poblano chili

This vibrant, hearty weeknight chicken soup is reminiscent of <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016476-pozole?action=click&amp;module=Global%20Search%20Recipe%20Card&amp;pgType=search&amp;rank=1">pozole</a>, and achieved in record time. It starts with a base of onion and poblano pepper spiced with cumin, coriander and oregano. Broth is added, chicken thighs are simmered, then shredded, and cooked hominy is added for heft (though cooked rice would work equally well). The toppings stray from tradition: Crumbled tortilla chips provide crunch, as do snappy radishes; richness comes in the form of avocado or sour cream. Lay out bowls filled with various garnishes and let guests assemble as they like.

Brothy Chicken Soup With Hominy And Poblano

olive oil

yellow onion, finely chopped

poblano

garlic cloves, finely chopped

cumin

coriander

dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

red-pepper flakes (optional)

Kosher salt and black pepper

chicken stock

chicken thighs

can hominy, drained and rinsed, or 2 cups cooked rice

lime, quartered,

Crumbled tortilla chips, thinly sliced radishes, diced avocado, roughly chopped cilantro, thinly sliced scallions

Brothy Chicken Soup With Hominy and Poblano

Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened without taking on any color, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano and red-pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic and spices are fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add the stock and chicken and bring to a simmer. Cook until the chicken has cooked through and is no longer pink, 10 to 12 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat.

Add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the hominy and allow everything to simmer together for 5 to 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into soup bowls. Serve with limes, for squeezing on top, and bowls of optional garnishes.

There are many kinds of tacos, some piled high and overstuffed and some more minimal, meant to be more a snack than a meal. These little tacos are in the second category, similar to what you might find in a Mexican market for a quick bite. Savory black beans and roasted poblano chiles make a satisfying vegetarian version. Fresh soft corn tortillas, hot off the griddle, are essential.

Black Bean And Poblano Tacos

black beans,

onion,

bay leaf

epazote (optional)

salt

poblano chiles

Soft corn tortillas

mozzarella

queso fresco, available in Latino groceries

crème fraîche or Mexican crema

Black Bean and Poblano Tacos

Drain beans, put in medium pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil over hight heat. Add onion, bay leaf, epazote and salt and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 1 hour, longer if necessary, adding water occasionally if liquid falls below surface of beans. When beans are tender, taste and adjust salt. Keep beans warm in their broth.

Meanwhile, roast poblano chiles over a charcoal grill, under the broiler or directly on a gas stovetop burners until skins are completely blackened and blistered. Set chiles aside to cool, then split lengthwise. Scrape away skins and seeds with a paring knife. Cut cleaned chiles into 1/2-inch ribbons, transfer to small bowl and season lightly with salt.

To serve, warm the tortillas on a hot griddle or cast iron pan over a burner. Put 2 warm tortillas side by side on a small plate. With a slotted spoon, place 2 tablespoons beans on each tortilla. Top with a few shreds of mozzarella and 2 or 3 strips of poblano. Crumble a little queso fresco and drizzle about 1 teaspoon crème fraîche on each taco.

This recipe for étouffée, which is the French word for “smothered,” comes from Karlos Knott of Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, La. This is “pretty close to a traditional Cajun crawfish étouffée,” said Mr. Knott. “If you substitute a green bell pepper for the chile and omit the dried thyme, you would be cooking one exactly like my grandmother used to make. Some people like to stir in the juice from half of a lemon into the pan just prior to serving.” Look for precooked Louisiana crawfish tails in 1-pound packages in your fishmonger’s freezer section. Though according to Mr. Knott, who gets his crawfish from the family pond behind his brewery, the best tasting version is made with leftovers from a crawfish boil — that way you have lots of leftover crawfish fat.

Crawfish Étouffée

unsalted butter

onion

and diced poblano chile pepper

celery stalks, diced

garlic cloves,

salt, plus more to taste

black pepper

thyme

cayenne pepper

precooked crawfish tails, thawed

green onions

parsley leaves

rice

bay leaves

Make the étouffée: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, poblano chile, celery and garlic and cook until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes or so.

Lower the heat and add 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, the thyme and the cayenne pepper. Place the thawed crawfish meat in a bowl and set it aside in the refrigerator; use your fingers to squeeze any fat or liquid you can from their packages into the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Add thawed crawfish tails and green onions to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, or until crawfish are tightly curled. Add parsley and cook 5 minutes more.

While the vegetables simmer, prepare the rice: Place all ingredients in a saucepan with 3 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir, then turn the heat down to very low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, then take the pot off the heat. Let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

Taste the étouffée and add salt as needed. Serve over the rice.

Birria, the regional stew from Mexico saw a meteoric rise in popularity recently, as a soupy style made with beef, popularized by birria vendors in Tijuana, took off in the United States. The chef Josef Centeno, who grew up eating beef and goat birria in Texas, makes a delicious, thickly sauced version based on his grandma Alice’s recipe, mixing up the proteins by using oxtail, lamb on the bone and even tofu (you can, too). Preparing the adobo takes time, as does browning the meat, but it’s worth it for the deep flavors in the final dish. The best way to serve birria is immediately and simply, in a bowl, with some warm corn tortillas. But make sure to put any leftovers to work: Extra meat, pulled from the bones, can be shredded for crisp <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021859-quesabirria-tacos">quesabirria tacos</a>, fried in the birria fat for cheesy, lacy edges. And the leftover broth is ideal for a comforting bowl of <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021860-birria-ramen">birria ramen</a>, with an egg and some fresh herbs on top.

