BajaNomad - Chile rellenos

Chile rellenos

Sharksbaja - 4-4-2006 at 11:23 AM

I had a nice relleno made with a chile that looked more like a bell pepper than that of a chile. Didn't taste like one though but was mild with good texture. Can someone clue me in on the chile(s) typically used in Baja for relllenos?

chiles....

Pompano - 4-4-2006 at 12:01 PM

sharks...I don't know what Saul or others in town use, but my wife uses pasilla chiles...(known as anchos up north, I think) ...also the anaheims.

They look like this....would imagine you can get them in most all the markets in Mulege and Sta. Rosalia.

elizabeth - 4-4-2006 at 12:22 PM

Pompano's chiles are also known as poblanos. Anchos are dried poblanos. Nomenclature changes throughout Mexico and the US, so lots of chiles are known by different names in different places.

Poblanos are most often used for rellenos....

Pompano - 4-4-2006 at 12:25 PM

hey thanks, elizabeth...I remember now that my wife called these poblanos, too. Manuel Cuesta always has some nice ones..as does Saul's and other markets in Mulege.

Paula - 4-4-2006 at 01:49 PM

Sharks, I buy nice pasillas/poblanos in the supermarkets in Montana, so you should be able to find them in Oregon if you're up there. They grow them up that way too, so maybe some nice fresh ones in the farmers markets and fruit stands.

vandenberg - 4-4-2006 at 02:17 PM

Around the Sacramento area most people use the Anaheim chilies for Rellenos. They're much more consistent heat wise. We use the Poblanos here,of course, but you will find some severe " HOT " ones in a batch, and a lot of my gringo friends are put off by this. However, I love those myself.
Too bad you can not tell the heat by sight.

Cypress - 4-4-2006 at 03:38 PM

You've got to peel those peppers to make premo rellenos, Put 'em in a bag and steam 'em, then pull the hide off.

bajajudy - 4-4-2006 at 03:41 PM

I roast them, put them in a bag in the freezer for a few minutes, and peel them. They have a better flavor than steaming, I think.

Paula - 4-4-2006 at 04:18 PM

when you get a hot batch of poblanos, which should be mild but aren't always, after roasting and peeling them you can soak them in salted water for half an hour or so and then drain them. Sometimes this works, but not always.

Sharksbaja - 4-4-2006 at 05:49 PM

Yep those be them. Poblanos that is. Yes I have seen them at Fred Meyers before but they weren't near as large as the one's I had at La Palapa (in Loreto)
Actually Pompano I had a relleno at Sauls but it was very FLAT so my guess was it was another animal than the poblanos.

Mike Supino - 4-4-2006 at 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja
YI had a relleno at Sauls but it was very FLAT so my guess was it was another animal than the poblanos.

After the chilis are roasted they become very pliable and the amount of filling would dictate the flatness or roundness of them.

Frank - 4-4-2006 at 06:14 PM

you guys are killing me....

Sharksbaja - 4-4-2006 at 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike Supino

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja
YI had a relleno at Sauls but it was very FLAT so my guess was it was another animal than the poblanos.

After the chilis are roasted they become very pliable and the amount of filling would dictate the flatness or roundness of them.

How do I always manage..

ok, they were anorexic chilis

msmamrim - 4-4-2006 at 07:30 PM

My mom would roast and peel the peppers just like what bajajudy said. She used Anaheim and they were mild. What made them hot was my mom's homemade salsa picante. Yes, the chiles rellenos were flat but still very delicious.

Pompano - 4-5-2006 at 10:26 AM

A chile rellenos contest...? With graduating ratings. A winning contender from each town could compete in the grand finale next year. A Baja Food Fair. Specialties welcomed. Banana cream pies sought.

Mulege area cafes featuring chile rellenos with some regularity and fanfare are:

La Palapa
Jungle Jim's - Thursdays
Bony's at Coyote - Wednesday
Hope I didn't miss anyone?

Must be a ton more out there....

bajajudy - 4-5-2006 at 11:48 AM

Best ever, hands down...Mary's Cocina Economica, San Jose del Cabo. In Chamizal on Pescador across from Mexcan Solar.
Also Dante's also in Chamizal on Pescador but across from the Hangman. Pretty good ones at Jazmine's in town too. Rigo's, if you like crema on top.
They happen to be one of my favorite foods of any cuisine so I sample them frequently.
Am still waiting to be in Mulege on a Thurs. :no:

elizabeth - 4-5-2006 at 01:06 PM

More chile relleno trivia....

I grill them, either on my jen-air kitchen grill, or in better weather over charcoal. Then I wrap them loosely in a damp kitchen towel. That way they steam just enough to loosen the peel, but not enough to make them overcooked.

