Poblano-and-Cheese “Tamales”
This chile pepper is often mislabeled ‘Pasilla’, which is a different pepper entirely.It is one of the most popular chiles in Mexico and has won the appreciation of many a chef worldwide because of the superior flavor it has over regular bell peppers.
They have a tough outer skin that usually requires roasting and peeling before use. These very large chile peppers are most popular in chiles rellenos recipes, but cooking with these as a substitute for bell peppers in any recipe will enhance the flavor.
Ingredients:
8 large romaine lettuce leaves
2 Tbsp corn oil
2 poblano chiles, seeded and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp chopped oregano, plus 16 oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb queso oaxaca or queso blanco (see note), torn or cut into thick shreds
Refried beans, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and parsley leaves for serving
Instructions:
Cut off the top 6 inches of each romaine leaf reserve the bottoms for another use. In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch the romaine tops for 2 seconds. Using tongs, transfer the leaves to paper towels to drain.
In a medium skillet, heat the corn oil. Add the poblanos, garlic and onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped oregano and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan. On a work surface, arrange the romaine leaves in pairs facing in the same direction and overlapping slightly. Place one-fourth of the queso oaxaca and the poblano mixture in the center of the leaves and sprinkle with the oregano leaves. Fold the leaves over to enclose the fillings and wrap the stuffed romaine bundles in foil.
Grill the tamales over moderately high heat until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Unwrap the tamales and transfer to plates. Spoon refried beans alongside and dollop with the sour cream. Scatter chopped tomatoes and parsley over the beans and serve.
Make Ahead The foil-wrapped bundles can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before grilling.
Notes
Queso oaxaca is a stretched curd cheese that’s wound into balls and often used for melting in quesadillas. Queso blanco is a firm, mild cheese. Both are available at Latin markets.
Serves 4.
From foodandwine.com