Chiles de Agua Rellenos de Picadillo
La Comida de Domingo: The Weekly Family Gathering
In the bustling markets of Oaxaca, abuelas blister slender chiles de agua over open flames, stuffing them with a luxurious, sweet-and-savory picadillo for the canonical Sunday family meal. Unless you live next to a specialty grower, you won't find fresh chiles de agua in the States, but the Anaheim pepper steps in perfectly to mimic their shape, flesh, and heat. This is a dish of love, blending caramelized plantains, raisins, and warm spices with savory meat, all wrapped in a cloud-like egg batter. Make the filling days in advance, so when Sunday rolls around, all you have to do is stuff, batter, and fry.
Before you start
Make the picadillo ahead of time.
The filling tastes exponentially better the next day as the complex spices and fruits meld. Prepare it up to three days in advance and keep it in the fridge.
Ingredients
- Anaheim peppers6 large
- all-purpose flour1/2 cup
- vegetable oil2 cup
- white onion1/2 med
- garlic2 clove
- ripe plantain1/2 med
- ground pork or beef and pork blend1 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
- large eggs4 large
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Caramelize the plantains.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, adding the diced plantains and frying until deeply golden to release their essential sugars.
- 02
Build the picadillo base.
Add the onion and garlic, sautéing until translucent, then increase the heat and brown the ground meat.
- 03
Simmer the sweet and savory filling.
Stir in the tomatoes, raisins, almonds, olives, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves, simmering for 15 to 20 minutes until the juices evaporate and the filling is thick.
- 04
Let the picadillo cool completely.
Hot filling will make the peppers soggy and ruin the fry, so let the mixture cool entirely before moving forward.
- 05
Blister the peppers over an open flame.
Place the Anaheim peppers directly over a gas burner or under a broiler, rotating until the waxy skin is completely blackened without overcooking the flesh.
- 06
Sweat and peel the peppers.
Transfer the blackened peppers to a sealed plastic bag for 10 minutes, then gently scrape off the skin with your fingers—never rinse them, or you'll wash away the smoky flavor.
- 07
Seed and stuff the chiles.
Make a single lengthwise slit down each pepper, carefully scrape out the seeds and veins while leaving the stem intact, and pack plumply with the cooled picadillo.
- 08
Dredge the stuffed chiles in flour.
Pat the peppers completely dry with a paper towel, then roll them in flour, shaking off the excess so the egg batter has a dry surface to cling to.
- 09
Whip the capeado batter.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks, then gently fold in the yolks one at a time just until the batter is uniformly pale yellow.
- 10
Fry until deeply golden.
Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet to 350°F, dunk each floured pepper into the batter to seal the slit, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side.
Notes
The naked weeknight hack.
Love the taste but lack the time to whip egg whites on a Tuesday? Skip the flour and batter entirely. Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish, bury them in shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
From Oaxacan Roots.