Tinga Poblana de Pollo
Morita chiles are red, fully mature Chipotles. This gives them a unique, medium – hot smokey flavor which is popular in many Southwestern dishes. These can be added to sauces (including Mole) to add smokey flavor and maintain the red color of the sauces. These peppers are about 2-4 inches in length, 1 inch in width, and have a deep brick reddish brown color. The word Chipotle translated to smoked chile. Consider the Chipotle a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hottest). Scoville heat units 7,000-25,000.
Suggested Use:
Use Morita in enchilada sauces, chili, stews, barbecue ribs, and corn bread. Their smoky quality combines well with poultry, meats and fall squash.
Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
8 ripe, whole Roma tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
4 chipotle chiles
1/2 pound good-quality chorizo
1 white onion, sliced thin
6 red potatoes, diced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano (not Greek)
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
1 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco or feta cheese
Instructions:
Place the chicken thighs in a stockpot and add water to cover. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for about 20 minutes. If possible, let the chicken cool in the water.
When chicken thighs are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and coarsely shred the meat. Set aside.
Heat a saute pan over high heat and add the tomatoes (no oil). Blister and char the tomatoes on all sides. Turn off the heat and add the chicken stock and chipotles. Allow the mixture to cool and pour into a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
Place the chorizo and onions in a stockpot and cook over medium heat. When the chorizo has released some of its oil, add the diced potatoes.
Reduce the heat to low and cook until the potatoes have browned and become tender. Add the cumin, pepper, oregano, the shredded chicken and the pureed tomato mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
To serve, divide the mixture into deep bowls and top with sliced avocado and cheese. Serve with warm corn tortillas and Mexican beer.
Recipe from The Arizona Republic.