Recipes

Poblano Chiles Stuffed with Beef and Cheese (Chiles Rellenos)

  • Serves

    serves 4

We learned an interesting technique with this recipe: leave the seeds inside the chiles so that they'll mingle with the stuffing, adding a little spark of heat.

Ingredients

  • 8 large poblano chiles
  • 1 14 lb. beef sirloin, trimmed and cut into 1⁄2" pieces
  • 1 12 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 tsp. steak seasoning, preferably McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 1 14 cups extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 cup cooked short-grain white rice
  • 12 cup cotija cheese, grated
  • 12 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup flour
  • 6 egg whites
  • 3 egg yolks

Instructions

Step 1

Place a rack about 4 inches from the broiler element and preheat. Lay chiles on a baking sheet in a single layer and broil, turning once, until they just begin to blacken, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer chiles to a paper bag and close the top (alternatively, transfer to a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap). Let chiles steam for 20 minutes. Peel charred skin off of chiles, leaving seeds and stem intact (discard skin). Using a small knife, make a 1"-long lengthwise slit near the top of each chile to form a pocket. Set aside.

Step 2

Put beef, garlic salt, and steak seasoning into a medium bowl and toss to coat. Heat 1⁄4 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown the beef, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer beef to a large bowl. Let cool slightly, then add rice and cheeses to beef, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine. Stuff each chile with about 1⁄2 cup of the beef mixture. Set aside.

Step 3

Put flour into a wide, shallow dish. Put egg whites into a large bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Add yolks to whites and beat gently to combine. Heat remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, dredge chiles in flour, shaking off excess, then dredge in egg mixture and transfer to skillet. Fry chiles until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer chiles to a paper towel–lined plate to let drain; sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately, with Grilled Tomato Salsa, if you like.

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