Who can resist cheese-stuffed poblanos served with a rich tomato sauce flavored with cinnamon and cloves? A common culinary practice in Mexico, charring the poblanos imparts an irresistible smokiness to this dish.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 6 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 51 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 8 poblano chile peppers (4 1/2 to 5 inches long)
- 12 ounces muenster cheese, cut into 8 sticks (about 3 1/2 by 1 inch)
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored and chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 whole cloves
- 7 black peppercorns
- 2 small bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 sprig fresh cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 6 large eggs, separated
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler. Place the chiles on a foil-lined broiler pan; broil, turning, until the skins char, about 8 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool, about 10 minutes.
- Peel the chiles. Slice each open lengthwise, about 1/2 inch from the top to 1 inch from the bottom. Remove the seedpod, then rinse to flush out any remaining seeds. Blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Carefully stuff each chile with a stick of cheese.
- Puree the tomatoes, onion and garlic in a blender until smooth. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add the tomato puree, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cilantro sprig and fry, stirring, until thick, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broth, reduce the heat and simmer until thickened but still brothy, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt. Strain, discarding the solids, and keep warm.
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 1 to 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360. Beat the egg whites, 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon salt with a mixer until stiff but not dry. Beat the yolks in a separate bowl until combined, then gently fold them into the whites.
- Overlap the sides of the slit in the chiles to enclose the cheese, then dredge in flour, working with two chiles at a time. (Coat any tears with flour.) Using tongs, dip and roll the chiles in the egg mixture to coat. Fry in the hot oil until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer with a large skimmer or 2 spatulas to the paper-towel-lined baking sheet, letting the excess oil drip back into the pot. Repeat with the remaining chiles and egg mixture. Place in the oven on the lined baking sheet to cook off any excess oil, about 5 minutes.
- Ladle the tomato broth into 4 shallow bowls; place 2 chiles in each. Garnish with cilantro.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1255 |
| Total Fat | 113 g |
| Saturated Fat | 25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 39 g |
| Cholesterol | 361 mg |
| Sodium | 1784 mg |
Reviews
What a great dinner! I did do a couple of minor modifications. I added roasted cumin and a middle eastern roasted chili blend that I had on hand oh and a couple of T of Knorr’s chicken tomato powder. It really worked out great.
These were AMAZING!!! and although it seems like a lot of work, if you make the peppers ahead of time and refrigerate them until they’re ready to be fried, it is sooooo worth it. Don’t overchar your peppers, if you do don’t hold them from the stem because the stem will come right off of your pepper and make a hole at the top. Also, making sure the peppers are patted dry well is very important, otherwise your flour and egg will not stick to the pepper after you’ve fried them, the crunchy coating will start to slip off. If you coat them and let them sit for 10-15 minutes they will actually stay in place better, just like when you make onion rings. Thank you to victornlisa, I used your toothpick idea to keep the peppers closed in two places and it worked great. the tomato broth was very easy to make, I just combined everything, set the timer, and forgot about it. I will definitely make these again!
That sauce is absolutely amazing
I’ve never made these before or eaten them anywhere. I thought I’d give it a try. They were pretty easy to make. The hardest part was skinning the chiles. Although I made a mess of them and used toothpicks to hold them closed they turned out remarkably well. My mexican husband really enjoyed them and so did I. The broth was especially good. Very tasty!
This recipe is one of my top 3 all-time meals. It is time-consuming but well worth it for a weekend meal or special occasion. The glowing chiles and tomato broth are both phenomenal. Even my wife, who doesn’t usually care for spicy or Mexican food, loves it!
I have been making this recipe for years. It has become a “go-to-recipe” when poblanos and tomatoes are in season. The tomato broth is divine!
Most excellent! The broth was really exquisite and, if you’ve made these before, it’s a simple recipe, especially if you char the peppers ahead of time. The broth was my favorite part! The whole family loved it.
I love Chiles Rellenos. Looks like a simple recipe.
This is a great recipe, everyone who ate them thought so too! Iv’e tried a few different sauces with my relleno’s in the past, but this one was the best Iv’e tried. I think I will stick with this recipe from now on.
These were hard to make, but the best I have ever had! I might stuff them with shredded cheese next time to see if it makes the job easier. My peppers kept splitting everywhere when I tried to stuff them with cheese chunks.