Authentic Chiles Rellenos Recipes

REAL CHILES RELLENOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the peppers onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 8 to 10 minutes per side. When the peppers are about 80 percent blackened, place them a plastic bag, seal, and allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each pepper, and remove seeds and veins. To reduce spiciness, rinse out any remaining seeds with water. Pat the peppers dry with paper towels.
• Mix together the shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar cheese in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Divide the cheese into 4 portions, and squeeze each portion lightly in your hands to make a cone shape. Insert a cone into the slit in each pepper, and pin the openings closed with toothpicks. Dredge each pepper in flour, dust off the excess, and place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place the peppers in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• To make sauce, blend the stewed tomatoes in a blender until pureed, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 30 seconds, and pour in the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, black pepper, hot pepper sauce, and cinnamon. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer the sauce until reduced by half and thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C), and warm a platter in the oven.
• To make batter and finish the chiles rellenos, mix 1/3 cup flour with salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Lightly mix the egg yolk and flour-salt mixture into the egg whites to make a fluffy batter. Remove peppers from freezer and coat them in flour again; shake off excess flour, and dip each pepper into the egg batter, using a spoon to gently but completely coat each pepper with batter.
• Heat frying oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot oil, and fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown and the cheese filling is hot, about 5 minutes per side. Remove peppers to warmed platter while you finish frying. To serve, ladle a generous spoonful of sauce onto plate, and place pepper on sauce. Serve peppers hot with a dollop of sour cream.

CHILES RELLENOS (AUTHENTIC)

Steps:

• Roast chiles 3" under broiler, rotating until charred and blistered, about 3-4 minutes.
• Place chiles in a sealed plastic bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle and skin is loose enough to peel.
• Peel off skins under cold running water, then make a small slit three-quarters down length of chile and discard seeds, leaving stem attached.
• Cut cheese in six 3/4 - 1" thick slices slightly smaller than the chiles.
• Stuff each chile with 1 piece of cheese.
• Roll stuffed chiles in flour, shake off excess and set aside.
• In medium size frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and garlic, cook, stirring until golden (about 10 min).
• Add tomato puree and oregano, season to taste with salt.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes and keep warm.
• Crispy Egg Coating.
• Seperate 4 eggs.
• In large bowl, whip egg whites with salt until firm peaks form. (make sure they are firm).
• Beat egg yolks until well blended and fold into egg whites.
• Pour oil to a depth of 2-3 inches or so and heat to 425 degrees or med-high.
• Dipp each chile in egg coating and drop into oil and cook about 2 minutes until golden brown on each side, turning once with a fork or spatula.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Top with tomato sauce or enchilada sauce.
• Optional toppings, chopped cilantro, green onions and sour cream.

AUTHENTIC CHILE RELLENOS

Steps:

• Place the chiles directly on the burner of a gas stove until mostly blackened on each side.
• Put the cooked chiles in a plastic vegetable grocery bag for 30 minutes. Toss them around a bit so that the bag doesn't get a hole in it from the heat.
• Peel the blackened skin from the chiles with your fingers. It's not important to get every bit of skin off.
• Slice each chili on one side from stem to bottom.
• Remove most of the seeds and membranes. (If you like them really hot, omit this step).
• Cut the cheese into 1/2 wide slices and as long as the chiles.
• Stuff the cheese into each chile.
• Roll in flour.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold in the yolks. (If doubling the recipe make two batches of stiffened egg as the eggs will fall quickly).
• Drop chiles into egg batter and fluff it around them.
• Slide them into1 1/2" deep hot oil, one or two at a time until golden brown and turn to brown the other side.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Serve immediately or bake in oven for 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. If you have a convection oven, use it the feature as it makes them really crispy on the outside.
• Sauce: Combine all ingedients in a saucepan and let simmer until the rellenos are done. Serve on the side or cover the rellenos with it at serving.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CHILI RELLENOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place peppers onto the prepared baking sheet, and cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes. Turn the peppers often to blacken all sides. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl, and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 15 minutes.
• Rinse cooled peppers under cold water to peel off the skins, and cut a slit along the long side of each pepper to remove the seeds and core. Rinse the peppers inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Stuff the peppers with strips of the cheese.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the baking powder. In a second metal bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture. Place flour into a shallow bowl.
• Heat the vegetable shortening in a skillet over medium heat. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour, tap off excess flour, and dip the peppers into the egg mixture to coat both sides. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot shortening. Fry peppers until lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes per side.

CHILES RELLENOS

Steps:

• Char the chiles.
• Turn a gas burner on high. Char the chiles on the burner grate, turning with tongs (Marcela is a pro and uses her hands!), until blackened all over. Or char the chiles under the broiler.
• Let them soften.
• Transfer the charred chiles to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and close. Let stand 10 minutes. The chiles will steam in the bag, making them soft and easy to peel.
• Remove the skin.
• Gently rub the chiles with paper towels to remove as much skin as possible. It's okay if a few flecks remain-they'll add flavor, so don't rinse them off.
• Open the chiles.
• Using a paring knife, make a slit across the top of a chile just below the stem, leaving the stem intact. Starting from the middle of the slit, slice lengthwise down to the tip of the pepper (cut through only one layer). Open the chile like a book and pull out the seeds and inner membranes. You may need to use a paring knife to loosen the top of the seedpod. Repeat with the remaining chiles.
• Prepare the sauce.
• Puree the tomatoes, onion and garlic in a blender until smooth. Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomato puree and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; the sauce will be broth-y. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
• Make the filling.
• Place the cheese in a bowl, then add the oregano, crumbling and rubbing it with your fingers to release its flavor. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the chiles.
• Fill each chile with about 1/4 cup cheese mixture. Fold in the sides to cover the filling, then thread 2 toothpicks across the seam to form an X. You will probably need to make a second toothpick X to secure each chile so the filling doesn't leak out when you fry.
• Mix the batter.
• Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and beat 3 more minutes.
• Batter and fry.
• Heat about 1 inch vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
• Dredge: Pour flour into a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. One at a time, coat the stuffed chiles with the flour.
• Batter: Holding each chile by the stem, lower it into the egg batter to cover completely. Let any excess batter drip off.
• Fry: Add the chiles to the hot oil, 1 or 2 at a time; fry, flipping once with tongs, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Eat!
• Place a fried chile on each plate and pour the warm sauce over it. Serve immediately.