Tacos Blandos de Chile Relleno
Antojitos de la Noche (Bringing the Street Market Home)
Drop a raw poblano pepper directly onto the stovetop gas grate, letting the skin scorch black over the open flame to channel the legendary smoke of Tacos del Carmen. The secret is a smear of asiento—a deeply roasted pork fat paste that we recreate here in three minutes flat—anchoring a blistered, Oaxaca cheese-stuffed pepper fried in an airy egg batter. Roll it tight in a supermarket corn tortilla and eat.
Before you start
Bring the pork lard and eggs to room temperature before starting.
Room temperature lard blends much easier into the cracklings, and room temperature egg whites whip into stiff peaks faster and more stably than cold ones.
Ingredients
- high-quality pork lard1/2 cup
- pork cracklings1/2 cup
- kosher salt1 pinch
- fresh Anaheim peppers4 med
- Oaxaca cheese6 oz
- fresh epazote leaves4 large
- all-purpose flour1/3 cup
- eggs3 large
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- vegetable oil1 cup
- corn tortillas4 large
- refried black beans1/2 cup
- Oaxacan salsa verde1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Blend the pork lard, cracklings, and a pinch of salt in a food processor to create the quick asiento.
Pulse until the mixture becomes a gritty, spreadable paste, then set aside.
- 02
Char the Anaheim peppers directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until blistered all over.
Turn them every two minutes with tongs. Once blackened, transfer to a sealed plastic bag or covered bowl to sweat for ten minutes.
- 03
Gently peel away the blackened skin, make a two-inch slit down the side, and scrape out the seeds.
Do not rinse them under water, or you will wash away the smoke. Stuff each pepper with the Oaxaca cheese strings and a single epazote leaf, then press closed.
- 04
Pat the stuffed peppers completely dry and roll them lightly in the all-purpose flour.
The flour acts as a glue to keep the egg batter from sliding off in the hot oil.
- 05
Beat the egg whites and a quarter teaspoon of salt with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and fold in the egg yolks one at a time until the batter is a pale, uniform yellow.
- 06
Heat the vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep skillet.
Holding a pepper by the stem, dip it into the fluffy egg batter to coat completely, then carefully lower it into the oil. Fry for one to two minutes per side until deeply golden brown and puffy, then drain on paper towels.
- 07
Warm the corn tortillas on a dry skillet until hot and pliable.
Smear a spoonful of the homemade asiento across the center, add black beans if using, and place the hot chile relleno in the middle. Roll tightly, leaving the stem poking out, and serve immediately with salsa.
Notes
Oaxaca cheese and epazote are essential to this dish's authentic flavor profile.
If you absolutely cannot find them, low-moisture mozzarella makes a suitable melting substitute for the cheese, and fresh cilantro can step in for the epazote, though a traditional cook would insist on the real thing.
Do not skip the sweating process for the peppers.
This loosens the skin so it can be peeled without tearing the flesh, which would cause the cheese to leak and the oil to splatter violently during frying.
From Cook Oaxacan in America.