El Alma At Home
cooking demo recipe
chiles rellenos de picadillo en caldillo
serves six
Grocery kits will be available for pick up at the restaurant from 3 pm-10 pm Tuesday the 15th and 11 am-6 pm on Wednesday the 16th. These kits will have everything you need to make this month's recipe.
Chile Relleno De Picadillo
Picadillo comes from the word “picar” which means “to mince”.
This ground meat filling is also great for crispy tacos, empanadas, and even turkey stuffing!
6 medium poblanos (as close to the same size as possible)
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground lean beef
picadillo spice blend
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground thyme
½ teaspoon ground oregano
¼ teaspoon ground clove
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5oz can of tomatoes, diced with liquid
1 large potato, peeled and cut into small cubes, soaked in water
½ cup plantains, cut in cubes or 1 small apple peeled and cut into cubes (optional)
½ cup raisins soaked in 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
½ cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon salt, and more to taste
1 cup of Crema or Creme Fraiche
½ cup of cilantro leaves or thinly sliced onions
Caldillo Sauce
This is a light brothy tomato sauce that’s great with a ton of dishes
3 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut into cubes
2 cups white onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves
caldillo spice blend
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon oregano
1.5 teaspoons salt
⅔ cup of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of chipotles en adobo (from a can)
1 to 2 cups of chicken broth
10 Epazote leaves or a small bunch of cilantro
Roast the Poblanos
Roast the poblanos over an open flame on the gas stove or hot cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat in batches of 2 or 3, turning them to blister “char” the skin but not burn the meat of the chile. Keep turning until the entire chile is covered with black blisters, this will take about 8-10 minutes. Remove the chiles from the heat, place in a plastic bag, and close the bag. Or place in a bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap on top. Leave for 7-11 minutes.
Once cooled, using gloves and a paper towel, or kitchen rag, remove as much of the charred skins as possible. Turn on the cold water tap and run the chiles under a thin stream of water to wash out the rest of the skins.
Use a small knife and carefully make a lateral incision in the chile, gently pinch off the small cluster of seeds attached to the base of the stem. Remove the membranes that run the length of the chile and any other seeds that are still attached to it.
Rinse one more time, and set aside on a dry paper towel.
Make the Filling
Place both types of meat in a large bowl, and add the picadillo spice blend. Combine thoroughly using your hands.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the meat by crumbling it a little at a time. When it’s lightly brown and cooked with crispy edges (10-12 minutes) remove the meat from the pan and place it into a colander with a bowl underneath to remove excess fat if necessary.
Return the skillet to the heat and saute the onions until translucent (about 2 minutes)
Add the garlic and let them cook until soft, about 2 more minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes and cook over high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Return the drained meat to the skillet, season with salt, add the potatoes, plantain, and raisins.
Cover, and cook, over low heat until the potatoes are tender (about 10-minutes)
Remove from the heat, add the toasted almonds, and set aside, to cool so you can stuff your poblanos.
Make the Caldillo Sauce
In a medium stockpot over medium heat, heat the oil and carefully add the onions and garlic. Cook until lightly browned and caramelized (about 6 to 8 minutes) Set aside.
In a blender or food processor add the tomatoes, the cooked caramelized onions, and the caldillo spice blend- puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
Using the same pot that you cooked the onions and garlic in, over medium-high heat, add all of the sauce, and cook at low heat for 12 to 14 minutes. If the sauce is too thick add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Once cooked, add the epazote, bring back to a boil for just a moment, and set aside until ready to use.
Assemble The Rellenos
Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil. Take your cooled poblanos and stuff them with the 4-5 tablespoons of warm picadillo (not hot! You need to be able to touch them)
Once filled, reshape the peppers into their original shape. Tighten them with your hands and place them on the baking sheet.
Heat them for 8 to 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
In a large shallow serving bowl filled with ½ inch of Caldillo, place the poblanos on it with the help of kitchen tongs and a spatula, drizzle with the crema and sprinkle with the cilantro.
Reserve some of the Caldillo and crema for guests to add to their plates, and serve with steamed white rice.
September Newsletter Recipes
salsa roja de mesa
makes 3 cups
6 Roma tomatoes-about 2 pounds
5 garlic cloves
1 white onion, about 12 ounces, cut in think slices
2 fresh Jalapenos
¼ cup pickled Jalapenos, from a can
¼ cup of the vinegar, from the pickled Jalapenos
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons chipotle puree
2 teaspoons salt
In a large cast-iron skillet or heavy “comal” char the tomatoes, jalapenos, sliced onion, and garlic cloves, turn them over after one side is done, let them get dark (looks like burned) and fully cooked on the inside.
You need to take out the garlic as it darkens, then the jalapenos, and onions, and last the tomatoes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let them cool down, pick the skins that got too dark, but not all of the char. Add the chipotle, pickled jalapenos and the vinegar, oregano, and salt.
Puree by pulsing it with the immersion blender or molcajete (Pestle and mortar)
season to taste with more salt.
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3 large tomatillos washed and husk removed cut in half
3 large avocados, ripe
1 serrano, chopped or one more if you like spicy
1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped with large stems removed
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lime, about 3 tablespoons
¼ cup white onion, small dice and rinsed out
*When cleaning and chopping the cilantro reserve a ¼ cup of chopped leaves and set aside.
Place the tomatillos, serrano, lime juice, salt, and cilantro in the bowl of your food processor, blend until smooth then add the avocados and blend until you have a smooth puree.
With the motor running add the olive oil. Season with more salt if necessary. With a spatula transfer to a bowl mix in the onions and reserved cilantro.
Serve with crispy totopos or on top of your favorite taco.
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