Birria de Res

guajillo chiles, seeded,

beef

fine sea salt

neutral oil,

white onion, finely chopped

tomatoes

white vinegar

ginger

dried Mexican oregano

toasted white sesame seeds

cloves

cinnamon

cilantro

limes, quartered

Corn tortillas, warmed

Prepare the chiles: Use tongs to place the poblano chiles directly over the open flame of a gas burner set to high. Cook the poblanos until totally charred all over, turning as needed, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap so the poblanos can steam. After 10 minutes, use your fingers to pull the blackened skins away from the poblanos, then remove the stems and seeds. Roughly chop the poblanos and set aside.

While the poblano chiles steam, place a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches to cook the guajillo chiles evenly in one layer, flatten the chile halves on the hot skillet and toast them for about 15 seconds, turning once. Put the chiles in a bowl and add 2 cups hot water to help soften them. Set aside.

Prepare the meat: Season the meat all over with the salt. Heat the oil in a large, oven-proof pot over medium-high. Working in batches, sear the meat on all sides until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side, transferring the browned meat to a large bowl as you work.

After you’ve seared all the meat, add the onion to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Return all the meat to the pot.

Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oregano, sesame seeds, cumin, cloves and a few grinds of black pepper to a blender, along with the chopped poblanos, toasted guajillos and the chile soaking liquid. Purée until smooth, scraping down the edges of the blender as needed.

Pour the blended mixture into the pot with the meat. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, along with about 4 to 6 cups of water, enough to amply cover the meat.

Cover and cook in the oven until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

Divide among bowls and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top, and a side of warm tortillas.

This recipe for chiles rellenos comes from Andrea Serrato, who sells an exquisite version of the dish out of her home in East Los Angeles. Ms. Serrato learned to make it from her mother, Rose Serrato, who fills big chile poblanos simply with queso ranchero, fries them in a cloudlike batter and simmers them in a garlicky salsa roja. Be sure to take your time charring the chiles on the flame to make sure they get evenly tender. The dish is time-consuming and labor-intensive, but extremely worthwhile — delicious, comforting and beautiful, too.

Chiles Rellenos

serrano chiles,

beefsteak tomatoes (about 4 pounds)

kosher salt,

white onion,

large, firm poblano chiles (about 1 3/4 pounds)

queso fresco

eggs,

Canola oil,

all-purpose flour

Prepare the tomato salsa: Put a large pot of water on to boil. When the water starts to bubble, add the serrano chiles and whole tomatoes, and turn down the heat. After 10 minutes of low simmering, strain.

Add the serranos, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt to a blender with 1/2 cup water, and purée until smooth. Add the tomatoes, then purée until almost totally smooth. (Some larger pieces of tomato are fine, and give the salsa texture.)

In a large saucepan that will hold all of the salsa, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook until soft and slightly golden on the edges, about 5 minutes, then add the salsa and turn off the heat.

Prepare the chiles: Using tongs, char two poblanos at a time over the open gas flame (or all six under your broiler, turning them often). The chiles should be blackened all over, and tender to the touch, which takes about 10 minutes. As you finish them, put them on a plate and cover for about 10 minutes.

Use your finger to gently push and peel away the blackened outer skin of the charred chile. Remove as much as you can, but it’s OK if a few small pieces are left; don’t worry about it. Use a knife to slice each chile lengthwise, leaving an inch or so on each end, and remove the seeds (again, it’s OK if some remain). Fill the chiles with cheese to fit, but make sure the chile can still close along its seam when you pinch it shut.

Prepare the batter: Separate the eggs, and beat the whites with a whisk attachment until thick and frothy, like meringue. Add the yolks, and beat for another minute, just to incorporate.

Fry the chiles: In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat about 3 inches of oil over medium until a small drop of batter sizzles vigorously when you add it to the oil. Put the flour on a plate, and roll a chile in the flour so it’s completely covered. Push it down into the batter, turn it around gently, and use the stem to pull it out — it will look like a vaguely chile-shaped cloud.

Gently lay the chile down in the hot oil, seam side up. The chile should immediately start to sizzle and lightly color. Spoon hot oil over any exposed parts of the chile, cooking for about 2 minutes, or until the top of the chile is evenly golden brown, then remove and place on a paper-towel-lined rack to drain. Repeat with each chile.

When you’re ready to sit down and eat, heat the salsa over medium, and season it to taste with salt. Place the fried chiles in the pan. (Work in batches if you have to, so the chiles aren’t crowded.) Let them simmer gently for a few minutes, then serve immediately with extra salsa spooned over the top.

Creamy Stovetop Corn With Poblano Chiles

butter

red onion, diced,

red bell pepper, diced,

Salt

pepper

Cayenne or finely minced red jalapeño, optional

Kernels from 6 ears corn, about 3 cups

poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch strips

scallions, thinly sliced

crème fraîche

limes,

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add a pinch of cayenne or a little minced jalapeño, if using.

Add the corn kernels and poblano strips, season again and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is cooked and tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the scallions, then the crème fraîche and allow it to heat through. Taste for seasoning, and give the corn a good squeeze of lime.

Top 6 poblano chili recipes from across the web

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Brothy Chicken Soup With Hominy And...

Black Bean And Poblano Tacos

Crawfish Étouffée

Birria de Res

Chiles Rellenos

Creamy Stovetop Corn With Poblano C...

Top 6 poblano chili recipes from across the web

The most viewed poblano chili recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Brothy Chicken Soup With Hominy And...

Black Bean And Poblano Tacos

Crawfish Étouffée

Birria de Res

Chiles Rellenos

Creamy Stovetop Corn With Poblano C...

The most viewed poblano chili recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine