Stuffed Garden Poblanos with Chorizo, Cheese and Hatch Verde Sauce

For the past five years, I’ve reserved a spot in my garden for growing poblano chili peppers. They are one of my favorite chilies because of their flavor and versatility in a number of classic Mexican and Southwest recipes. The plants grow quite large – over three feet – and produce a lot of pods. Some varieties mature and turn chocolate brown, others flame red. Sadly, here in Wisconsin a killing frost overtook my garden last night, so yesterday late afternoon I gathered and saved as many pods as I could before they went bad.

In this recipe we’re going for traditional flavor, not heat. The beauty here is the wonderfully-reserved spice from the poblanos; you’ll need that balance so the individual ingredients stand out on their own. While you could label this recipe as “Chili Rellenos,” it is not the same. These are not deep-fried in an egg and flour batter.

Many brands of imported Mexican chorizo are extremely fatty. Choose carefully. Our local butcher makes their own using lean coarse-ground cuts of pork and authentic spices. The texture holds up better. Look for the mild variety.

Ensure the pinto beans are rinsed well as the liquid contains a lot of salt. One of my favorite harvest recipes — Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

4 large mature garden poblano peppers, washed, blistered with skins and seed pod removed  1 pound lean, coarse-ground mild chorizo 1 medium onion, diced 1 small red bell pepper, diced 4 large cloves garlic, roasted and minced 1 tsp. ground ancho chili powder 1 tsp. ground mild guajillo chili powder 1 tsp. ground Mexican oregano 1 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. fresh-ground cumin, from toasted seed 1/2 tsp. salt, to taste (*test the chorizo first, before adding it) 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided 1 15 oz. can Hatch® green enchilada sauce 1 16 oz. can Bush’s Best® pinto beans, rinsed well in cold water.

3 tbs. Cotija cheese 1/4 cup fresh-chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish Sliced scallion for garnish Small soft flour street tortillas for mopping up that decadent gravy

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 325° F. 

Rinse the poblano chilies in cold water and pat dry. Using a large 12” cast-iron skillet as a heat shield, evenly fire the chilies using a portable propane torch until the skin is evenly blistered on each. Place in a paper shopping bag, seal tight and allow them to sweat for 12-14 minutes. Rinse the peppers again under cold water and pull the charred skin off.

Using a sharp, narrow-bladed paring knife, carefully make a slit lengthwise down the side of each chili and then make a cut at the top of the inner seed pod, severing it. Remove the pod and shake out any remaining seeds. Leave the stems intact and set the chilies aside.

Using the same skillet, preheat to medium and fry the chorizo sausage, stirring often to break it up. Add the onion and garlic and continue to fry until the sausage is no longer pink, and the fat has rendered out. Drain off the fat and place the chorizo in a mixing bowl. Add the ground ancho chili, the guajillo, Mexican oregano, coriander and cumin. Add the salt* and 1 cup of jack cheese. Add 1/4 cup of the Hatch green enchilada sauce, the diced red bell pepper and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Mix well to incorporate.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce in a small saucepan and cover over very low heat. Stir occasionally until it is hot. While you are preparing the sauce, drain and rinse the pinto beans under cold water. Microwave for a minute until warm. Set aside and cover.

Arrange the poblano chilies in a large 12″ cast-iron chicken fryer or 9×13” baking dish and stuff each with the prepared chorizo filling. You will have some extra that you can use for tacos — store in the fridge until needed, but try to use within two days.

Place the pinto beans in the chicken fryer or dish to one side. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the chilies and beans. Evenly top with the remaining cup of jack cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the cheese has melted and starts to bubble and the chilies are evenly hot. Remove and top with 3 tbs. Cotija cheese, fresh-chopped cilantro and scallion. Serve each chili on a plate or wide serving bowl with a portion of the beans on the side, with the tortillas for dipping.

Serves 4. Leftovers should be gently reheated in the oven, covered until hot.

NOTE: Use extreme care when firing the poblanos to avoid a fire hazard. Ensure you have a suitable heatproof pan. Turn on your kitchen exhaust fan and fire them on your stove top. I use the propane torch method because it is quick and produces very even results.

The Hatch® Chili Company makes a wonderful line of authentic products from New Mexico. I highly recommend them if you can find them locally. Their fire-roasted whole green chilies and red/green enchilada sauces are legendary.

Culinary Compostnever endorses products for profit, and has received no monetary compensation for the content of this post.