In addition to the salt water treatment, you can also use vinegar water to get rid of some of the heat for wimpy eaters! Poblanos are notorious for having an unpredictable amount of heat...but, the heat is mostly concentrated in the shoulders, so if you don't like the heat don't eat that high, and the person doing the peeling can pretty easily tell from smell which ones will be hottest.

Insides...some of my favorite ways to cook them...I almost always make them desnudo (no batter)...
Stuffed with salpicon de jaiba and served on a bed of guacamole and topped with salsa fresca and crema...
stuffed with picadillo cubano (ground or minced beef with tomatoes, green olives, and capers...
stuffed with pork picadillo and with walnut sauce, topped with Italian parsely and pomegranite seeds (chiles en nogada)...
for breakfast stuffed with scrambled eggs, and topped with salsa fresca, sliced avocado, and cotija....

What's your favorite way to cook rellenos?

Sharksbaja - 4-5-2006 at 01:19 PM

Crab c-cktail stuffed?
Thanx Liz for your great spin on an old favorite!

Pomegranite seeds? que es nogada?

bajajudy - 4-5-2006 at 01:41 PM

Sharks
Chiles en nogado is the national dish for the month of September(It is red, white and green). It is served cold or room temp...not hot. It is chiles stuffed with something similiar to mincemeat with a creamy walnut sauce on top and pomegranite seeds sprinkled on top of that.

I had read about this dish for years and wanted to try it in the worse kinda way. We were in Mex City eating in a restaurant before we went to Ballet Folklorica and we had decided to look at the menu and pick something immediately as we were running late. Well, we ordered and were sitting there sipping a glass of wine when this waiter went by with this plate of what I was sure was chiles en nogada. When he came back by, I asked him and sure enough that is what they were. I was thrilled. The next night, we marched into the restaurant and I puffed up and ordered chiles en nogada, my mouth watering in anticipation. The waiter said I am sorry we dont have that on the menu....I said but last night............. He said," AH, today is Oct 1st, we only have those for mes de patria....Septiembre." I was so bummed I wanted to cry.
I have since found a restaurant in Mex city that serves this dish all year long........thank goodness.
Also Spencer in San Lucas doesn a great job of chiles en nogada

[Edited on 4-5-2006 by bajajudy]

vandenberg - 4-5-2006 at 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by elizabeth
More chile relleno trivia....
.

Insides...some of my favorite ways to cook them...I almost always make them desnudo (no batter)...
Stuffed with salpicon de jaiba and served on a bed of guacamole and topped with salsa fresca and crema...
stuffed with picadillo cubano (ground or minced beef with tomatoes, green olives, and capers...
stuffed with pork picadillo and with walnut sauce, topped with Italian parsely and pomegranite seeds (chiles en nogada)...
for breakfast stuffed with scrambled eggs, and topped with salsa fresca, sliced avocado, and cotija....

What's your favorite way to cook rellenos?

Elizabeth,
I'm gaining weight just looking at your rellenos :lol:

Now my diet is in mortal danger....

Pompano - 4-5-2006 at 03:28 PM

I went scouring around my wife's recipe library...which is volumes long...and found this great tasting one which is made with poblanos. I can vouch for this treat!

POBLANO CHICKEN & SHRIMP

4 boned, skinned chicken breasts
1/2 # shrimp
3 T canola oil
2 diced red onion
2 poblano peppers, roasted peeled seeded and dice
10 mushrooms sliced
2 cans Rotel tomatoes, drained
4 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 can reduced calorie, cream of mushroom soup
1/2 pt nonfat sour cream
1 tsp paprika, salt & pepper to taste
1 12 oz bag tortilla chips, crushed
1 # ricotta cheese
8 oz grated Monterey jack cheese
Sear chicken breasts in large skillet in 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil until
medium rare. Remove from pan and julienne cut chicken. Add remaining
1 1/2 tbsp oil to skillet and add onions and Poblanos and cook for 5
minutes. Add mushrooms, Rotel tomatos, cilantro, soup and sour cream,. Simmer
for 5 minutes adding paprika and salt & pepper to taste. Line bottom
of 9x13" casserole dish with crushed tortilla chips, sprinkle half of
ricotta cheese over top, then sprinkle with half of Monterrey jack,
chicken and ROTEL mixture. Repeat layers, placing shrimp on top. Add
another layer of Monterrey jack. Cook at 350 for 20 minutes.

Leave your portion unattended at your own risk.

[Edited on 4-5-2006 by Pompano]

elizabeth - 4-5-2006 at 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vandenberg

I'm gaining weight just looking at your rellenos :lol:

You CAN"T gain weight eating them desnudo...it's the batter and deep frying that adds all the calories!!!! So, see, you can eat a lot more rellenos this way!!! You can even call them healthy!

