Homemade Chili Rellenos are definitely worth making!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
4 - 6 long green chiles (Anaheim or Pasilla) Or, canned whole green chiles.
1/2 pound queso fresco Mexican cheese (or 1/2 pound jack cheese)
3 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons flour
Cotija Mexican cheese to crumble on top of chili rellenos (optional)
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped shredded beef (optional)**
oil for frying
extra cheese for garnish
Method:
Put tablespoon of oil in a saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, but not browned. Add tomato sauce, broth and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Add salt, pepper and oregano as desired. Cover and simmer on lowest heat, to blend the flavors. (10 to 20 minutes)
Spear each chili on a fork. Hold over high flame until the skin blisters, turning so all sides are blistered. (Or, use a kitchen torch to blister the skins.) Rub off skins with towels or the edge of a knife or spoon. Make a lengthwise slit in each pepper. Remove membrane and seeds.(If desired, this step can be skipped and canned whole green chiles can be used, but I feel the fresh chiles are worth the effort.) Cut cheese into 4 -6 strips and insert 1 slice of cheese into each chili.
Preheat oven to 325* Lightly grease a square or rectangular dish. Spoon a small amount of simmered sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Beat egg whites until stiff. Beat yolks until well blended, then fold into the whites. Sprinkle flour over eggs and fold in to mix. Heat 1 1/2 inch deep frying oil on medium to medium-high heat. Dip stuffed chiles, one at a time, into the egg batter. Lift out with a spoon and carefully slide into hot oil. Fry until golden, turning to brown evenly. Drain on paper towels and then add to baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce and bake in oven for 25 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings. (Recipe may be doubled or tripled.)
**Our favorite Mexican restaurant, The Red Onion, in Palos Verdes, California serves a "Special" Chile Relleno that has both beef & cheese inside of the chili. The beef is optional, but it does indeed make this dish even more delicious!
Notes: If desired, the chiles can be prepared the day before serving. Save the fried batter dipped chiles, covered, in the refrigerator, WITHOUT sauce. The next day, place the saved chiles in a baking dish with sauce. (They may take a little longer to cook, since they are chilled.)
Cheddar and jack cheeses may be used in this dish, but I think that authentic Mexican cheeses are the best choice.
"Queso Fresco" is a salty cheese that's usually enjoyed crumbled but can also be sliced or melted.
"Cotija" cheese is a strong-flavored cheese that is a bit dry, salty, and almost granular in texture. Often served crumbled, Cotija cheese softens better than it melts.
You can make the sauce, in this recipe, or use my recipe for:
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