Chiles en Nogada to Celebrate Mexican Independence 🇲🇽

Name: Chiles en Nogada to Celebrate Mexican Independence 🇲🇽
Yield: Per serving
Ingredients: As needed poblano peppers; As needed pork leg; As needed beef sirloin; To taste candied cactus (acitrón); To taste pear; To taste apple; To taste pine nuts; As needed tomato; To taste garlic; To taste onion; As needed corn, safflower, or canola oil; To taste yellow peach; To taste raisins; To taste almonds; To taste sherry; To taste cinnamon; cloves To taste; To taste thyme; To taste black pepper; As needed eggs; As needed flour; As needed milk; As needed cream; As needed fresh walnuts (Castilla walnuts); To taste cinnamon; To taste sugar; To taste sea salt

XAVIER @cook_16409463

Dark Side

Let’s go back to August 29, 2020. After a sightseeing trip to El Salto waterfall, we returned home to make these chiles en nogada, a traditional dish for Mexican Independence celebrations. This dish dates back to the Santa Clara convent, when Emperor Agustín de Iturbide visited Puebla and the nuns served it to him (it features the colors of the Mexican flag). This recipe is a collection of several we learned from friends, family, YouTube, and Pinterest, and we made our own adjustments to suit our taste. I hope you enjoy it.

XAVIER @cook_16409463

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Ingredients

Per serving

As neededpoblano peppers
Filling
As neededpork leg
As neededbeef sirloin
To taste candied cactus (acitrón)
To taste pear
To taste apple
To taste pine nuts
As neededtomato
To taste garlic
To taste onion
As neededcorn, safflower, or canola oil
To taste yellow peach
To taste raisins
To taste almonds
To taste sherry
To taste cinnamon
clovesTo taste
To taste thyme
To taste black pepper
Batter
As neededeggs
As neededflour
Nogada Sauce
As neededmilk
As neededcream
As neededfresh walnuts (Castilla walnuts)
To taste cinnamon
To taste sugar
To taste sea salt

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Steps

1

Generously add oil to a pan and fry a large garlic clove. You’ll use this same oil for the entire filling.
2

Remove the garlic, chop it, and mix it with onion. Cook until the onion is translucent.
3

Roast the poblano peppers and tomatoes.
4

Blend the tomatoes in a blender without adding water.
5

Finely chop the pork and beef with a knife.
6

Grind the cinnamon, thyme, cloves, and black pepper in a mortar and pestle.
7

Add the meat to the pan with the onion and garlic and fry.
8

Once browned, add the blended tomato and the ground spices. Mix well.
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Add salt.
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Add the raisins and candied cactus at the same time.
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Peel and chop the peaches, apples, and pears, then add them to the pan.
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Add the chopped almonds.
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Add the pine nuts.
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Mix in the sherry.
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While the filling finishes cooking, peel and remove the seeds and veins from the poblano peppers.
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Stuff the peppers with the filling.
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Once stuffed, coat the peppers in flour.
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After flouring, separate the egg whites for the batter. Add a pinch of salt and beat until stiff peaks form, then add the yolks one at a time.
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Coat the stuffed peppers in the egg batter and fry.
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After frying, let the peppers rest to drain excess oil. Start the nogada sauce by blending goat cheese (one part) with cream cheese (three parts) in a blender.
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Add fresh walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon to taste. Blend everything together, adding whole milk as needed to reach your desired consistency.
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Add a pinch of sea salt.
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Once the nogada sauce and battered peppers are ready,
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And with the pomegranate seeds ready,
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Now, to finish, serve the peppers, pour the nogada sauce over them, and top with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs.
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They turned out truly fabulous.
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Note: I forgot to add plantains, but if you’d like, chop and add them with the other fruits.
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Make them your own—you’ll see how satisfying and delicious this dish is. It’s easy but a bit involved, as my friend Víctor Arriola says: a true therapy session.
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Note: The nogada sauce is even better if made a day ahead.