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Chili Rellenos
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
I like to make these in the summer. I always plant 2-4 Ancho chilies. It’s hard to wait until the chilies are large enough because we love Rellenos, Chili Omelets and Huevos Rancheros. I can hardly make enough Ranchero sauce. When you’ve picked the chilies from your garden, you can gather them with the stem on. It makes dipping the chilies in the egg batter easier. I like to dip the chilies because we like less batter. These Rellenos describe the word “luscious.” *see “The Pepper Conundrum” at examiner.com in order to consider what kind of pepper you would like to use.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cal-Mex
Servings: 6
Author: Barbara
Ingredients
  • 6-8 Fresh Poblano or Ancho chili peppers or canned mild green chilis
  • ½ # Monterey Jack cheese or more
  • 3 eggs separated
  • 3 tbls white flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • cold water
  • canola or avocado oil for frying
  • ranchero sauce
  • sour cream or Crema.
  • Flour tortillas
Instructions
  1. Begin by making the Ranchero Sauce.
  2. While the sauce is simmering, gather the chilies, leaving the stems on if picking from the garden.

  3. Use your gas burner to char the skins of the chilies.  

  4.  Put the chilies in a paper bag 10-15 minutes. Now the skins will come off easily (if parts adhere, use a sharp knife to shave the skin off without removing the flesh).

  5. Slice the chilies vertically about 1 to 1-1/2” . Slice the Monterey Jack and slip the slice into the slit.

  6. Have your plates ready, paper towels on a dish to catch excess oil, condiments made and served. When the Rellenos are cooked you will want to eat them as quickly as possible. You can keep them warm and even reheat them, but eating them as they come off the frying pan is the trick.

  7. Prepare the coating just before frying the chilies. Separate 3-4 eggs. Beat the whites until they form soft peaks. 

  8. Beat yolks with 1 tablespoon of water, 3 tbls flour and the ¼ tsp salt until thick and creamy. Fold together gently the yolks and the whites in a wide bowl.
  9. Over medium high heat, heat a large, preferably cast iron, pan with about ½-1” of oil. Check the temperature by dropping a bit of coating into the oil, when it puffs up quickly, it’s ready.
  10. Closing the slit in the chili, pick it up by the stem and the end and dip them one at a time into the coating, coating both sides, keeping the slit closed.
  11. Gently add the chilies to the frying pan, being careful not to splash, adding a dollop of coating to the top if necessary. When the bottom is browned and the top is puffed and drying slightly, gently pick up one chili at a time by the stem and turn it to the uncooked side. This happens very quickly. When the other side is nicely browned, pick up the chili and put it on the paper towel to absorb some of the fat.
  12. Serve with a large spoonful of Ranchero Sauce and a dollop of sour cream and warm tortillas.