Chiles de Agua Rellenos de Picadillo
La Comida de Domingo: The Weekly Family Gathering
To understand Oaxaca is to understand its picadillo—a rich, sweet-and-savory collision of caramelized plantains, raisins, almonds, and warm spices folded into pork. Down there, abuelas stuff this masterpiece into slender, blistered chiles de agua and envelop them in a fluffy egg batter for the weekly Sunday gathering. Up here in the diaspora, we adapt without compromise, swapping in the widely available Anaheim pepper, which nails the shape and bright heat of the original. This is profound, ancestral cooking adapted for real life: make the filling on a Wednesday, blister the peppers when you have a minute, and on Sunday, all you do is batter, fry, and feed the people you love.
Before you start
Source the right plantain.
Ensure your plantain is properly ripe before starting; the skin should be yellow and heavily mottled with black spots to provide the necessary sweetness.
Protect the egg whites.
The egg whites will absolutely refuse to whip into stiff peaks if there is even a microscopic trace of grease or yolk in the mixing bowl.
Ingredients
- Anaheim peppers6 large
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- vegetable oil1 qt
- vegetable oil2 tbsp
- white onion1/2 med
- garlic2 small clove
- ripe plantain1/2 med
- ground pork1 lb
- Roma tomatoes2 med
- raisins1/4 cup
- slivered almonds1/4 cup
- green pimento-stuffed olives10 med
- dried Mexican oregano1 tsp
- ground cinnamon1/4 tsp
- ground cloves1/8 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- eggs4 large
Method
- 01
Caramelize the plantains.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the diced plantains until they are deeply golden to release their essential sugars.
- 02
Build the savory base.
Add the onion and garlic, sautéing until translucent, then drop in the ground pork, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon until browned and no longer pink.
- 03
Simmer the picadillo.
Stir in the tomatoes, raisins, almonds, olives, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves, and let the mixture cook down for 15 to 20 minutes until the juices evaporate into a thick, cohesive filling.
- 04
Cool the filling.
Set the picadillo aside to cool completely; stuffing hot filling into the peppers will make them soggy and prone to tearing.
- 05
Blister the peppers.
Char the Anaheims directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until the waxy skin is completely blackened, taking care not to overcook the flesh into mush.
- 06
Sweat and peel.
Transfer the blackened peppers to a sealed plastic bag for 10 minutes so the trapped steam lifts the skin, then gently scrape off the char with the dull side of a knife—never rinse them, or you'll wash that hard-earned smoke right down the drain.
- 07
Deseed and stuff.
Make a single lengthwise slit down the side of each pepper to carefully scoop out the seed cluster and veins, leaving the stem intact as a handle, then pack them plumply with the cooled picadillo.
- 08
Dredge the peppers.
Pat the stuffed peppers completely dry with a paper towel and gently roll them in the flour, shaking off the excess so there's only a fine, powdery coating to act as glue for the batter.
- 09
Whip the capeado.
In a pristine bowl, whip the egg whites and a pinch of salt to stiff peaks, then gently fold in the yolks one by one just until the batter is a uniform pale yellow.
- 10
Fry to a golden finish.
Heat an inch and a half of oil in a heavy skillet to 350°F, dunk each floured pepper by the stem into the fluffy egg batter to seal the slit, and fry for one to two minutes per side until deeply golden.
Notes
The weeknight reality check.
If you don't have time to whip egg whites on a Tuesday, skip the batter entirely. Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish, cover them with shredded Oaxaca cheese, and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
Respect your own time.
The picadillo actually tastes better the next day as the complex spices and fruits meld. Make it up to three days in advance to break up the work.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.