Chicago, we go before they open at 5:00 pm and get in line, (they don't take reservations). When they come out before the doors open to find out how many in your party, you tell them you want an order of the rellenos. They smile and say good choice.

My wife and I then split this entree as an appetizer, as do most of the other people that order them while in line. I picked up that tip on the LTH forum, I think.

They are so darn good I feel like driving down to Chicago tomorrow. Maybe I'll make some and post the pictures.

By the way, the cookbook I referenced is one of my favorites. The front third of the book contains authentic sauces, salsa, etc., and you can build just about anything around them. I love it.

Kevin

[phatch]

While Poblanos are the most traditional, Anaheims make a good relleno as well. I can find Anaheims easily. Poblanos take some driving and seasonal timing.

Phil

[boar_d_laze]

Wendy's recipe is very much what we see in real Mexican restaurants (as opposed to restaurants oriented to the gabacho clientele) in SoCal -- and it doesn't get more Mexican anywhere than here. Or, for that matter, Chicago. Lovindewgirl's recipe resonates too. Not to take anything away from Bayless, or the other mavens of cocina Mexicana but the everyday foods tend to be simpler than the en nogada (walnut) recipe or the Zarela Martinez recipe. While those dishes may be "authentic," they're more high-zoot than typical. It all depends what you're looking for: What Mexicans eat at home, or what they eat when they go out to high-end Mexican restaurants in Mexico, or Chicago. Oddly, we don't see much of that here. The trends in SoCal Mexican restaurants seems to be regional cooking, and mariscos (sea food). There also seems to be a strong orientation to the ethnic customer. That may be more pronounced in the San Gabriel Valley where I live, though.

Lovindewgirl caught the type of sauce usually used for chiles relleno in northern Mexico which is where so many of our immigrants originate. That is, a basic ranchero. Which means a farm-style tomato sauce. If you're not looking to go fancy, you could do worse than opening a can of red enchilada sauce. Saute a few onions, cut lyonnaise with a few strips of green pepper, and when they're sweated, dump the enchilada sauce on top. Thin it with a little broth or water or beer. Want to go crazy and cook it just like mama used to? When it's simmering, add a few chicharrones (fried pork rinds) and simmer until they're very tender.

A lot of what and how depends on what kind of access you have to Mexican markets. Here in SoCal people use poblanos and anaheims, and all kinds of cheese. There are a lot of Mexican cheeses that work, and a lot of American and European cheeses, too. If it melts, it can't be bad. But when it's all done, try crumbling some cotijo on top.

BDL