Chiles en Nogada

Published on April 22, 2019 | By
Chiles en Nogada

Red, white and green, the colors of the Mexican flag to celebrate independence and one of the most famous dishes of Mexico, chiles en nogada. Dark green roasted smoky poblano peppers are stuffed with a  meat piccadillo and covered with a creamy walnut sauce garnished with red pomegranate seeds and parsley. There is some controversy and different types of meats that can be used as well as styles of preparing the chiles. In some areas, they are dipped in an egg batter and fried. I prefer the roasted version. This authentic recipe is attributed to the people of the Puebla area and is typically served each year toward the end of August when the walnuts are in season. Estella, our cook in San Miguel, taught me this version. Although I can barely speak Spanish and she can barely speak English, we communicated our love of cooking through preparing food together. No fiesta is complete without chiles en nogada.

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 poblano peppers, roasted and peeled
  • Picadillo: 1 lb ground beef, some people use pork or turkey
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 4 TBSP oil
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 cup tomatoes, pureed
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1 firm, tart apple, peeled, cored and diced
  • 2 TBSP other candied fruit chopped (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Walnut Sauce:
  • 11/4 cup of Mexican crema or sour cream if you need to substitute
  • 1 TBSP brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (or pecans)
  • pomegranate seeds
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Roast the poblano peppers directly over an open flame on your gas cooktop. Once they are charred and blackened on all sides, remove from the flame, place in a bag and close the bag tightly. This will allow the peppers to steam, making it easier to remove the skin later. Set aside.
  2. Make the piccadillo or meat stuffing. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté chopped onions and garlic until soft. Add the meat and cook until browned.
  3. Add the pine nuts, and other spices and herbs. Continue cooking at a medium heat stirring to combine all ingredients.
  4. Add chopped apple pieces, raisins, and optional candied fruit. I bought some candied cactus in San Miguel called biznaga that I added at this point. Cook for a few more minutes.
  5. Add 1 cup of tomato puree. Blend into meat and spice mixture. Continue cooking over medium to high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring, until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool.
  6. Remove the poblano chiles from the bag. Remove the charred skin by scraping gently with a knife or with your hands. Make a small slit from top to bottom in each pepper. Carefully remove the seeds in the inside. Handle the pepper gently so as not to tear the skin .
  7. Place cleaned and open peppers in a baking dish. Use a spoon and scoop the cooled picadillo into each one of the chiles, generously mounding the mixture to fill the shell.
  8. To make the walnut sauce: Place the walnuts, crema, sugar and cinnamon in a blender of food processor. Blend until the nuts are finely chopped and the mixture is blended. When Estella showed me how to make it, she also added cream cheese. I found that to be too heavy so I left it out. Again, there are many variations on this sauce, but walnuts and cream are the essential ingredients. Pour the sauce into a serving bowl with a ladle.
  9. You may heat the chiles if you wish, but typically they are served at room temperature. The cold sauce is poured over the chiles and then they are garnished with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. Red, white and green, in honor of Mexican Independence and authentic Mexican cuisine.
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