Entrée: Mexico – Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo (Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 30 min

Cook 15 min

Total 45 min

Ingredients

6 poblano chiles
1 lb (450 g) ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (or 1 cup / 240 ml crushed tomato)
1 / 4 cup (40 g) raisins (soaked if dry)
1 / 4 cup (30 g) chopped almonds or pecans (optional)
1 / 2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 / 2 tsp ground cumin
3 eggs, separated
1 / 2 cup (60 g) flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Roast, peel and seed poblanos; make a slit and set aside.  
2. In a skillet, sauté onion and garlic until translucent; add ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes, raisins, nuts, cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper; simmer 8–10 minutes until thickened and drain excess fat. Cool slightly.  
3. Stuff each chile with picadillo; dust with flour.  
4. Whip egg whites to stiff peaks, fold in yolks gently to make batter.  
5. Heat oil in a deep skillet; dip each stuffed chile in batter and fry until golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels.  
6. Serve with warm tomato salsa or a light ranchero sauce.