The other day, Mr. Hawthorne
crockpotted a 6-plus-pound Boston butt.
For my first shot at this pork shoulder,
I made pork enchiladas.
Today, I'm making chiles rellenos
with pork and cheese.
Thank you,
Tammy,
For Anticipation.
Mr. Hawthorne added in a bit of my
intense, complex salsa roja ...
(You really should try making that salsa roja.
It's like nothing you've ever had.)
On to the chiles!
For stuffing chiles,
I use either Poblanos or Anaheims.
Be sure to pick smooth, non-blemished, shiny chiles.
Set over an open flame,
or under a broiler,
and blacken all over.
Try to leave the stems intact
so you can hold the stems
when dipping and turning the chiles in the hot oil.
I toothpicked the edges
and stuck the chiles in the freezer
while I prepared the batter.
Learned the freezer trick
from Rick Bayliss on
Mexico - One Plate At A Time.
For the batter:
3 eggs, separated, at room temperature
pinch salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup flour
Start whisking the whites.
Be sure your eggs are at room temperature.
You'll be able to get a greater volume.
Also, tilt the bowl a bit.
This allows for better aeration.
You're going for stiff peaks here.
If you can turn the bowl upside down
without the whites spilling out,
then you've reached stiff-peak-stage.
Holding the stem, dip chiles in the hot oil.
Place one side down,
turning to the other side to cover in oil
and spoon hot oil over the top.
Most important when frying is to have your oil
at the proper temperature - 350 - 375 degrees.
If you're not an experienced fryer,
then I'd invest in a thermometer.
Or a wooden spoon.
Simply dip the end of the spoon in the hot oil
and wait for bubbles to vigorously bubble
out of the end.
Oil is ready.
These took about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Remember not to crowd the pan
as this would lower the temperature of the oil,
resulting in greasy, oily chiles.
This is just a plate full of happy.
Serve with freshly made salsa,
some sour cream,
or even better, creme fraiche,
if you had sense enough to
make it the night before,
and a sprinkling of cilantro.
Fried pickle.
Check out the batter.
Crunchy/crisp and light -
the way a batter should be.
With these chiles,
I decided to make a slight adjustment.
I added more cheese than usual.
Reading your post, I felt like that song by Carly Simon, 'anticipation'! That's what it was like reading your post. And those last two photos left me drooling!
ReplyDeleteBravo!
xx,
Tammy
Oh My Goodness! This looks so, so GOOD! I must try this~I love hot peppers and these are calling me..Blessings, Catherine
ReplyDeleteHi, Tammy and Catherine
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments.
I always love hearing from my readers.
Hope you will try these dishes I present
and please offer your input. I so value hearing if someone actually tried something I proffer and how it turned out for them.
Rosie
I love chiles rellenos!!!! Extra cheese is ALWAYS a necessary in our house!
ReplyDelete