Hatch Green Chile Rellenos w/Beefy Enchilada Sauce

Chile Rellenos

It's Hatch Green Chile season again, but this year I decided not to get 30 lbs worth...lol  I really loved the chiles, but decided I didn't want to go through the trouble of prepping them.  Maybe next year I will be up to the task again ;o)

I did get about 1 lb of them at the store and made Chile Rellenos out of it.  I love rellenos, but most of the time they aren't very good when you order them at a restaurant. I think they may make them ahead of time and then reheat and dress them right before they serve it.  I like them fried & stuffed with cheese, none of that healthy grilled stuff ;o) I'm not even really sure what an authentic Chile Relleno is, so I just improvised and made it my own way!

My post about last years ordeal of prepping my Hatch Chiles...

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dinner-tonighthatch-green-chile-chicken.html

Making the sauce...

I decided to make an Enchilada type sauce and then added a little bit of meat to it since the rellenos was just stuffed with cheese, onion & corn.

For the sauce, I sauteed...onion, jalapeno & garlic and then added chili powder, cumin, Mex oregano, Mex seasonings, s&p & masa flour as a thickener.

Melding the Flavors...

For a big batch of Enchilada Sauce I would add homemade stock, but since I was only making a little, I just added water and  bouillon for flavor. I also normally would add a little bit of tomato or tomato sauce, but this time I just added some homemade pico de gallo/salsa that I had leftover from our taco dinner. After the flavors had melded for about 20 mins,  I whirled it up with the stick blender for a smooth consistency.

Enchilada Sauce w/Ground Beef & Chorizo

For the meat, I just added the leftovers from our Ground Beef & Chorizo Tacos from the night before.  I added it after I used the stick blender on the sauce and then cooked it down to a semi-thick consistency.  I didn't want it too watery that it would just all dribble off the plate.

Of course you can omit the beef/chorizo & chicken flavorings for my non-meat-eater friends :o)  That's one of the things I love about cooking, it's so versatile that you can change a lot of the ingredients around.  I'm actually tempted to try Soyrizo...Chorizo made out of soy!

Taco Post...

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/08/ground-beef-chorizo-tacos.html

Roasted Hatch Chiles

It's not quite the same as the char that you get from the Hatch Roastings that they do at the store, but the next best thing is to put them under the broiler of my oven when I have to roast more than a couple of chiles.  If I only had a few I'd have roasted them on the flame of the stove ;o)

After taking them out of the oven, I stick them in a plastic bag for about 10 mins, so they steam and are easier to peel.  I also take the seeds out, but leave the stems on.  I try not to tear it, but sometimes that's hard!

Stuffed w/Cheese, Onion & Corn

I learned this technique on a Diner's, Drive-In's episode.  I would have liked to use Jack Cheese, but I only had Cheddar on hand.  I grated the cheese then added raw onions & sauteed fresh corn.  I then formed the mixture into a cigar shape and then shaped it to fit into the chile.  I then closed it as tight as possible and then froze it for about 15 mins.  When you take it out of the freezer, be careful that it doesn't tear when you take it off the plate.

Floured...

After taking it out of the freezer, I cover it in flour.  Don't let it thaw if it's only been in the freezer for about 15 mins. Since it's lightly frozen, the cheese keeps it's shape and won't fall out even WITHOUT using a toothpick to clamp it together.  Now that I think about it, it may have been better with Masa Corn Flour...

Egg White Dip

You need to make this Egg White Mixture before taking the chiles out of the freezer.  I made it with a stick blender with the whisk attachment.  I first whisked 2 egg whites until semi-stiff peaks formed then I added 1 egg yolk and then a little flour to the mix.  It was the consistency of a fluffy pancake batter.  

I then dipped the floured chiles into the dip/batter then deep fried  it.  The batter & flour seals the chiles, so  the cheese doesn't ooze out :o)

Frying...

