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one large whole roasted dark-green poblano on an ordinary plate opened along a single lengthwise slit and filled with cooked ground-beef crumbles and chopped pale hominy, with melted white Monterey Jack over the opening and a small spoonful of crema beside it, with no bell-pepper halves, rice, quinoa, black beans, red sauce or garnish
Rachel Kim

Taco-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Poblanos bring a softer, more savory pepper flavor than a thick bell-pepper wall, especially after their skins blister under the broiler. Open each one along a single slit and remove the seeds gently so the pepper still cradles its filling. Hominy gives the ground beef a chewy corn element without rice or quinoa. Keep the meat mixture fairly dry before filling the peppers. The short bake is mainly there to heat the filled centers and melt the Jack, so the peppers should already be tender enough that you won't have to wait on a raw outer wall.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 6 large poblano peppers about 1 1/2 lbs total
  • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp neutral oil divided
  • 1 1/4 lbs 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground ancho chile
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 can 15 oz white hominy, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 4 oz Monterey Jack grated and divided
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 6 tbsp Mexican crema

Method
 

  1. Heat the broiler. Place poblanos on a rimmed metal sheet 6 inches from the heat and broil for 8 to 10 minutes, turning until blistered. Cover in a bowl for 10 minutes, then peel and cut one lengthwise slit in each; gently remove seeds while keeping the peppers whole.
  2. Lower the oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook beef and onion for 8 minutes until beef reaches 160°F, breaking it into small crumbles. Drain excess fat.
  3. Stir in garlic, cumin, ancho chile, salt and tomato paste for 1 minute. Add broth and hominy and simmer for 3 minutes until moist but not runny.
  4. Remove from the heat and fold in half the Jack and lime juice. Divide filling evenly among the 6 poblanos and arrange slit-side up in a baking dish greased with the remaining teaspoon oil.
  5. Scatter remaining Jack over the openings and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the filling reaches 165°F and cheese melts. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve one filled pepper with 1 tablespoon crema per portion.