Grandma Files: Chile Rellenos

I pulled a short and simple recipe from Grandma's file this time, chile rellenos. It's a battered and fried whole green chile, stuffed or unstuffed. I'm sure you've seen them on the menu at mexican restaurants. They are delicious, in my opinion. Let's get to this recipe!

Instructions first this time!

Toast chiles under broiler and douse in tap water. (This is to get the outer skin off, which is a lot like the skin of a tomato, but a little tougher. I would not run them under tap water, but place them in a heat proof bowl, stretch plastic wrap over top of the bowl, and let the chilies sweat for a while. The skins will come right off. Also this is talking about whole, fresh, Anaheim chilies. Since my Grandma lived in New Mexico, they were probably the now popular chilies from Hatch, NM, or home grown. I'd probably throw these out on the grill to blacken the skin, but the broiler works.)

Peel, stuff or not, dip in batter and fry. (You could wear some food safe gloves to peel them if you'd like. I never bother. Be gentle while peeling and don't worry if not all the outer skin comes off, it'll be fine. If you want to stuff these with cheese or cooked meat, you'll need to cut a slit in one side. Do not cut all the way through the top or bottom of the chile! Just enough to get some filling in there. Don't stuff it to bursting, just enough that the cavity is filled, but nothing is spilling out. I'd suggest gently patting the chilies with a paper towel before battering. Have the lard up to temperature before you begin battering the chilies. Dip the whole thing in the batter and glide them gently into the hot fat. Please don't just drop things into a hot pot of lard! Use a pair of tongs if you need to. The batter is meant to be light, this isn't a heavily battered food like a corn dog. You want the batter to be golden brown, on the lighter side of the spectrum. We aren't told how much lard to fry in, but we are given the temperature, 375 degrees F. I'd say make the lard deep enough to be able to measure with a thermometer, so probably two to three inches of melted lard. You'll want a big, deep pan for this. Once they are golden, remove from the lard and place on some paper toweling to drain. Serve with your favorite accompaniments, or enjoy them as is.)

We aren't given instructions here, so I'm adding my own. Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Use a bowl that's big enough for you to dip the chilies in easily. I'd use a whisk to combine everything. If the batter comes out really dry or thick, I'd add water by the teaspoon until it becomes thin enough to dip something. I'd also add a pinch of salt to the batter.

That's it! My Grandma's recipe for chile rellenos. But wait! There's more! She also taped a clipping from a newspaper for a brisket recipe. I don't know if my Grandma did it on purpose, but the brisket from this recipe, shredded or chopped finely, would make a really good stuffing for the rellenos. I'd add some cheese along with the meat myself. Or the rellenos would be a nice accompaniment to the brisket. I'd like to think that she was on to something.

As always, thanks for being here! I hope you give some of these recipes a try, or are at least enjoying a glimpse into the past. See you soon!