Paula - 4-5-2006 at 03:34 PM

Chile en Nogada...
is the wedding dish in "Like Water for Chocolate. Ther recipe in the book is excellent, if you are a somewhat intuitive cook, as it is vague, confusing, and interspersed with the story (December chapter).

There is a recipe for this dish in most good Mexican cookbooks, and every one is different. The filling almost always has beef, sometimes pork, apple, peach, candied citron, onion, raisins, almonds, and cumin. The sauce is walnuts finely ground, with queso fresco and cream to thin it. I have made it meatless, using rice, and it is good that way too.

I really love this dish, and eat it almost any time it is on a menu. Different every time, and always amazing! At Los Adobes in Todos Santos it is really sweet, made with beef, and excellent.

Judy, They serve it at Mi Casa in Cabo SL, and though it isn't the best I've had, it is a great atmosphere for such a festive dish! It is also on the menu at La Fonda (?) in Cabo, and the food there is so good, I wish I had eaten it there.

Sharksbaja - 4-5-2006 at 03:42 PM

Excellent contributions. I will attempt to make it soon.

Pompano, that meal sounds pretty rich with all that queso. I'll bet it's awesome. My mom was the casserole wiz. She would have loved that. Her favorite additive was, of course, Corn Flakes. :lol:

oladulce - 4-5-2006 at 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by elizabeth
[
You CAN"T gain weight eating them desnudo...

I see your point elizabeth. If I ate them desnudo it would certainly remind me not to eat too much.

Oh my, chiles rellenos

Gypsy Jan - 4-5-2006 at 08:07 PM

I love them!

According to Rick Bayliss (a well-respected chef and cookbook author who specializes in Mexican cuisine), poblano chiles are handled best when quickly charred over a hot flame and then rested in a bowl covered by a linen towel. Flame broiling in the oven comes in second.

I don't remember him saying so, but I've seen this opinion in other recipes that roasting and covering with plastic overcooks the the chiles because the goal is to get them hot quickly and then cool them down quickly.

Pompano, I've seen bell-pepper shaped poblanos in the market. The distinguishing characteristic is the deep green color as opposed to the "limonada" color of a bell pepper.

The best (and most consistent) chile rellenos preparation that I've had are from the La Nueva Cachanilla in Rosarito. The batter is a perfect, non-greasy robing of the soft, yet toothy chile that still retains its grassy, chewy spicy essence, even when reheated in the micro the next day. To die for!

Minor rant - I despise the cooks who are too lazy, too sloppy to remove the seeds.

Side note - yesterday I had a "taco rellena de jaiba" at the taco stand next to the Pemex in Primo Tapia/Cantamar (for some stange reason, it's not on the menu, just ask).

This was a jalapeno stuffed with crab and lightly covered with batter. Heaven on a plate. Sitting at the picnic table on a wood deck overlooking the Free Road and the Toll Road overpass, watching the white/gray/black clouds drift across the hills of the northern arm of the bay, it was a great meal.

Total bill, including a shrimp taco, 35 pesos.

YummY!

Sharksbaja - 4-5-2006 at 08:52 PM

WOW Jan, I'm impressed with your description and use of adverbs! Do you write about food for a living? :lol:

The relleno I had was a bold, plump inviting affair. Lightly battered and deftly stuffed with a firm , nutty cheese. Tender enough to eat without much chew, the firmness was akin to a perfectly blanched bell pepper. Served topped with a hot "pico de gallo" style. I enjoyed it immensely.

I used to get egg-battered rellenos in Culver City. OH MAN were they good. They used the huge green anaheims. I've had many since similarily prepared but I'll always remember those.

Thanks, Sharks

Gypsy Jan - 4-5-2006 at 09:11 PM

for the praise.

I'm just the humble descendent of several generations of wordsmiths.

But, I degraded my heritage with a swerve into the worlds of advertising, marketing and pr.

Oh, the shame of it.

elizabeth - 4-5-2006 at 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oladulce

Quote:

Originally posted by elizabeth
[
You CAN"T gain weight eating them desnudo...

I see your point elizabeth. If I ate them desnudo it would certainly remind me not to eat too much.

Good going...This is really funny...I did mean the chiles should be desnudo, not the chile eaters!!!!!!

[Edited on 4-6-2006 by elizabeth]

Chile en Nogado

Gypsy Jan - 4-7-2006 at 01:15 PM

Check out this link for the recipe: http://www.fronterakitchens.com/cooking/recipes/stuffed_chil...

Paula - 4-7-2006 at 03:41 PM

This sounds very much like the recipe from "Like Water for Chocolate"-- refined and organized. The only major difference I see is in the sauce, which calls for "aged frech cheese"(!?!) in the English version, and I don't remember how the cheese is defined in the Spanish. And there is no sugar in the sauce, or sherry. It sounds like an excellent recipe... my mouthis watering!