Description
Mexican culinary masterpiece chiles en nogada blends patriotic colors with rich flavors from Puebla. Poblano peppers stuffed with fruit and meat create a festive dish that celebrates independence and seasonal ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 large poblano peppers
- 1 lb (454 g) ground pork or beef
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped or pureed
- ½ apple, peeled and diced
- ½ pear, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup (37 g) raisins
- ¼ cup (37 g) chopped dried apricots (optional)
- ¼ cup (30 g) slivered almonds
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (1 g) ground cloves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup (120 g) walnuts (soaked in warm water or milk for 1 hour, skins removed)
- ½ cup (120 ml) Mexican crema or sour cream
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- ¼ cup (60 g) fresh cheese (like queso fresco or ricotta)
- 12 tbsps (180 g) sugar, to taste
- ¼ tsp (1 g) cinnamon (optional)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Pepper Preparation: Char poblano peppers over open flame or broiler until skin completely blisters. Steam in covered bowl for 10 minutes to facilitate skin removal.
- Meat Foundation: Sauté onions and garlic until translucent, then brown ground meat thoroughly in a large skillet, creating a robust flavor base.
- Flavor Enrichment: Add diced tomatoes, apples, pears, raisins, and almonds to meat mixture. Introduce traditional spices and simmer until fruits soften and mixture harmonizes.
- Walnut Sauce Creation: Blend soaked walnuts with crema, milk, cheese, sugar, and cinnamon until achieving a silky, luxurious sauce consistency.
- Pepper Stuffing: Carefully peel and deseed roasted poblanos, then generously fill with spiced picadillo mixture, ensuring even distribution.
- Final Assembly: Gently cascade walnut sauce over stuffed peppers, creating an elegant presentation that showcases the dish’s intricate layers.
- Finishing Touch: Garnish with vibrant pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley, adding visual appeal and bright flavor contrast.
Notes
- Roast Peppers Perfectly: Char poblano peppers evenly over direct flame, rotating frequently to prevent burning and ensure uniform blackening.
- Handle Delicate Peppers: Peel carefully using gentle motions to keep pepper structure intact, avoiding tearing or breaking the delicate skin.
- Balance Flavor Complexity: Use fresh, high-quality ingredients like ripe fruits and nuts to enhance the authentic Mexican flavor profile of the picadillo filling.
- Walnut Sauce Secrets: Soak walnuts overnight for smoother texture, strain excess liquid, and adjust consistency by adding milk gradually to prevent sauce from becoming too thin.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 468
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 305 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg