Ingredients
8 poblano peppers
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 pounds ground pork or beef
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 cup raisins (about a handful)
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons orange zest
Directions
Over a gas burner, char the poblanos until the skin is black all over. If you don’t have a gas stove, pre-heat your broiler, place the poblanos on a baking sheet and char under the broiler, flipping them halfway through (about 3 minutes per side). Place the peppers in a bowl and seal the top with plastic wrap. Set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 400ºF. On a baking sheet, toast the walnuts until golden brown, about 5 minutes. When they are toasted, put them in a food processor and pulse until ground. Set aside.
While the nuts are toasting, place a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO. Add the pork and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the pan, and cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the tomato paste, cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, raisins, beef stock, salt and ground black pepper. Cook for about a minute to reduce a little and combine.
In a small pot over medium heat, combine the ground toasted walnuts, heavy cream, orange zest, salt and ground black pepper. Let that come to a bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes. Keep your eye on it to make sure it doesn’t overflow. You may need to turn the heat down a little once it heats up.
While the cream is thickening, peel the peppers and remove the seeds by cutting a lengthwise slit in each pepper. Fill the poblanos with the meat filling and lay them in a baking dish or platter. Top with thickened walnut cream and serve with Rachael's Brown Rice.