- 12 or more fresh jalapeño peppers or sweet option, same size heirloom sweet peppers
- Home-made lard for frying (made from clean pork fat)
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 1/8 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- bit of flour if needed
- home-made cheese (click on the cheese picture above to see video) or use a fresh soft cheese, again clean food!
Chile Relleno Jalapeño or Sweet Pepper Poppers
Roast peppers, to char skin, let them cool. Wearing gloves peel off charred skin. Cut a small “T” in each pepper, the top of the “T” should be right under the steam and no more than 1/3 of the way around, the tail of the “T” should go straight down the middle almost to the bottom tip of the pepper. Carefully remove the seeds and insides, with out making any other cuts into the pepper. Stuff loosely with cheese and press closed. Bring lard to frying temp, 375 degrees, while preparing egg batter. Separate the eggs, whip whites with salt to soft peeks, then add one yoke at a time. Sometimes you may need to dredge the peppers thru a little flour to help make the batter stick, so have some ready if needed, because the batter deflates quickly. Drop gently by steams into the hot fat, carefully spoon a little over the top to help the uncovered side cook, when the bottom is nicely brown turn them over and cook the other side. Remove and drain. Keep them warm in a low oven, until your finished, or if done ahead, re-heated at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. I recommend serving with a sweet Salsa Verde, and dark beer, or Rolle,Viogner or Gewürztraminer wine. New to me and nice improvement; roll in coconut flour before egg. Coconut flour is Paleo. Great dipped in my “Okie Guacamole” https://pamstacticalkitchen.com/2014/08/21/fast-easy-guacamole/