Grilled Chiles Rellenos

Liam stood on his own for eight seconds on Tuesday. I was in the kitchen and heard Sean in the living room say "Kate" in the tone of voice that means something is happening, not an emergency but something I need to see, and I came around the corner and Liam was standing in the middle of the living room rug with no support, arms slightly out for balance, looking at Sean with the concentration of a man on a tightrope. Eight seconds. Then he sat down. Then he stood up again. We both held very still the whole time because moving might have broken the spell.

He's going to walk before he turns one. I'm already planning how to tell this story at his one-year birthday party, which I've started thinking about and which I keep catching myself planning and then scaling back because it's a one-year-old's birthday and one-year-olds don't actually have opinions about the venue.

The January work rhythm is the most honest version of the job: no holiday softness, no summer energy, just the work and the patients and the winter light through the ward windows. I like January oncology better than most people would expect because there's a clarity to it. The things that matter, matter. The things that don't, have shed themselves in the new year.

I made carnitas on Sunday in the Dutch oven—pork shoulder with orange and lime and cumin, low and slow for four hours—and we had tacos for dinner and then the leftover pork on eggs for breakfast Monday and then in quesadillas Tuesday. Three meals from one afternoon of cooking. The Sunday kitchen still paying dividends Wednesday.

After a Sunday already devoted to the Dutch oven — pork shoulder low and slow, the whole house smelling like orange and cumin — I wasn’t done with that flavor world yet. Midweek, with Liam’s wobbly standing-ovation still replaying in my head and the January ward clarity still following me home, I wanted something that kept that same Mexican pantry energy but came together fast. Grilled chiles rellenos are my answer when I want the full, smoky, cheese-pulled satisfaction of a classic relleno without the frying, and they’re just complicated enough to feel like I did something intentional with a Tuesday evening.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 large poblano peppers
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
Sour cream, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

Heat the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Lightly brush the grates with oil to prevent sticking.
Char the peppers. Place whole poblano peppers directly on the grill grates. Cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until the skins are blistered and blackened on all sides, about 10–12 minutes total.
Steam and peel. Transfer charred peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam for 10 minutes. Peel away and discard the skins, then use a small knife to carefully cut a lengthwise slit along one side of each pepper. Gently remove the seeds and membrane without tearing the pepper open completely.
Make the filling. In a medium bowl, stir together the Monterey Jack, cheddar, and ricotta. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and the black pepper. Mix until well combined.
Stuff the peppers. Spoon the cheese mixture evenly into each pepper through the slit, pressing gently so the filling is compact. Use toothpicks to close the slit if needed.
Grill the stuffed peppers. Return filled peppers to the grill over medium heat. Cook with the lid closed, slit side up, until the cheese is fully melted and the exterior has light grill marks, about 6–8 minutes.
Make the tomato topping. While peppers finish on the grill, heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika; cook 1 minute more. Stir in the drained fire-roasted tomatoes. Simmer 5 minutes, then season with salt to taste.
Serve. Spoon the warm tomato sauce onto plates or a platter. Nestle a grilled chile relleno on top of the sauce for each serving. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro and serve with sour cream and lime wedges alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Chiles Rellenos — When Sunday Cooking Carries the Whole Week