Mexican
Chiles en Nogada
A festive Puebla classic of roasted poblanos filled with fruit-laced picadillo and cloaked in cool walnut sauce.
6 servings · 120 minutes prep · 75 minutes cook
Ingredients
Chiles and Picadillo
- 12 oz ground pork
- 8 oz ground beef
- 6 large poblano chiles
- 2 tbsp lard or avocado oil
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, grated
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 small apple, peeled and diced
- 1 small pear, peeled and diced
- 1 small peach, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup blanched almonds, chopped
- 1 tbsp acitron or candied pineapple, finely diced, optional
Nogada and Garnish
- 1 3/4 cups walnuts, soaked overnight, peeled if possible, and drained
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 oz queso fresco
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema
- 1 tbsp dry sherry
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
Directions
Method
- Roast the poblano chiles over a flame or under the broiler until blistered all over. Steam in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, peel carefully, slit one side, and remove the seeds while keeping each chile intact.
- Heat the lard or avocado oil in a skillet. Add the finely chopped white onion and cook until translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the ground pork and ground beef and cook until the ground meat reaches 160°F, 6-8 minutes. Add the grated Roma tomatoes, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, and black pepper and cook until nearly dry, 8-10 minutes.
- Add the apple, pear, peach, raisins, blanched almonds, and optional acitron or candied pineapple. Cook until the fruit is just tender but distinct, 5-6 minutes, then spread the picadillo in a shallow container and cool promptly; refrigerate within 2 hours.
- Blend the drained walnuts, whole milk, queso fresco, Mexican crema, dry sherry, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt until smooth with no visible pieces or graininess. Chill for at least 1 hour, until lightly thickened.
- Stuff the room-temperature poblanos with picadillo. Spoon the chilled nogada over the chiles and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley leaves.
