Poblanos in Oaxaca Beef
This recipe originates from the city of Ixtepec located within the area known as Ismo de Tehuantepec. This isthmus is located in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico that geographically divides North America from Central America. It’s only 124 miles wide between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. The recipe was published for making Chiles Rellenos with the traditional technique of dipping the filled chile in egg batter and slipping it into hot oil. However, I have simplified this recipe to forgo egg batter but retaining the use of chile poblano.
For this recipe I used dwarf chile poblanos that I located at the farmers market. These small poblanos are crop that is cast aside because of their size and imperfect shape but they are perfect for general cooking. As you see from the photo they are visually gorgeous and I could not resist finding a good use for them. I modified the original recipe by adding chopped roasted poblano with the meat, in a sense, reversing the process of stuffing poblano chiles. Clever?
Let’s get started.
Ingredients
Serves 4
3 medium chile poblanos
½ cup coarsely chopped almonds
One 1 ½ inch stick of canela (see note)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried crumbled
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
½ cup dark raisins, chopped
2 to 2 ½ cups shredded or diced cooked beef
½ cup chicken broth or water
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Preparation
Roast Chiles
Rinse the chiles and place them on a baking tray then set the tray 6 to 10 inches under the broiler flame. Roast about 5-6 minutes until the chile is uniformly blistered on each side. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes then place them in a closed plastic bag so the skin of the chile steams and softens.When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. Chop to 1 inch size.
Almonds
Spread almonds on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F° until golden brown about 10 minutes.
Canela
Grind the canela in an electric coffee or spice grinder.
Assembly
In a medium-size skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until rippling. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the canela, cloves and thyme. Add the tomatoes and raisins. Chile heat is unpredictable so add the chopped poblano in smaller amount and taste for spiciness. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add the meat, broth and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the toasted almonds and serve with corn tortillas.
Note
The original recipe was published in “The food and life of Oaxaca, by Zarela Martinez”, 1997. Recipe introduced by Venacia Toledo Hernádez home town of Ixtepec, Oaxaca.
Canela used in Mexico is more delicately favored than the ground “cinnamon”usually sold in the US. Canela sticks can be easily identified by it’s soft, splintery texture and loose concentric layers. Canela is usually found in Mexican grocery and super markets.
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