Recipe: Mamacita 's Chiles Rellenos

Mamacita's Chiles Rellenos
Source: Mamacita's Mexican Restaurant, Houston, Texas

1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon each: salt; pepper and ground cumin
3 /4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 small carrot; peeled and diced
1/2 medium russet potato washed; peeled and diced
2 slices bacon; chopped
4 large poblanos; washed
3 large eggs; separated
1/4 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Place beef in large bowl. Mix in salt, pepper, cumin and garlic powder. Transfer to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until meat loses all its red color, about 20 minutes. Add carrot, potato and bacon; cook 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and reserve.

Place poblanos over hot grill about 20 seconds. Remove skin when peppers are cool enough to handle. Make a lengthwise slit in each (do not cut pepper in half; leave whole) and remove seeds. Place about 4 ounces meat mixture in each; reserve. Beat egg whites in electric mixer bowl on medium speed until stiff, about 5 minutes. Add flour, then egg yolks and beat 1 more minute.

In deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Place a "bed" of egg batter about twice the size of a pepper into hot oil. Place a pepper on top, then cover pepper completely with more batter. Carefully "splash" oil over batter with a spatula until batter turns a golden color. Remove pepper with spatula; drain on paper towel; serve. Repeat for remaining peppers. Makes 4 servings.

Yield: 4 servings