Chile Relleno Recipe

Step 1

First, place tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves in a large stockpot or saucepan. Cover with water, put the saucepan lid on, and cook over high heat until it starts boiling; then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until tomatoes are soft and skins are peeling.

Step 2

Then, carefully, place only the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender and puree until you have a smooth sauce. (Add a few tablespoons of water to the blender, only if your blender is having a hard time processing the sauce)

Step 3

Lastly, if you want your sauce to be smooth, use a strainer to sieve the sauce.

Step 4

You can roast them over an open flame on a gas stove, under a broiler, or in your oven.

Step 5

Roasting on an open fire:

Step 6

First, on your gas stove, turn the heat to medium-high, place the peppers, and roast for about 1-2 minutes per side, rotating the peppers to obtain a uniform roasting.

Step 7

Then, place them in a damp cloth and cover them (this way, they retain more flavor). However, you can also place them inside a plastic bag.

Step 8

Once it has cooled down enough to handle, peel the skin off the peppers with your fingers or gently scrapping the skins with a spoon.

Step 9

After peeling the peppers, make a slit cut lengthwise in each one. Remove seeds and veins.

Step 10

Soak them in water with vinegar and salt. (This step is optional, but it gives the peppers a great flavor.)

Step 11

After 15 minutes, dry them with paper towels.

Step 12

Roasting pepper on your broiler:

Step 13

Set your oven to broil.

Step 14

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the peppers on the baking sheet.

Step 15

Broil them until you can see the skin blister and they are evenly roasted.

Step 16

Remove them and cover them with a layer of aluminum foil for about 10 minutes.

Step 17

Once they have cooled down enough to handle, peel the skin off of the peppers with your fingers.

Step 18

After peeling the peppers, make a slit cut lengthwise in each one. Remove seed and veins.

Step 19

Roasting in your Oven:

Step 20

Set your oven temperature to 400º and place your peppers over a tray and into your oven for about 20 minutes.

Step 21

After they are charred, remove them from the oven and place them in a plastic or paper bag.  Let the peppers steam for about 10 minutes. This step will make it easier to peel off the skin.

Step 22

Peel off the charred skin, make a vertical slit down one side of each pepper, and remove the seeds while keeping the stem intact.

Step 23

Gently stuff each poblano pepper with the cheese, ensuring not to overfill. Close the slit and use toothpicks to secure the edges if needed.

Step 24

Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. The oil should be hot enough to fry but not smoking.

Step 25

While the oil is heating, beat the egg whites with the help of an electric mixer in a bowl until stiff peaks form.

Step 26

Then, gently add the egg yolks to the egg whites one by one, using a wooden spoon, until you have a fluffy mixture. Season with salt.

Step 27

Now, on a plate with flour, carefully coat each poblano pepper in the flour. Shake off any excess flour. Make sure the chiles rellenos do not open while doing this step.

Step 28

Then, dip the peppers in the beaten egg mixture completely.

Step 29

Carefully place each stuffed pepper in the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides. This should take about 3-5 minutes per side.

Step 30

Place the fried chiles rellenos on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Step 31

Serve the chiles rellenos on a plate, over and drizzled with tomato sauce or salsa.

Step 32

Remember to remove the toothpicks before serving. Enjoy your delicious homemade Chiles Rellenos!