Keep turning it when you fry it and I go by the color for the doneness.  Be sure to fry it enough, so the cheese gets hot and melts.  The first one I served to Hubby was kinda cold and the cheese wasn't quite melted...

Ready to Dress...

Fried, Yummy Goodness :o)

Topped w/Meat Sauce & Cheese Mix

I topped it with the leftover Cheese Mix, the Beefy Enchilada Sauce, Salsa, raw onions, cilantro & jalapeno.  I served it with White Long Grain Rice flavored with chicken bouillon with corn added to it.   I think I said before that I can add corn to just about everything!

My Favorite...Sweet Corn Soup made with Corn Cob Stock :o)

Sweet Corn Soup 

My favorite veggie is corn, especially during summertime when it's so sweet.  I can put it in just about anything, but poor Hubby gets a little tired of it. In Japan they have a dish called Corn Potage which is basically a creamy corn soup like tomato soup, but with corn.  It very smooth, rich, sweet and corny and reminds me of my childhood.  A few years ago I found a recipe by Wolfgang Puck for Corn Soup which I really loved.  It's a little chunky, but I loved it anyway :o)  This is a loose interpretation of his recipe.  I liked that he adds a jalapeno cream sauce to finish the soup off.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/corn-and-bacon-soup-with-jalapeno-crema

Fresh Corn...Yum!

To make this soup you really do need to use fresh corn, the fresher the better.  I got these at the weekly Farmer's Market in Carpinteria, CA.  Hubby usually goes with me to Farmer's Markets even though he hates "grocery" shopping, but he was at work, so I went by myself.  I really wish he was with me this trip, I ended up buying 12 ears of corn and boy were they heavy!

Making Creamed Corn

In Wolf's recipe he grates the corn whole to make the Creamed Corn.  Wow, what a mess doing it his way!  I think when the corn is so fresh the kernels pop and the juices go flying...you should have seen what my apron and counter top looked like doing it his way!  I figured out a way that's a little less messy...more work, but less messy...

  First, I cut the cobs in half, so it's easier to work with.  

  Second, I ran a knife through each individual kernel down the cob, so it wouldn't pop and gush all over.

  Third,  I grated the corn off the cob then ran the backside of the knife down the cob to get every 

     bit of juice possible :o)

I used 4 Ears of Corn for this part.

Fresh Corn off the Cob!

I also used whole kernel corn off the cob for this soup too.  I used another 4 ears for this part.  After cutting the kernels off, I again used the backside of the knife to get all the juices from the cob...

Creamed Corn

It looks so beautiful!!  Am I the only one that thinks this way...lol  It amazes me how much liquid goodness you get out of "just" corn!  I bet this would be delicious with just a little bit of butter and seasoning then I would eat it with rice ;o)

Corn Cob & Chicken Stock

I made chicken stock first.  I cooked the chicken bones for about 1 hour then added the corn cobs, celery, onion, carrot, bay leaf garlic etc. and cooked for another 45 mins. The cobs add another extra layer of corny flavor to the soup.  I learned this from my brother-in-law years ago...the one that actually used to be a cook at Wolfgang Puck's Spago.  Hmm, wonder why Wolf doesn't use the cobs to make the stock...

Sauteed Corn w/Cream & Hatch Chiles

I sauteed the whole kernel corn in bacon fat with salt & pepper then added my Hatch Chile mixture I've had from the past and then added only about 1/4 cup of heavy cream.

Post about Hatch Chile mixture...

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dinner-tonighthatch-green-chile-chicken.html

Sauteed Onion, Red Onion, Celery, Garlic in Bacon Grease...

I first fried up the bacon then saved the grease to saute the veggies...  I didn't add bell peppers, I thought it would be too overpowering.

Sauteed Veggies, Corn & Bacon

Corn Masa Roux

I made a roux for the base of the soup to thicken it.  I used Corn Masa Flour & bacon fat to add another layer of corn & bacon flavor.

Adding Veggies & Stock...

