Central America
1 lb poblano chiles
2 oz vegetable oil
10 corn tortillas (5-6 inches diameter)
1 lb poached chicken, pulled into strips
6 oz queso, grated
1 ½ lbs. tomatillos (about 12 medium), husked and rinsed
2 medium jalapeños, stemmed
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup lime juice
1 tsp salt
⅔ cup oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 15-oz can red beans
3 cups Maseca (instant corn masa flour)
4 oz queso, grated
Everything turned out as expected, though a bit under seasoned and bland in my opinion. If I were to make these again I would definitely add more seasoning, even if it is not traditional as they were extremely lacking in depth of flavor.
Enchiladas Verde con Pollo
Preheat the oven to 325 F if you want melted cheese on top of the enchiladas.
Fire roast the chiles over a flame until they are charred completely black all over. Set them in a container and cover immediately with plastic wrap to allow them to steam. Once cooled, remove the charred skin and the seed pod from each chili and cut them into strips.
Heat the oil in a small saute pan until the oil reaches 350 F. Lightly fry the tortillas by quickly passing one side through the oil, turning them over, and doing the same to the other side (you DO NOT want to make them crisp!). Place on a towel to absorb excess oil.
In a separate pan heat the salsa verde over a low flame until it thins slightly.
Dip the fried tortillas into the warm salsa verde and place them on a serving dish.
Place poached chicken and roasted chili strips in the center of each tortilla, and then roll each tortilla. Top with remaining salsa verde and grated queso.
Preheat the broiler.
Place the whole tomatillos and jalapeños on a large baking sheet and position on a rack about 4 inches below the broiler coils. Broil for 6 min., then use tongs to flip both tomatillos and peppers. Return to broiler, and broil for another 5 minutes. Remove and set aside for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the onion, lime juice and salt. Add the contents from the baking sheet, juices including, and start pulsing until the salsa is coarsely smooth. Add cilantro, and pulse a few more times. Check and adjust seasoning.
Transfer the salsa to a sealed container and place in the refrigerator. The salsa will be thin at first, but it is going to thicken up in the refrigerator
Pupusas
Carefully cook onion over medium-high heat until it is browned (not just golden. You want an almost-smoked flavor)
Transfer onion to a blender, reserving oil in pan. Add beans and their liquid, and puree gradually adding ¼ cup warm water if mixture is too thick.
Heat onion-oil again, and then transfer bean mixture to skillet, cooking until the mixture has the consistency of a thick Greek yogurt. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan often. Remove from heat, set aside and let cool.
Using a stand mixer, make a dough with Maseca, adding 3 tsp salt and 2 ⅔ cup hot water. Dough is done when very thick and sticky. Cover and let rest 15 min.
Mix cheese and bean mixture in a medium bowl.
Divide the dough into 12 balls: do this after wetting your hands in an oil+water combination. With 1 ball in the palm of your hand, use your thumb to create an indentation in the center. Pinch sides to create a well for the filling. Fill hole with 2 Tbsp. bean mixture. Pinch dough around filling to enclose (it’s okay if some is poking out), then gently flatten to a 4½–5" disk, dipping your hands in oil-water as needed.
Cook pupusa in a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until center slightly puffs up and pupusa is browned in spots, 3–4 minutes per side.