WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Chiles rellenos are poblano chiles that are stuffed with a savory filling, enrobed in an airy batter and deep-fried. Traditional recipes take hours to prepare; we wanted a streamlined recipe for exceptional chiles rellenos. The fillings for chiles rellenos vary widely, but we were drawn to a boldly flavored ground pork filling seasoned with tomatoes, almonds, raisins, and warm spices. Although we loved the authentic flavor of the stuffing, a few tasters preferred the cheese-filled versions commonly found stateside, so we also developed a simple cheese variation. Although most recipes call for peeling the peppers before stuffing them, we found this step unnecessary; we simply broiled the peppers to soften them. Instead of the traditional (and fussy) egg white batter,
we opted for an easy-to-make batter of flour, cornstarch, and seltzer. A quick dredge in cornstarch dried out the surface of the chiles and helped the batter to adhere. If using poblano chiles smaller than 4 ounces, increase the total number of chiles to 12 to accommodate the filling. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more. Serve with hot sauce.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

FOR FILLING:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• teaspoon minced fresh oregano or ¼ teaspoon dried
• Chiles Rellenos with Pork
• 1 ½ teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup raisins
• 1 tablesoon cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (½ cup)
• ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped

FOR POBLANOS:

• 8 poblano chiles (4 ounces each)
• 1⅓ cups cornstarch
• 5 cups vegetable oil
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup seltzer

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE FILLING:

1. Cook oil, garlic, oregano, chipotle, cinnamon, and cloves in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in ground pork and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, raisins, vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon salt and simmer until most of liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Transfer meat mixture to bowl and mash into fine pieces with potato masher. Let meat cool slightly, then stir in Monterey Jack and almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FOR THE POBLANOS:

1. Position oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay poblanos on sheet and broil until skin is charred and puffed but flesh is still firm, about 8 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes. Transfer poblanos to bowl, cover, and steam for 10 minutes. Gently remove any loosened pieces of poblano skin, cut off stem end, and remove seeds; you do not need to remove all of skin or seeds.
2. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Stuff poblanos with meat mixture, leaving ½ inch room at top. Seal open end by weaving toothpick through top of chile. Place ⅔ cup cornstarch in shallow bowl; coat stuffed poblanos thoroughly with cornstarch and place on prepared wire rack.
3. Add oil to large Dutch oven and bring to 375 degrees over medium-high heat. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining ⅔ cup cornstarch together in large bowl. Slowly whisk in seltzer until just combined (some lumps will remain).
4. Coat 1 poblano with batter and add to hot oil; repeat with 3 more poblanos. Fry chiles, turning as needed, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes, adjusting burner as needed to maintain oil temperature of 325 degrees.
5. Transfer fried chiles to prepared rack and remove toothpicks. Repeat with remaining chiles. (Chiles can be held in 200-dgree oven for 30 minutes.)

VARIATION:

Chiles Rellenos with Cheese:

• Omit filling and skip steps 1 and 2. Toss 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese with 3 thinly sliced scallions and 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro; substitute cheese mixture for meat filling when stuffing poblanos.