105 min
Filipino-Style Pork Adobo with Eggs & Steamed Rice
Pork belly and shoulder braise in soy, cane vinegar, garlic, bay and cracked pepper until tender, then share their glossy sauce with jammy eggs and hot jasmine rice.
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Mexican Chiles en Nogada with Pork-Fruit Picadillo & Walnut Sauce
Roasted poblanos cradle a warmly spiced pork-and-fruit filling beneath cool walnut cream, pomegranate and parsley for a striking seasonal centerpiece.
Directions
Soak the walnuts
Cover the walnuts with 1 cup milk and soak for at least 30 minutes while preparing the peppers and filling. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup soaking milk.
Roast and peel the poblanos
Heat the broiler with a rack 5 inches from the element. Broil the poblanos on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan for 8 to 12 minutes, turning, until blistered and blackened all over. Cover in a bowl for 10 minutes, then peel gently. Cut one lengthwise slit in each, leaving the stem attached, and remove the seeds and membranes.
Build the picadillo
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook the onion for 4 minutes, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the pork, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains and the center reaches 160°F.
Add fruit and concentrate
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, apple, pear, peach and raisins. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the fruit is tender and the mixture is moist but not wet. Fold in the almonds, taste and add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt if needed. Cool for 10 minutes.
Blend the walnut sauce
Blend the drained walnuts, cream cheese, crema, sherry, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup reserved milk until smooth. Add more reserved milk 1 tablespoon at a time to make a thick, pourable sauce. Refrigerate while filling the chiles.
Fill and warm the chiles
Heat the oven to 350°F. Set the poblanos in a lightly oiled baking dish, divide the picadillo among them and gently close the sides over the filling. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the centers reach 165°F.
Sauce and garnish
Let the stuffed chiles stand for 5 minutes. Spoon the cool walnut sauce generously over each warm chile and scatter with pomegranate arils and parsley. Serve promptly so the warm filling and cool sauce remain distinct.
Why this works
Why it worksBroiling blisters the poblanos for easy peeling while leaving them sturdy enough to hold a generous filling.
Why it worksCooking the pork to 160°F before adding fruit removes raw-meat guesswork, and reducing the picadillo prevents watery stuffed peppers.
Why it worksMilk-soaked walnuts blend into a pale, creamy sauce whose cool richness balances the warm spices, fruit and poblano.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on AmazonHeavy half-sheet panA rigid rimmed surface contains poblano juices while the skins blister evenly under the broiler.See current options →
Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerVerify the ground pork at 160°F and the reheated stuffed chiles at 165°F instead of judging only by color.See current options →
Compare on AmazonStainless mixing bowlsSeparate bowls keep the walnut soak, roasted poblanos and cooling picadillo organized without absorbing odors.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use ground turkey instead of pork and cook it to 165°F; add 1 tablespoon olive oil if the turkey is very lean.
- When peaches are out of season, use thawed frozen peach or a well-drained canned peach packed in juice.
- For an alcohol-free sauce, replace dry sherry with unsweetened apple juice or additional milk plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
Cook notes
- Total time includes the walnut soak, pepper steaming and a short cooling period for the filling.
- Wear gloves if poblanos irritate your skin, and avoid touching your eyes while removing seeds and membranes.
- Poblanos vary in heat. This version removes all seeds and membranes; serve sliced chile or hot sauce separately.
- Use only fresh-smelling walnuts. Rancid nuts make the sauce bitter and cannot be rescued by extra sugar.
- Ground pork must reach 160°F; assembled stuffed chiles should be reheated to 165°F before serving.
Storage
Store stuffed chiles and walnut sauce separately in covered containers for up to 3 days. Reheat the chiles, covered, in a 325°F oven until the centers reach 165°F, then add cold sauce and fresh garnish. Freeze the filled chiles without sauce for up to 1 month; the walnut sauce does not freeze smoothly.
Questions
Are chiles en nogada served hot or cold?
The filled poblanos are best warm, while the walnut sauce is cool or at room temperature. That contrast keeps the sauce fresh-tasting and the pork filling comforting.
Can I peel poblanos a day ahead?
Yes. Refrigerate the peeled, seeded poblanos in a covered container for up to 24 hours. Blot away collected moisture before filling so the picadillo stays concentrated.
Why is my walnut sauce gray?
Walnut skins and oxidation can darken it. Choose pale fresh walnuts, soak them, blend just before chilling and keep the sauce covered. The color does not affect safety.
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Mexican Chiles en Nogada with Pork-Fruit Picadillo & Walnut Sauce
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1. Soak the walnutsCover the walnuts with 1 cup milk and soak for at least 30 minutes while preparing the peppers and filling. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup soaking milk.
2. Roast and peel the poblanosHeat the broiler with a rack 5 inches from the element. Broil the poblanos on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan for 8 to 12 minutes, turning, until blistered and blackened all over. Cover in a bowl for 10 minutes, then peel gently. Cut one lengthwise slit in each, leaving the stem attached, and remove the seeds and membranes.
3. Build the picadilloHeat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook the onion for 4 minutes, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the pork, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains and the center reaches 160°F.
4. Add fruit and concentrateStir in the crushed tomatoes, apple, pear, peach and raisins. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the fruit is tender and the mixture is moist but not wet. Fold in the almonds, taste and add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt if needed. Cool for 10 minutes.
5. Blend the walnut sauceBlend the drained walnuts, cream cheese, crema, sherry, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup reserved milk until smooth. Add more reserved milk 1 tablespoon at a time to make a thick, pourable sauce. Refrigerate while filling the chiles.
6. Fill and warm the chilesHeat the oven to 350°F. Set the poblanos in a lightly oiled baking dish, divide the picadillo among them and gently close the sides over the filling. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the centers reach 165°F.
7. Sauce and garnishLet the stuffed chiles stand for 5 minutes. Spoon the cool walnut sauce generously over each warm chile and scatter with pomegranate arils and parsley. Serve promptly so the warm filling and cool sauce remain distinct.