Chile en Nogada with molcajete Salsa

INGREDIENTS

Walnut Sauce:

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ lb. queso fresco
• 1 ½ cups sour cream
• 1 ½ tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Chiles:

• 6 large poblano chiles
• 1 ¼ lb. ground pork
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup tatemada molcajete salsa
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 2 tbsp blanched and silvered almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, chopped
• salt

Garnish:

• ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

STEPS:

The night before:

1. In a bowl place the walnuts, cover them with milk to soak, and chill them overnight in the refrigerator.

The day of:

1. Char the chiles, Place the chiles directly over the flame of a gas stove, or place under a hot broiler, to char the outside skin. Turn the chiles to char on all sides. Get as much of the outside skin blackened as possible, it will be easier to remove.
2. Place the blackened chiles in a plastic bag, close it and let sit for 20-30 minutes. The burned skin will flake off very easily and the flesh will become a little more cooked in the steam so the skin will peel of easily. Discard the skin.
3. Link to website explaining different methods to Roast poblanos How to Roast Poblano Peppers - Chili Pepper Madness
4. Make a slit in the side of each chile and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Be careful to leave the top of the chile, the part around the base of the stem, intact. Rinse the chiles and pat them dry.
5. Drain the walnuts. Place the soaked and drained walnuts, the queso fresco, sour cream, sugar and cinnamon into a blender and puree until completely smooth.
6. Heat two tbsp of the oil in a large wide saucepan on medium high heat. Work in batches to prevent crowding the pan, brown the meat on at least one side, sprinkling salt as it cooks. Add another tbsp of oil if needed for the subsequent batches. Remove the meat to a bowl and set aside.
7. Add a tbsp of oil to the pan and heat on medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the cinnamon, black pepper, and garlic, and cook another minute.
8. Melt butter in the pan and return the ground meat to the pan, using a wooden spoon to break up any clumps. Add the tatemada molcajete salsa, raisins, and chopped almonds. Add the chopped apple. Cook for 2-3 more minutes.
9. Stuff the chiles with the picadillo until they are well filled out. Place them on individual plates or on a serving plate.
10. To serve, cover the stuffed chiles with the walnut sauce and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro.