Pork and Apple Stuffed Chiles

Traditionally, this dish is made with a fresh walnut sauce instead of the simple almond sauce included here. If super fresh walnuts are available, you can substitute them for the almonds, but peel off the thin brown skin to keep the sauce as white as possible.

A garnish of pomegranate seeds makes a stunning presentation. Serve with an icy cold Bohemia Beer.

Bohemia Beer is an authentic Mexican beer, full and rich with complex flavors. Bohemia is golden in color with aromas of roasted barley, minerals and a hint of fruit. The slightly bitter flavor with hints of cocoa and vanilla make it a perfect partner for Mexican cuisine.

This recipe was created by Chef Rick Bayless to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, September 2010.

Ingredients ~

8 very large poblano chiles, with stems intact
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1-1/2 lbs coarsely ground lean pork
1 teaspoon salt
1 large crisp apple, peeled, cored, diced small
1 jar (16 ounces) Frontera Jalapeño-Cilantro Salsa
2 cups (8 ounces) blanched almonds
2 cups whole milk
1 slice firm white bread, crusts removed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry sherry
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
Cilantro or parsley sprigs for garnish

Preparation ~

To roast the chiles, place chiles directly over the gas flame or on a medium hot charcoal or gas grill. Roast, turning occasionally, until blistered and blackened on all sides but not soft, about 5 minutes. Place the chiles in a large bowl and cover loosely with a towel until they are cool enough to handle. Leave the stems on and carefully peel away the skin from each chile. Lightly cut a slit vertically down one side of each chile so you can use your fingers to carefully remove the seeds. The chiles are now ready for stuffing.

For the stuffing, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring often, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in apple and cook 2 minutes. Stir in Frontera Salsa; cook until salsa is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool completely.

For sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients except for the heavy cream in a Vitamix or heavy-duty blender. Blend until the sauce is as smooth as possible. Ideally, when you rub some sauce between your fingers, it should not be gritty. Once your sauce is pureed, add the cream to the blender and blend just until combined. Set the sauce aside at room temperature while you stuff and warm the chiles.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. To stuff the chiles, pack enough stuffing in them to completely fill and form them back to their original shape. Lay on a baking sheet, seam side down. Warm in the oven until completely heated through, about 20 minutes.

Remove the heated chiles from the baking sheet onto individual plates. Spoon some of the room temperature sauce over the top, garnish with cilantro or parsley sprigs. Serve.

Makes 8 stuffed chiles with 3 cups sauce

Notes: The stuffing and chiles can be prepared a couple of days in advance; refrigerate both covered. Do not stuff the chiles until the day that you will be serving them. The sauce can be made one day in advance. Be sure to bring it back to room temperature before serving.

Recipe created by Chef Rick Bayless - provided courtesy Bohemia Beer