After the roux was made I added the celery mixture then slowly incorporated the chicken/corn stock until the consistency I liked was reached then added everything else...whole corn mixture, creamed corn, bacon, a little milk and seasonings.

Garnished w/Corn, Roasted Jalapeno, Jalapeno Crema & Mex Seasonings :o)

For the Crema I whipped some Heavy Cream with the stick blender to a soft consistency then added sauteed jalapeno/garlic, sour cream, lemon juice, S&P.  The Mexican Seasoning is a Chile/Lime Mixture.

America's Test Kitchen - Dish It Your Way Blogger Burger Challenge...Green Chile Cheeseburgers w/Bacon Ground Beef!

Green Chile Cheeseburgers

I had the best Green Chile Cheeseburger when we were in NM about two years ago.  It was at a small place called Bobcat Bite.  It just wasn't the best Green Chile Burger, but it was the BEST burger I've ever had.  I tried to make this one similar to their's, but Bobcat still wins...lol  

http://www.bobcatbite.com/

I heard that my favorite butcherettes, Lindy & Grundy, have a ground beef & bacon mix, but have never seen it, so I decided to make my own :o)  I love to grind my own meat!  Hubby got me a grinder a couple of Christmas' ago, but I don't use it nearly as much as I should!  For the burgers I ground a mix of...Beef Chuck, Beef Short Rib, Pork Butt & Bacon!!  I ground about a total of 3 lbs with maybe 1/8 pork, 2 slices of bacon (home cured at L&G) and the rest beef. I put the pork in for extra richness & fat, but the mixture gets too soft if I put in too much...the burger would have a meatloaf consistency then.  I pretty much use all parts of the hunks of meat!  I make cubes for stew, use scraps & bones for stock & render the fat.  It's kinda therapeutic cutting up the meat;o)

Pork Butt

I like to get it with bone-in, so I can make stock out of  it...

Beef Chuck

I like to use Chuck for ground beef and stews because it has a nice fattiness to it...

Cubed Chuck

I froze this for later use, maybe for stew or chili...

Beef Scraps & Bones

The round brown things are the bones from the Flanken Short Rib.  I also froze this to make stock later.

Cubed Pork

Also froze this for later use...

Rendering Fat...

Since there wasn't that much, I rendered the pork & beef fat together.  I really need to be more healthy, but I just can't resist rendering fat and using it for certain dishes;o)  I used this to fry up the burgers!

Chuck, Short Rib, Pork Butt & Bacon ready to be ground...

Grinding...

I like coarse texture...

Love Fresh Ground Meat!!

Formed into Patties

They are about 6 oz each.  I seasoned it with Magic Dust, salt & pepper right before cooking it for about 3 mins on each side and flipping it only once for med rare :o)  I made them in a cast iron skillet and I covered them while they  cooked and added the cheese the last couple of minutes...

Veggies...

w/Tater Tots!

No, I did not make the Tater Tots;o)  I did look up a recipe once and tried it, but it was a disaster!  It all just fell apart on me...lol  I love "tots", I love how they got resurrected in the movie NAPOLEON DYNAMITE!! It's much easier and consistent buying Ore Ida!  I used an Aged White Cheddar for the cheese.

Really Yummy!!

The Green Chile Mixture was leftover from the Hatch Green Chile Enchiladas I made a few weeks ago.  I just froze the mixture...I love freezing things;o)  I didn't add any mayo or ketchup or other condiments to the burger, the juicy meat and green chiles were enough!  The taste of the burger was delicious, adding just the little bit of bacon pumped it up.  You could really taste the bacon, but you may miss the crunch of it.  It saves on calories grinding the bacon into the meat because you usually would get two slices on one burger, but this had two slices in 3 lbs of meat!

