Tri-color Chiles en Nogada
Daily Recipe: September 16, 2024
In honor of Mexican Independence Day, let's prepare a national favorite. Our spotlight dish is Chiles en Nogada, a traditional Mexican dish that combines the green, white, and red colors of the Mexican flag, symbolizing patriotism and pride. It's made with poblano chiles filled with picadillo (a mix of chopped meat, fruits, and spices), topped with a creamy walnut-based sauce, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley.
Ingredients (for 6)
- Fresh poblano peppers - 6 - fresh
- Pork shoulder - 1 lb - chopped
- Peaches - 2 - diced
- Apples - 2 - diced
- Ripe pear - 1 - diced
- Raisins - 1/2 cup
- Almonds - 1/4 cup - chopped
- Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
- White onion - 1/2 cup - chopped
- Garlic cloves - 2 - minced
- Walnuts - 1 1/2 cups
- Mexican crema - 1 cup - or substitute heavy cream
- Goat cheese - 1/2 cup
- Pomegranate seeds - 1 cup
- Fresh parsley - 1 bunch - chopped
- Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
- Salt - to taste
Preparation
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Step 1 - 🌶️🔥👌Roast the 6 fresh Poblano peppers, let them sweat, then peel and de-seed.
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Step 2 - 🍳🍏🍐In a pan with 2 tbsp vegetable oil, sauté 1 lb chopped pork shoulder until browned. Add 1/2 cup chopped white onion and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Followed by 2 diced peaches, 2 diced apples, 1 diced ripe pear, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 cup chopped almonds, and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. Cook until well combined and fruit is soft.
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Step 3 - 🌰🍶🧀Blend 1 1/2 cups of walnuts, 1 cup of Mexican crema (or substitute heavy cream), 1/2 cup of goat cheese, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
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Step 4 - 🌶️🍛🥄Stuff the poblano peppers with the fruit and meat mixture. Ladle the walnut sauce over the stuffed peppers generously.
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Step 5 - 🌰🌿🌶️Garnish each pepper with 1 cup of pomegranate seeds and a bunch of chopped fresh parsley before serving. Serve immediately for the perfect festive dish!
Additional
This dish tells a story about the Mexican Independence and is traditionally served on the occasion. The green poblano pepper represents the Mexican military, the white walnut sauce symbolizes the Catholic Church, and the red pomegranate seeds symbolize the blood of those who died for Mexico's independence. For a vegetarian version, replace the pork shoulder with a mix of finely chopped zucchini, corn, and black beans.