Chile Rellenos & success !

[tubenit]

I love TexMex food!   AND .......... I love chile rellenos when they're done right.

I've tried for 10 yrs trying to make them, but have never been happy with the ultimate appearance after plating them.
Typically, they've tasted great but they sort of fall apart trying to peel the skins, stuff and toothpick em. They've looked a mess (sort of) but tasted good.

Yesterday,  I tried a propane torch like for plumbing & it was incredibly fast in burning the outer skin to make them easily to peel.  I tried a propane torch for cooking things like crème brulee previously but it was slow and left the meat of the pepper too soft. I also tried burning the outer layer on the grill and in the stove. Same issue, leaving the meat of the pepper too soft.  Then the peppers would fall apart trying to cut and stuff them.

The plumbing type propane torch only removed the outer skin layer and left the meat of the pepper very firm. Worked perfectly!

So, here's what I did.  I used Cubanelles  (you can use poblanos if you want).  Torch the skin till it turns black and bubbles.  These were large peppers and took maybe 1-2 minutes per pepper.  Take the torched pepper and seal it in a plastic bag.  The bag will fog up & this process makes the peppers easier to peel.

I then just took a scrub brush under cool water and in seconds have the outer layer of the pepper off.  You need this off to have the breading stick.  It is important to note that the meat of the pepper was just about as firm as it was prior to burning the outer skin.   (all other methods I tried failed in keeping the pepper firm enough)

I cut a slice in the side of the peppers and took all the seeds out of the interior of the pepper.  I then shredded sharp white cheddar and added it to some onion cuts  that I had sautéed in butter.

I stuffed the interior of the peppers with the cheese and onions.  Then took round tooth picks and tooth picked the slit side shut.

I've done different breadings.  I've done coated and battered.  I typically like coated the best.

So, I used eggs and buttermilk mixed to dip the peppers in.

I used a blend of seasoned flour,  cornmeal and Italian bread crumbs for the breading and coated the peppers with that.  The breading stuck perfectly.

I fried them very quickly in about a 3/8" of olive oil til the batter was golden brown.  IF you wish, you can shred a little more cheese over them while still hot from the fryer.

Remove, place on the plate and drizzle your favorite salsa across the length of the pepper.  I like a smoked chipotle salsa on mine.

They were absolutely GREAT !!!!    I ate them with some grilled BBQ chipotle chicken and a very interesting type of zucchini/squash hybrid that was lightly grilled and still firm.

Since it's taken me 10+ yrs to figure this out ............ I thought I'd share it.  The recipes I saw on the internet did not adequately explain removing the pepper skin, IMO.

Next time, I will stuff them with some grilled chicken pieces and onions along with cheese.

With respect,  Jeff 

[thermion]

The quality of a restaurant's chile relleno is pretty indicative of everything else going on in the kitchen...if they can get the relleno right then the other dishes are probably good too. Your recipe sounds killer, so I can only imagine what else you're up to in there!
On that note, now that you have a braising torch in the kitchen have you ever thought about cooking steaks, etc. using sous vide method? Once cooked this way the cuts can be finished with the torch to develop/ mature the flavor.

[tubenit]

have you ever thought about cooking steaks, etc. using sous vide method? Once cooked this way the cuts can be finished with the torch to develop/ mature the flavor.

That is an interesting idea and one I have not thought of?!    Thanks!

With respect, Jeff

[thermion]

One of my good buddies made a little SV rig with a simple "dixell" temp probe and controller unit that cycles a regular crock pot full of water on and off to maintain ~134F (just above bacteriocidal for most stuff). He'll season the steaks, put em in a seal-a-meal bag, and cook em for about a day like that. Pop em out, apply torch for about a minute on each side, and blammo. It's an especially good approach for folks who don't care for any trace of pink in their meat, this method gets em cooked through but super juicy with grilled flavor.

[tubenit]

Interesting approach!  I could see how that would work well.

I'm an 8th generation Texan (transplanted in NC).  My ancestors settled in Texas in 1833 around San Saba & Lampasas as cattle ranchers. This is some of the hill country north of Austin.

I like my steaks medium rare to almost rare on the inside and nicely grilled on the outside.   

Best regards,  Jeff

[thermion]

That's cool, Jeff... I have another very good friend of mine who lives out near Briggs, his inlaws are outside of Izora. I'm in Austin, southeast Travis county near the circuit of the americas track (whoever thought they'd stick that in Elroy of all places...) but I have deep roots around Houston.
I actually just microwave my steaks, it's way faster and easier. They turn out fine... 

[Ritchie200]

Thermion,


Have you been to any of the events at COA?  Being a HUGE Formula 1 fan we were going to go down last year and I got so pissed about the outrageous hotel rates, I just stayed home.  This coming from a guy who went to every F1 race in Indianapolis for what...ten years?  So I can live with a slight markup, but dont try to make a years profit off of me...  Plus tickets prices were at least 200% more than an equivalent ticket at Indianapolis.  Im surprised it went over as well as it did.  Attendance may be down this year now that the shine is off.  I know I am getting email blasts about how "good tickets are still available".  Talk to your hotel owners...   Ok, rant over.


Jeff, I am going to try that!  We are big fans of the CR!  'Maters are coming in.  I planted some Cherokee Purples again this year.  They are hands down the best tasting mater I have ever had!


Jim

[tubenit]

Jim,


Hope you will try them & let me know how you like them!  If you make improvements to it, please share.


Best regards, Jeff

[thermion]

Hey Jim - no I haven't due to ticket prices and the fact that just getting out there is a nightmare. FM812, an unimproved 2-laner, is the only real road to support the throngs, no other real roads or mass transit. They have other non-race events out there between races and I may try to go to a concert at some point.
I'm jealous, a late cold snap took out my purple cherokee this year. Sun gold and sweet 100 showed up to save the day though!

[DummyLoad]

just getting out there is a nightmare

it's not that bad. access via the toll-road.

hotels are gouging though...

--pete

[bmccowan]

I am resurrecting this very old thread because fresh Poblanos are one of the few great vegetables we have been able to get during this damn virus situation. I love Chile Rellenos and often use the propane torch method that Jeff describes. But I also sometimes char them over a carefully adjusted flame of a gas range. For cheese ones I use mild VT cheddar and do the egg & flour thing frying them in some peanut oil. Sometimes as a healthier and simpler side dish I skip the egg and flour and pan fry them in just a bit of oil. Add a steak and some stone ground grits and it's a feast.
But my favorite way to make and eat them is to skip the cheese and make a pork based picadillo for the stuffing. Popular in Mexico, not so much north of the border. This recipe from the cranky master of Mexican cooking Diana Kennedy is great https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/13133101/chiles-rellenos-de-picadillo-poblano-chiles-stuffed-with-meat-diana-kennedy/ - takes a bit of time. Her cookbooks are some of the world's greatest as she tells the story of how/where she learned each technique and recipe.