Culinary Guides

These stuffed poblano peppers are filled with Mexican picadillo, a savory mix of ground beef and potatoes deepened with a paste of rehydrated ancho chiles. Charring and peeling the poblanos first gives them a soft, smoky shell, and the filling turns rich and spicy as it simmers. It is a satisfying dinner any night of the week.

Ingredients

For the picadillo and peppers

• 2 ancho chili peppers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces yellow potatoes (about 3 to 4 small), diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 poblano peppers

For serving

• Crumbly white cheese
• Fresh chopped cilantro
• Your favorite hot sauce

Directions

1. Dry toast the ancho peppers in a hot pan until the skins puff, about 1 to 2 minutes a side, then soak them in boiling water for 20 minutes to soften.
2. While they soak, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the potatoes, onion, and jalapeno about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
3. Stir in the garlic and ground beef, break up the meat, and cook about 5 minutes until browned.
4. Add the tomato sauce, paprika, Mexican oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper, and reduce to a simmer.
5. Stem and seed the softened anchos, then blend the skins with a tablespoon of the soaking water until smooth. Swirl this paste into the meat and simmer at least 10 minutes, up to 20 for deeper flavor, adding a little water or tomato sauce if it dries out.
6. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Halve the poblanos lengthwise, set them skin side up on a lightly oiled sheet, and broil about 10 minutes until charred and puffed. Cool slightly, peel off the skins, and turn them over.
7. Fill each poblano half with picadillo, then bake at 350F for about 10 minutes to heat through.
8. Serve topped with crumbly white cheese, cilantro, and hot sauce.

Make the picadillo a day ahead if you like, then stuff and bake the peppers when you are ready. Ground turkey or chicken lightens it up, and more jalapeno turns up the heat.

Grower's tip: poblanos are mild, meaty chiles that grow on sturdy, productive plants and are best picked at their glossy dark green stage for stuffing. Leave a few to ripen red and dry them, and you have your own anchos, the very same pepper this recipe blends into the picadillo.

One pepper plant can carry this whole dish. Grow a few poblano peppers for stuffing and drying, keep some onions in the ground, and grow cilantro to finish each plate.