Chiles en Nogada
Chiles en nogada (poblano peppers in walnut sauce) is a delicious combination of meat, fruit, roasted poblanos, and a creamy walnut sauce. Top the final dish with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley for a traditional and elegant presentation.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 8 poblano peppers roasted, skins and seeds removed, see notes
- 1 lb ground beef I use 90/10 sirloin
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 apple, diced (core removed) I have used gala or red delicious
- 1 pear, diced (core removed) I used anjou
- 4 medium roma tomatoes about 1 lb, or 500g
- 1/2 medium white onion about 4 ounces, 120g
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup water or broth
- 1 cup raisins
- Salt to taste
For the sauce (nogada):
- 7 oz cream cheese ~180g, see notes
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/3 cups walnuts, roughly chopped ~115g
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Salt to taste
For serving
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate seeds about 2 baseball-sized pomegranates
- chopped parsley
Instructions
For the filling:
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, about 2-3 minutes
- Add beef, cinnamon and cumin. Stir to blend flavors and break up beef into small pieces. Cook until just starting to brown and still slightly pink, about 5 minutes
- Add diced apple, pear, and raisins to meat, stir to incorporate, and cook until beef is browned and fruit is softened, about, 3-5 minutes, stirring occassionally
- Meanwhile, place tomatoes, broth or water, garlic, and onion in a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute
- Once the fruit is softened, raise the heat to medium-high and add tomato sauce. Stir to incorporate, and simmer uncovered, 5-7 minutes or until liquid is reduced
- Add salt to taste and adjust seasonings as necessary
For the sauce (nogada):
- Blend all ingredients in the blender until smooth
- Set aside until ready to serve
To serve:
- Fill each pepper with the meat mixture, dividing evenly
- Top with the sauce (nogada)
- Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley
Notes
- Click here for a link on how to prepare roasted poblano peppers
- In the US, a block of cream cheese comes in an 8-ounce package. In Mexico, a block of cream cheese comes in a 180g package, which is about 7 ounces in weight. I am using a standard Mexican size block of cream cheese since that is what is available to me where I live. If you are cooking where the standard block of cream cheese is slightly more or less than the amount called for in this recipe, I would just adjust the amount of milk to compensate and provide the desired consistency for the sauce. The sauce should be smooth, slightly thick, but still liquid enough to pour easily.