Chorizo Stuffed Poblanos

Terry's garden is in full summer fury — tomatoes, okra, peppers, and a volunteer squash that came up on its own in the corner and nobody has the heart to pull. I drove out to Turley Sunday and spent two hours working the garden with her while Danny sat on the back porch and supervised from a distance. He is the world's best supervisor. Very detailed opinions, no physical labor required. At one point he told me I was pulling the suckers off the tomatoes wrong. He was correct.

The okra is magnificent. There is no other word for Oklahoma August okra. It grows fast in this heat, and if you do not pick every two or three days the pods get woody and tough, so there is urgency to it. We filled a grocery bag, maybe two pounds, and I brought half home and left half with Terry. I also grabbed a bowl of cherry tomatoes and a fat bell pepper that had been on the vine for weeks — perfect and red and slightly wrinkled, which is when it is sweetest.

Fried okra that night. Slice the pods into rounds, salt them, let them sit ten minutes, dredge in cornmeal and a little flour, drop into a cast iron skillet with oil. When they are golden, done. You can eat them straight from the pan. I ate approximately half of what I fried while standing at the stove, which is not ideal but is honest. Kai ate the rest with ketchup for dipping, which is wrong, but I am picking my battles.

Terry made posole while I was there. Dried hominy, pork shoulder slow-cooked until it falls apart, green chiles roasted and peeled. The smell fills the whole house and probably half the street. Danny ate a bowl and a half, which is more than he has been eating lately. Terry watched him eat without saying anything, quietly noting, quietly grateful.

Abuela Rosa is coming to visit in September, Terry mentioned. First time from McAlester since Christmas. She is seventy-nine and the drive is harder every year, but she makes it for the grandkids. Luna has never met her great-grandmother in person. That feels important to correct before summer is gone. Some introductions should not wait.

Terry’s posole was still on my mind driving home Sunday—the smell of those roasted green chiles, the way the whole house held onto it. I had that fat red bell pepper from the garden on my counter and half a pound of chorizo in the fridge, and it felt like the chiles were giving me instructions. Stuffed poblanos aren’t posole, but they come from the same place in the pantry and the same place in the heart, and when Abuela Rosa visits in September, this is exactly the kind of thing I want her to walk into.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 large poblano peppers
1 lb fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked white rice
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Sour cream, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Roast the poblanos. Set your oven to broil on high. Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil 4–5 inches from the heat, turning every 3–4 minutes, until the skins are blackened and blistered all over, about 12 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel off the charred skins, then cut a slit down one side of each pepper and carefully remove the seeds and inner ribs, keeping the stem intact.
Preheat the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Cook the filling. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
Build the filling. Stir in the drained tomatoes and cooked rice. Cook 2 minutes, letting the mixture come together. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Stuff and bake. Spoon the filling generously into each roasted poblano—they may split a little at the sides, and that is fine. Arrange them in the prepared baking dish and top each with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake uncovered for 18–20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to bubble at the edges.
Serve. Let rest 5 minutes before plating. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro torn over the top, and a lime wedge squeezed over everything just before eating.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chorizo Stuffed Poblanos — The Chiles That Smell Like Terry’s Kitchen