STUFFED ANCHO CHILES

My dream vacation of going to San Miguel de Allende finally happened!  It was a wonderful Christmas treat for all five of us, and we created life-long memories.   The first day we were there Eric, Lauren, and I took a cooking class from Gaby Green, the chef/owner of the restaurant Aquamiel.  It was so much fun!  She picked us up at the house we rented (It was fabulous btw!) and took us to the market.  We spent a couple hours there tasting unique items and learning about the different kinds of chiles and special ingredients.  While there we decided on our menu and bought the groceries before heading back to the restaurant to cook.  It was such a unique way to shop and of course everything was so fresh, including the meat.  Justin tagged along and took pictures and videos for us, but his only participation in the kitchen was to shred the chicken after it was cooked, and then of course he loved eating the food!  Logan chose not to take the class and instead explored the city on his own.  We actually ran into him at the market where he had bought a huge bouquet of flowers for $13!!  What he bought would have cost well over $100 if he bought them in the states.  They adorned our living room and made me smile every time I walked in the front door.  We made several dishes, and I will blog all our favorites, but I have made this dish twice since we returned home, and honestly both times someone at the table moaned when they took the first bite.  You know how I like moaning when it comes to food!!  One time I topped it with a Tomatillo sauce, and the other time with a Ranchero sauce.  Both were wonderful.  It is a simple recipe so don’t be afraid to try it.  The flavors are unique and so far I haven’t served it to anyone who didn’t love it. 

Dried ancho chiles (1 per person; choose the largest ones)

10 oz. pkg. Ranchero Queso Fresco, grated*
Pkg. Oaxacan cheese
Fresh epazote leaves, optional**
Tomatillo sauce or Ranchero Sauce
Mexican Crema or sour cream

Spray a glass baking dish with Pam and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a sauce pan of water to almost boiling.  One by one using tongs dip the ancho chiles into the water for a couple of minutes.  They should soften a little but don’t leave them too long or they will fall apart.  You want them pliable.  Slit up one side and remove all the seeds.  If there is a stringy red vein in a couple of spots gently remove it as well with a sharp knife.  Trim the stem of the chile to about 1” and set them aside until all the chiles are softened.

The Oaxacan cheese appears to be a ball of cheese that is made like a rope.  Unwind the ball so that you have a rope.  Open the slit of the chile and put pieces of the Oaxacan along the bottom of the chile.  Fill in around it and generously on top of it with the Ranchero cheese.  Lay an epazote leaf on top of the cheese and invert the chile so the slit is on the bottom of the glass dish.  Continue until all the chiles are in the dish.  Cover generously with the sauces and along the bottom of the dish so that each person will get more sauce when served.  Bake about 30 minutes or until it appears that the cheese has melted inside the chile.

To serve put a chile on each plate and generously cover with the extra sauce that was on the bottom of the glass dish.  Drizzle with a little crema or sour cream, and if desired sprinkle with a little more Ranchero cheese.  Serve immediately.

*In Mexico the cheese was referred to as Ranch cheese; here I found it as Ranchero Queso Fresco.  I also saw Queso Fresco without the word Ranchero on it so I am thinking that it is somewhat different than regular Queso Fresco.  I have never gotten a good answer from anyone at Fiesta or HEB so I just continue to make sure I am buying Ranchero Queso Fresco.

**Fiesta is the only place I have found fresh epazote leaves, and it seems almost silly to drive over there just for one leaf per chile; however, there are a few other dishes that call for it so I try and make them while I still have the huge bunch of epazote.  Gaby’s recipe noted that cilantro could be substituted for epazote, but I haven’t tried it yet.

TOMATILLO SAUCE:

2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed

2 serrano or jalapeno chiles
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ medium onion, cut in half
½ c. chicken broth
1 t. salt
1 TB lard or canola oil

Place the tomatillos in a large saucepan.  Add the garlic, onion, and chiles and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat until the tomatillos turn pea green and soften, about 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.  Stem the chiles, and if desired to cut back on heat remove the seeds, and chop roughly with the garlic.  Add to a blender half of the tomatillo mixture and the chicken stock.  Blend until smooth.  Add the remaining tomatillo-onion mixture and salt and blend again until smooth. 

Warm the lard or oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add the sauce in one quick pour, being careful as it might splatter.  Cook until the flavors meld, about 5 minutes.

Any leftover sauce can be used on top of grilled chicken or fish or even on a fried egg.  Be creative with it, but just don’t waste it!

RANCHERO SAUCE:

2 lbs. Roma tomatoes

2 medium serrano or jalapeno chiles
1 large clove garlic, peeled
¼ medium onion
1 TB lard or canola oil
¾ t. salt

Place the tomatoes, chiles, garlic, and onion in a Dutch oven and cover with cold water.  (The tomatoes will float.)  Bring to medium heat, simmering gently, until the tomato flesh softens, about 8 minutes.  The chile and onion may take a few minutes longer.  The chile is done when the skin darkens and becomes slightly matter; the onion should be translucent.  Drain and transfer the tomato mixture to a bowl, reserving ¼ c. of the cooking water.  Let cool to room temperature.

Stem the chiles, and if desired to cut back on heat remove the seeds, and chop roughly.  Place them in a blender with the onion and garlic.  Slip off and discard the tomato skins; add the tomatoes to the blender and blend until smooth.  (This may need to be done in batches depending on the power of your blender.)  If the sauce seems very thick, add the reserved cooking water and blend again until smooth.

Heat the lard/oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When it melts, add the sauce in one quick pour, being careful as it might splatter.  Season with the salt or more to taste.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently until the flavors meld, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Keep warm if using immediately.