Chile rellenos (stuffed chiles) pt 1

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 pounds Boneless pork
½ Onion; sliced
2 Cloves garlic; peeled
1 tablespoon Salt
6 tablespoons Lard or the fat from the broth
½ medium Onion; finely chopped
3 Cloves garlic; peeled and chopped
8 Peppercorns
5 Whole cloves
1 1/2 inch sti cinnamon
3 tablespoons Raisins
2 tablespoons Almonds; blanched & slivered
2 tablespoons Acitron or candied fruit; chopped
2 teaspoons Salt
1¼ pounds Tomatoes; peeled and seeded
1¼ pounds Tomatoes; peeled and seeded
¼ medium Onion; roughly chopped
2 Cloves garlic; peeled and chopped
¼ cup Lard or reserved fat from the broth
4 Whole cloves
6 Peppercorns
2 smalls Bay leaves
2½ Sticks cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Dried thyme
3 cups Reserved pork broth
Salt; to taste
6 Chiles poblanos; or bell peppers
Peanut oil - at least 3/4\" deep
4 Eggs; separated
¼ teaspoon Salt
A little flour

Directions

PICADILLO

TOMATO BROTH

THE CHILES

THE BATTER

This dish consists of large chiles or bell peppers stuffed with meat or cheese, coated with a light batter, and fried. They are served in a light tomato broth.

There is alays an exclamation of pleasure and surprise when a cazuela of golden, puffy chiles rellenos sitting in their tomato broth is presented at the table. If you have eaten those sad, flabby little things that usually turn up in so-called Mexican restaurants in the United States as authentic chiles rellenos, you have a great surprise in store. Here is yet another prime example of the fine feeling the Mexicans have for texture in their food: you bite through the slightly crisp, rich chile poblano to experience the crunch of the almonds and little bits of crystallized fruits in the pork filling. Then there is the savory broth to cut the richness of the batter.

Chiles poblanos are imported in great quantities to large centers of Mexican population here in the States but very few find their way to the East. (Maybe this was true in 1972 when this book was published, but these days they are readily available here in Cambridge. To me, bell peppers are no substitute.) I am afraid the bell pepper is about the only suitable substitute for appearance and size--you can always spike them with a little chile serrano.

Assembling the chiles may seem like a long laborious task, but it is no more complicated and time consuming than most worthwhile dishes, and this dish is certainly worthwhile.

Prepare the picadillo:

Cut the meat into large cubes. Put them into the pan with the onion, garlic, and salt and cover with cold water. Bring the meat to a boil, lower the flame and let it simmer until just tender--about 40 to 45 minutes. Do not overcook. Leave the meat to cool off in the broth.

Strain the meat, reserving the broth, then shred or chop it finely and set it aside. Let the broth get completely cold and skim off the fat. Reserve the fat.

Melt the lard and cook the onion and garlic, without browning, until they are soft.

continued in part 2

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