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dinner-tonighthatch-green-chile-chicken.html

Dinner Tonight...Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

We were in Santa Fe, NM a couple of years ago and I loved the Green Chiles that they had on everything!  I learned that the best chile was the Hatch Chile.  Here in LA, when the chiles are in season at the end of August  they import them from Hatch, NM and there are some grocery stores that roast them in the parking lot.  Most places sell them in only 30 lbs bags and I figured that would be way too much for me.  I heard that Bristol Farms would sell smaller batches, so I went there.  It turned out that if you wanted them freshly roasted you would have to buy 30 lbs!  I debated in my head for a couple of mins, but then decided I wanted them, so I got 30 lbs worth of Hatch Chiles!  I heard that other places people wait in line for hours at a time in the hot sun and buy a couple of bags and split it with friends.  At Bristol Farms there was no line at all, it may have cost a few dollars more, but no wait is worth the cost!  

Driving home with the chiles in my trunk smelled so good!  I couldn't wait to get them home.  My main concern was if I'd be able to fit it in my freezer, I'd forgotten that I would have to peel them all too. After  roasting the chiles they  did condense down. I peeled and seeded them before freezing and that took me 4 1/2 hours to do...I did it in intervals, so it wasn't that bad;o)  Total net weight was 13 lbs, so it easily fit in my freezer.  I still have a few packages left, so I made the enchiladas tonight. A friend was telling me that I shouldn't hoard them for too long because they will start to deteriorate...

I used the same techniques as the last time I made enchiladas...
http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dinner-last-nightenchiladas-frijoles-de.html

Before peeling...

After roasting them at the store, they put the chiles in a plastic bag, so they slightly steamed and made it easier to peel. The guy at the store also told me that it would be easier if I dip them briefly in water before peeling them. I took a soft cooler to put the chiles in because I thought they may leak, but the guy at the store said they wouldn't...of course they did and our trunk smelled like the chiles for months!

4 1/2 hours later...all clean...

Ready for the freezer...

Today...chopping...

Frozen Tomatoes

When I have extra tomatoes that I won't be using I freeze them whole for later use.  It's easier to peel and I chop up the whole thing and use all of it including the seeds and juices.  

Sauteeing the chiles...

I sauteed onion & garlic with seasonings then added the chopped tomatoes and chiles and cooked them until softened then added homemade chicken broth and cooked for about another 20 mins.

After using the Immersion Blender

After the sauce was cooked I whirred it up with the immersion blender to make a smooth sauce.

Browning Chicken

I've been so lazy about going to the grocery store lately, so I was able to make this meal with everything that I already had in my kitchen.  I almost always have frozen chicken on hand.  As I posted before, I buy whole chickens and then cut them up and freeze them and save the bones to make stock later.  If I had gone to the grocery store I would have added cilantro and maybe tomatillos to this dish.

After browning the chicken I threw it into a stock pot w/onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf etc. and made the chicken for the enchilada and also stock.  I browned the chicken, so the stock would have a richer flavor since I didn't add any extra bones to it.  The chicken pieces were all on the bone and I cooked them for about 30 mins then took out the thighs & breasts and then continued to cook the rest for another 30 mins.  I later threw out the wings & legs.

Chicken w/enchilada sauce...

I put some of the enchilada sauce on the chicken to flavor and moisten it.

Ready for the oven...

The enchilada has cheese, chicken & onions in it. I first fried the tortilla then dipped one side of it in the sauce then rolled it up.  I topped it with more sauce and cheese and baked it in the toaster oven at 425 degrees for 20 mins.  This time I just put it on top of flat foil, so it would be easier to serve :o)

Ready!

The rice was made in the rice cooker with long grain rice, corn & water with a little bouillon.  I love corn...I can put it in just about anything ;o)

I'm ready for my close up...

Chile Rellenos w/Cheese & Onions

Since I froze all 30 lbs of the chiles, I ended up buying about 2 lbs more at a later date so I could make Chile Rellenos.  I don't mean to brag, but they were the best rellenos ever;o)  I stuffed them with cheese and onions and then made a basic red enchilada sauce and added ground beef and onions to it. It was the first time that I'd made rellenos....and the last time, I should make them again when the Hatch Chiles are in season again :o)