In my hometown of Monterrey, it is common to eat tacos for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are taquerías of all kinds, from the ones that only make barbacoa, or steak tacos, but then there are the ones that make tacos sudados (steamed tacos), tacos de canasta (another variation of steamed tacos, built in a basket), tacos de guisados (stew tacos) and so many more! You could eat a different kind of taco for every meal of the week. It is a sensory delight!
At one of my favourite joints, at least when I lived there was Tacos Mode, at el Centrito in San Pedro. They had a great variety of tacos, from chicharrón en salsa verde to potato to the best bean tacos, but one of my absolute favourite was the Jalapeño Relleno taco. Like a mini stuffed poblano, but spicier, and the perfect size for a taquera tortilla.
Regular stuffed jalapeños are made with a picadillo filling, then battered and fried. They are so spicy but you want to continue eating them even if they are burning your mouth like hellfire. You can’t imagine, but trust me, they are delicious!
Last week I made picadillo and luckily I had some leftover, and then I came across some of the biggest Jalapeños I have ever seen - the universe was conspiring for me to make these, and I need to share this with you so you can make them too! I prefer to skip the batter part, as I like to make these healthier (though I confess, I dislike frying food in copious amounts of oil). I am deviating from the original recipe, but they still taste absolutely amazing.
So next time you find yourself with leftover picadillo, make some stuffed Jalapeños, they make a great appetizer (or main taco meal!). These are usually very spicy, and the roasting intensifies the heat level, so make sure you seed and devein completely to mitigate that a bit. And it may be a good idea to wear gloves as you seed and devein them, as the capsaicin can burn your skin.
Serve with tortillas and your favourite salsa and make it a party!
Jalapeños Rellenos
Stuffed Jalapeño Chiles
12 large Jalapeño chiles
2 cups leftover and cold Picadillo
12 small corn tortillas
Your favourite Salsa
Char chiles over an open flame or under the broiler until skins are completely blistered and blackened all over.
Once they are all done, place them in a bowl and cover them so they can steam for about 10 minutes, this makes the skins come off easier. I like to use a paper towel to remove the skins.
Make a “T” incision at the base of the crown, just below the stem, going only halfway down the height of the chile (don’t cut all the way through, we want the stem to stay attached). Carefully, using a paring knife, cut off the seed pod and all the veins. If you leave veins, the chile will be very spicy. Continue with all the chiles.
Stuff with 2-3 Tbsp picadillo - this will depend on the size of your chile. You want to use enough to shape them back the way the chiles were when whole, though they don’t have to be closed, you should leave the tops exposed to show the filling.
Place chiles cut side up on a baking tray. At this point, you can refrigerate until ready to use, up to two days. When ready to eat, preheat the oven to 375°F and cover the tray with tin foil. Bake until warmed through, about 15 minutes.
Serve on tortillas with your favourite salsa.
Makes 12 tacos.