Making Stuffed Poblano Peppers
This marks the 8th week the world has been in quarantine. Tomorrow, many states will begin to re-open. Some restaurants will open to 25% capacity with social-distancing rules still enforced. As tomorrow is May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, I thought it aprepos to share a celebratory recipe. And in honor of tomorrow's Mexican festival, why not make stuffed poblano peppers? After all, doesn't everyone love Mexican cuisine with their Corona (the beer, of course)?
Stuffed peppers is a dish common in many cuisines. It consists of hollowed or halved peppers filled with any of a variety of fillings. The fillings include meat, vegetables, cheese, rice, or sauce. The dish is usually assembled by filling the cavities of the peppers and then cooking.
In honor of tomorrow's Mexican festival, we'll be cooking Stuffed Poblano Peppers in this recipe. It's also because I took a drive last Friday to Mecca Farms in Lake Worth. They were selling beautiful produce for $10 per 20 pound box.
Needless to say, I couldn't help myself and ended up buying 160 pounds of produce. That included twenty pounds of poblano peppers, though I did share a good portion of the produce with family and friends.
Poblano Peppers
The poblano (Capsicum annuum) is a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called ancho or chile ancho, from the Spanish word ancho ("wide"). Stuffed fresh and roasted it is popular in chiles rellenos poblanos.
While poblanos tend to have a mild flavor, occasionally and unpredictably they can have significant heat. Different peppers from the same plant have been reported to vary substantially in heat intensity. The ripened red poblano is significantly hotter and more flavorful than the less ripe, green poblano. (read more at Wikipedia)
Timing is Everything
The prep time is about 30 minutes, followed by another 50 minutes of cooking. This recipe is done in three phases: 1) making the mixture, 2) prepping the peppers, and 3) cooking.
The mixture I use consists of ground beef, rice and onions. (Traditionally, Mexicans add beans (and cheese) into the mixture. I prefer it without beans and since we don't mix dairy and meat, I also leave out the cheese. However, you could substitute the ground beef for a plant-based beef like a tofu or Beyond Meat and add cheese to it. The bottom line is that it's entirely up to you.
As timing is everything, I start by boiling water for the rice. While the water gets hot, I mince an onion. I then add the rice to the boiling water, cover and reduce the heat. Then, it's back to frying the onions until they are translucent. Once cooked, I add the ground beef and spices and fry them until the meat just turns from pink to light brown. You don't want to overcook the meat or the rice as they will spend 50 minutes in the oven. Around the same time, both the rice and the meat will be ready. Combine them in a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
Prepping the Peppers
It's only fair to mention that traditionally, the peppers are char-grilled or roasted over an open flame (or you can use a flat cook-top) in order to easily remove the skin prior to stuffing them. Again, it's a personal preference. I prefer to leave the skin on and let it char a little in the oven. It keeps the peppers a little more sturdy for stuffing as well as gives them a little bit of a rustic flavor. They're also much quicker to prepare.
Use a small serrated knife to cut a hole around the stem area. The hole should be big enough to fit a teaspoon into. Repeat this for each pepper. Once you've finished removing the stems and seeds, it's time to stuff the peppers.
Stuff It
Now it's time to prep the poblanos. The poblano pepper has a thick flesh which makes it great for stuffing. So stuff it! But before you do, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven pre-heats, use a teaspoon and add one scoop at a time, applying a little pressure to stuff each pepper, making sure the mixture gets to the bottom. Repeat this for each pepper.
Once all the poblanos are stuffed, place them into large greased Pyrex or baking dish. It's better if they are a little compacted as it holds the pepper's form together and cooks more evenly. Place into the center rack of the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes. (In my case, I wait until some of the poblano skin starts to blacken.)
Finishing Touches
After 30-35 minutes in the oven, remove the baking dish and evenly cover the stuffed poblano peppers with tomato sauce. Replace in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove and garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro.
Buen provecho y Feliz Cinco de Mayo. Olé!
See my other Kosher Cowboy Pepper Recipes.
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 poblano peppers
- ½ cup Basmati rice
- 1 cup water (to cook rice)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 onion (minced)
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes ( can)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small pot, bring water to boil, add ¼ teaspoon salt and the rice, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using a large skillet on medium heat, add olive oil and onions and cook until translucent, stirring often.
- Add ground beef, spices and cook until meat just loses pink color. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cooked rice and meat mixture. Set aside.
- Using a small serrated knife, cut out around the stem area of each poblano pepper enough so that you can fit a teaspoon in the hole.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Taking a teaspoon at a time, scoop up the rice and meat mixture and carefully stuff the pepper. Slightly pressure the mixture to the bottom of the pepper and continue until the pepper is filled. Repeat for each pepper. Place into a large greased rectangular Pyrex dish or any baking dish or baking tin.
- Place in oven's center rack for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and slowly pour the crushed tomatoes to cover all the peppers. Replace in oven for another 15 minutes until done.
- Remove from oven and garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve warm.
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