Mild-mannered poblano peppers, often roasted, are terrific stuffed and baked, too.
I have an abiding affection for poblano peppers. It stems from a nearly year-long sojourn in Mexico that included an independent study of its markets.
We have some great farmers markets in this country, but I’ve never experienced quite the thrill as I did in the mercados in Oaxaca City, Guanajuato and Guadalajara, among many other places.
Poblano peppers rule
In these Mexican markets I learned how to decipher many of the different chile peppers in both their fresh and dried forms from the vendors. [Here’s a solid guide to Mexican chile peppers.]
I never missed an opportunity to eat chile peppers in all their forms–enchiladas in guajillo sauce, chiles rellenos or chicken with mole while the bustle of the market swirled around. The vendor always patiently answered my questions, and some of them seem surprised that I was interested enough to ask.
While there are about a dozen common chiles native to the Americas, the one to know beyond the jalapeño (unless you’re taking up traditional Mexican cooking as a hobby) is the mighty poblano (called ancho in its dried form).
How hot is a poblano?
The poblano pepper is a handsome pepper: pine green and shiny-skinned with an elegant tapered and curved shape. It is easy to find in most supermarkets, so it’s worth picking up a few to give them a try in place of a standard bell pepper.
Rest assured that poblano peppers are not hot at all but range from medium to mild heat. They score between 1,000 to 2,000 units on the Scoville scale, a measurement system used to indicate the relative heat in peppers. (Compare that to Tabasco sauce at 2,500 to 5,000 heat units or the serrano at 6,000 to 23,000. Bell peppers, for reference, are 0.)
This approachable heat quality of poblanos brings more depth to its flavors. And for this reason, I prefer it above all other peppers.
Roasting poblanos
A few weeks ago, my friend Beth, a commercial grower with a greenhouse, dropped by with buckets full of chile peppers. The last of the harvest included a payload of poblanos.
There was no question that we’d roast the bulk of them. Roasting is one of the most popular ways to prepare poblanos, which chars the skin, softens the flesh and intensifies their sweetness.
You can roast poblano peppers:
- in the oven at 450ºF
- on a grill
- under the broiler
- on a cast-iron griddle
- directly over a gas flame
The timing is a bit different for each method, but the principle is the same: roast until the skin blisters and darkens all over, then cover the peppers to let them steam and when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and remove the seeds before storing or using.
Beth and I roasted 6 full sheet pans of poblanos until they were good and dark to bring out the best flavors (this is why I wouldn’t recommend following online instructions for “roasting” poblanos in a microwave; the surface browning is key).
Recipes with poblanos
Once you’ve got a roasted, skinned and seeded the poblanos, there’s no end to what you can make–all reminiscent of the foods to be sampled at a market in Mexico City:
- chiles rellenos: a labor of love as this illustrated Serious Eats recipe makes clear
- rajas con crema: easier and worth making to expand your poblano pepper horizons
- poblano sauce: easiest of all with many uses as suggested in this Pinch of Yum post
But guess what? It’s not mandatory to roast them. Poblano peppers can be used just like green, red or yellow bell peppers.
After Beth and I had roasted and stored nearly all of the peppers in freezer bags, I reserved a few fresh poblanos. But what should I do with these precious, homegrown specimens?
In the end, I chose to keep them whole to celebrated their uniqueness, tastiness and beauty. I stuffed them cooked quinoa, black beans and corn. And then I simply baked them.
Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers
While I ordinarily roast poblano peppers by default, this recipe uses whole fresh peppers as a vessel for stuffing. Cooked quinoa, prepared black beans and frozen corn makes a quick filling and turns whole poblano peppers into a vegetarian entree or a hearty side dish. Serve them if you like with crema (sour cream thinned with milk or water) and salsa.
- 4 poblano peppers
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup cooked black beans (homemade or canned)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- 3/4 cup crumbled cojita or feta cheese
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Use a sharp paring knife to make an incision from the stem down toward the tip of the pepper. Repeat with the remaining peppers. Put the peppers in a bowl, cover and microwave for 4 minutes or until tender enough to widen the opening without tearing the pepper.
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Meanwhile, combine the onion, corn, black beans, quinoa, tomato, cumin, salt and cayenne, if using, in a mixing bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup for topping. Taste the filling for seasoning.
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When the peppers are cool enough to handle, open the incision, insert the tip of the knife and cut out the compact core. Shake out any other seeds. Fill the peppers to capacity with the stuffing and place them on a baking sheet.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the peppers and bake until the peppers are fork tender and blistered in places and the filling is hot, 35 to 40 minutes.
The post Getting to Know the Friendly Poblano, Roasted or Stuffed appeared first on Lynne Curry.