Chiles Rellenos Burritos

This burrito is based on the Guadalajara Market Special burrito that is renown in San Jose for an extraordinarily good burrito. The perfect chili is the Poblano. It is a shiny dark green triangular shaped chile 3” to 4” long that varies in their hotness from mild to somewhat hot. These are always roasted and stuffed with their seeds and stems intact. The stem is only pulled off when assembling the burrito. The seeds and what cling to them have most of the heat and some more of the flavor. Pre-roasting the chilies insures a deep toasty flavor. This recipe also relies on Mexican rice, and refried pinto beans. (See recipes)

Rellenos

2 Poblano green chilies per person, fire roasted, peeled
A brick of queso fresco¹

1 cup flour
Pinch salt
Pinch garlic powder
Pinch ground red pepper
Corn oil, to coat skillet

1 room temperature egg per relleno, beaten until super frothy

Turn broiler on high.

Line a shallow roasting pan with tin foil. Place Poblano chilies on their flattest side to broil and, later, turn once to cook the other side. This usually takes 5~10 minutes per side depending on the distance of the pan to the broiler head and the BTU output of the broiler.

After roasting Poblano chilies until they are black on both sides, remove from broiler and cover the chilies with newspaper or place in a brown paper bag to sweat. After 20 to 30 minutes you can start peeling away the black heavy paper like skin. Try to remove most of it. If needed, use a small paring knife to lift the edge of the skins. Don’t worry about the blacken surface; it’s fine. This chile is naturally dark to begin with.

Turn on oven to bake at 250 F. The oven is used to keep batches of cooked rellenos warm as they are batch fried 3 or 4 at a time.

Using some tin foil and cover a dinner plate to make cleanup easy. Put a cup of flour spread out on the tin-foiled-plate for dredging the chilies. Make a small slit in each chili and fill the chilies with a slug of cheese. Don’t worry if the cheese is a hump in the middle – it’s going to melt and fill the chilie’s cavity. Dredge each chili in the flour on both sides until well covered. Add room temperature eggs to a mixer with a pinch each of salt, red pepper, and garlic powder and beat eggs until super frothy and very pale.

Place a large frying pan on high heat. When the pan is hot (350 F) add a few tablespoons of oil.

Using your hand, dip each floured chili into the egg batter to cover it well then carefully lower it to the hot pan surface. Use a spatula to move some of the egg mixture back over the edges of the chilies. When rellenos are well browned on one side, turn gently over to brown the other side. Rellenos should be golden brown when done with the cheese well melted. Place rellenos on a platter and put them in the oven while finishing the next batch of chilies. When done, assemble the burritos with 2 rellenos per burrito. Pull off rellenos’s stems when assembling burritos.

Burrito ingredients per person

2 rellenos, while still warm

2 tablespoons refried beans per burrito, heated

2 tablespoons Spanish rice per burrito, heated

2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco or Chihuahua

1 tablespoon fresh tomatoes

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

1 tablespoons Guacamole or chunks of avacado

1 tablespoons hot sauce

1 large flour super burritos-size (13~14 inch) hot tortilla

The beans and rice are hot when you assemble the burritos. The flour tortillas may be heated in a direct flame on the stove top turning frequently until very warm on both sides.

Alternatively, heat each tortilla in the microwave on high for 25~30 seconds one at a time as they are needed.

Note:

1. Queso fresco is the most widely used cheese in Mexican cooking. The firm-textured fresh white cheese (its name translates as "fresh cheese") is slightly salty, with a mild, tangy taste similar to farmer's cheese. It melts well and does not run.