Recipe of the Month: Chile Rellenos

 

Ingredients:

6 Fresh green chiles of a mild variety such as Ancho, Pablano or Anaheim
1/2 pound Queso Blanco or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
(shredded spiced chicken may be used with or instead of the cheese)
1/4 cup flour
6 raw eggs (separated)
2 cups salsa verde and/or 2 cups Homestyle Salsa
1 cup vegetable oil, plus oil to coat chiles
Salt to taste   

Directions:

Rinse the chiles. Preheat oven to broil.

Coat chiles evenly with vegetable oil. Do not use olive oil, as it has a low smoke point. Place the chiles in a 9 x 14 baking dish and place on the top shelf of your oven.

Keep a close watch on the chiles. When the skins start to char and turn black in places, take the chiles out and flip them over. When both sides are fairly evenly charred, remove them from the oven.

Place chiles in a paper bag, roll the tip closed, and allow the chiles to steam. After a few minutes, check the skins. When the skin comes off easily, peel the chiles.

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, slit each pepper lengthwise. You may remove the stem or cut around it according to your preference. Remove the seeds and pulp, and with the back of your knife, gently scrape off any stray seeds which remain.

Fill the chiles. Fillings should be at room temperature or slightly chilled. If fillings are hot, the juices will flow out and cause the coating to slide off.

Use enough filling to stuff each chile relleno as completely as possible, but not so much that the seam won't hold together. Once the chiles are stuffed, you can set them aside for a few minutes or a few hours in the refrigerator.

Whip the egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer, until stiff peaks have formed.

Heat the oil in a skillet until a drop of water sizzles when dropped into the pan.

Beat the egg yolks with one tablespoon flour and salt. Mix the yolks into egg whites and stir to a thick paste.

Roll the chiles in 1/4 cup flour and dip each one in the egg batter. Coat evenly. Fry, seam side down on both sides until golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain.

Meanwhile, heat the salsa in a medium saucepan (either one or some of each). Place one or two rellenos on each plate and pour salsa over them. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Purchase fresh or frozen flame-roasted New Mexico chiles

Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights

It’s the time of year that lends a fiery passion to New Mexico. Time for chile pickin’, chile roastin’, chile dryin’, and chili cook-offs.

Not surprisingly, Red River makes a big to-do out of it all, with its annual “Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights” Music Festival & Cook-off. This year the festival runs August 18th through 20th, and features the “Red River Red” CASI Chili Cook-off, the New Mexico State Green Chile Championship, and a Lone Star BBQ Society Cook-off. Well, that should be enough red or green chile for just about anyone!

This spicy three-day celebration combines a singer/songwriter music festival at venues throughout Red River from Thursday through Saturday, with multiple cook-offs in Brandenburg Park on Saturday.

The cook-off this year is the CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) Four Corners Regional Cook-off, so Red River is expecting more chili cooks than ever. They are also hosting the Lonestar BBQ Society for their third cook-off in Red River, and are once again having the New Mexico State Green Chile Championship.

There will be a new overall “People’s Choice” category this year allowing for a huge prize (with cash) for the favorite entry in the PC category. This event is open to numerous recipes, including salsa, chili, green chile, jalapeno poppers, cobbler, beans, or whatever the cooks might dream up.

So make your way to Red River this weekend for some hot food and cool music.

Recipe of the Month: Green Chile Stew

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. cubed pork stew meat
1-1/2 large yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chopped, roasted green chiles
1 can diced tomatoes with juice (14-1/2 ounces)
2 yellow squash, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 cup fresh steamed, or frozen corn kernels
1 can pinto beans, drained (16 ounces)
1 cup tomatillo salsa
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt, pepper, paprika and chile powder, and add to pot. Cook until well-browned on all sides.

Remove browned pork and set aside. Lower heat to medium, and stir in the onion, garlic and squash. Cook and stir until the onion is soft and clear.

Return the pork to the pot, and stir in the green chiles, corn, diced tomatoes with juice, tomatillo salsa, and chicken broth. Add oregano and ground clove.

Raise heat to medium-high, and quickly bring a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, spoon off 2 cups of the soup, making certain it contains NO pork pieces, and pour into a blender.

Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree until smooth, then pour back into the cooking pot.

This is a good way to thicken the stew and eliminate some of the chunkier pieces.

Continue to simmer at least 30 minutes to one hour more, stirring occasionally, until the pork is very tender.

Serve with rice, beans and corn tortillas.

Enjoy!

Buy authentic New Mexico Green and Red Chile, Chile Sauces, and Salsas