Grilled Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Tonight I fought the chilly temperatures by firing up the grill. The grocery store has beautiful poblano peppers right now. So I bought a few to stuff and grilled. Tonight I stuffed them with grilled flank steak and Mexican Quesadilla cheese. They were so good. This is definetly a tried and true recipe. We have made it several times now, with chicken, beef and shrimp. It is a great recipe to make with friends or family. The extra hands make it faster to prepare. My sister was the sous chef today. She grated the cheese and peeled the poblanos. We only encountered one spicy poblano this time. See the large pepper without a stem on this plate. It was the "devilish" pepper, very spicy but still delicious. They say the peppers with a curved stem are spicy. There is some truth to that but its not foolproof. So be selective when purchasing your peppers. I am already looking forward to purchasing a few more myself.

Grilled Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Serves 4

8 poblano peppers

1 lb chicken, beef, pork or shrimp, marinated or seasoned

8 oz Quesadilla, Monterey Jack or Mexican Blend cheese, shredded

1 onion

1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper

Marinate or season meat of choice 30 minutes and bring to room temperature before ready to cook. Meanwhile, slice bell pepper in half or thirds and remove the stem, ribs and seeds. Slice onion into three slices. Rub all vegetables including poblano peppers with a little olive oil. Poblanos should be left whole. Place everything meat and veggies on the grill. Grill for five minutes on each side on high heat. Remove poblanos and cover with plastic wrap. Check meat and other veggies for doneness and remove from grill. Let meat rest for 10 minutes. Peel off the skin of poblanos. Make a slit in the poblano from stem to tip, remove seeds and veins being careful not to split open the sides of the pepper. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Chop onions, bell pepper and meat into bit size pieces, combine with cheese. This is your stuffing for the poblanos. Distribute stuffing between poblanos. Place sheet of foil with peppers back on the grill. Grill until cheese melts and brings to brown a little about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve.

Tips:     Poblanos peppers with straight stems are “usually” (not always) less spicy than peppers with curved or bent stems. Be sure to remove all seeds and veins to have a milder pepper.

            Marinate the shrimp in the marinade given below. Or season the beef, pork and chicken with fajita seasoning also below.

Shrimp Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup salsa 

3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp horseradish

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp cilantro

Combine everything in a jar and shake to combine. Let marinade at least 30 min before grilling.

Fajita Seasoning

1/4 cup paprika

3 tablespoons coarse salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon dried cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all ingredients and mix with your fingers or a fork. Store in an airtight container.

Linking to:
Carole's Chatter - Food on Fridays: Mexican Food