Barbecued Brisket Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Mexican Cole Slaw
A true Tex-Mex favorite; mild Poblano peppers stuffed with smokey barbecued brisket, tomatoes, onion and cheese.
A stuffed pepper in Spanish is call a "relleno." This is not to be confused with a specific, classic Tex-Mex dish called Chilies Relleno, which typically is a Poblano Pepper that is stuffed with ground beef or shredded chicken, batter dipped and deep fried and then served with a red or green chili sauce over the top. This is a different recipe altogether.
There are two ways to go with the titular ingredient: (1) Make your own barbecued beef brisket and to help you with that, here is the Kitchen Tapestry Recipe for “Oven Barbecued” Beef Brisket; or (2) Next time you order from your favorite local barbecue joint, order an extra 1/2 pound of chopped beef brisket. This is a great way to finish it off.
Poblano peppers are generally considered milder than Anaheim peppers, but that is not always true, so know your source unless you're really into capsaicin, the chemical compound that gives chili peppers their heat. Regardless, when you slice the Poblanos open, you'll remove the seed pod that rests beneath the stem. You might find a few additional seeds attached to the white ribs in the cavity of the pepper. The more seeds you find in those locations, the hotter the pepper will be. If the seeds are mostly confined to the pod beneath the stem, the pepper will contain less capsaicin and hence, be milder.
This post also includes the Kitchen Tapestry Recipe for Mexican Cole Slaw. Mexican Cole Slaw is defined by the addition of fresh chopped cilantro in a traditional cabbage/carrot mix, with a vinegar-based dressing that includes fresh lime juice and typically sugar, although you can also use honey or an artificial sweetener like Splenda.
Inspiration for the stuffed Poblano peppers came from the Outgrilling website. His version, however, was meant to be finished on the grill. As usual, I altered the recipe slightly and cooked my Poblanos in the oven.
When you pick your Poblanos from the market, look for plump peppers that have a lot of cavity room for the stuffing.
Barbecued Brisket Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 large Poblano peppers
- 8 oz barbecued beef brisket, chopped or diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
- 1- 1/2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded
- 1 cup sharp or mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 14.5-oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained (like, Hunt's)
- 3-4 green onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F degrees.
- Depending on how many Poblanos you have, there are two ways to prep them. The easiest, of course, is just to cut them in half lengthwise. The other method is a way to stuff a whole pepper depicted in the lead photo for this post. You cut out a triangle on the flattest side of the pepper, which makes a little Poblano "boat."
- In either case, remove the seed pod that rests beneath the stem and any seeds that might be attached to the white ribs of the pepper inside its cavity. Give the pepper a good rinse inside and out, and dry with paper towels.
- Add the chopped brisket, drained petite diced tomatoes, green onion, the Mexican blend shredded cheese and the garlic powder to a large mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix the ingredients together until they are uniformly distributed.
- Stuff each Poblano pepper with the brisket cheese mixture; mound it up over the sides of the pepper as high as it will go, then top with the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Place the peppers on a sheet pan or cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and drizzle with the olive oil.
- Bake the peppers in the upper part of your oven for 45 - 60 minutes until the peppers are crinkled and the cheese is melted, browned a bit and bubbly.
Mexican Cole Slaw
Ingredients
- 10-oz bag prepared "Angel Hair" Cole Slaw
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 3-4 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, rough chopped
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- juice of 2-3 medium to large sized limes (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tsp table sugar
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 2 dashes Tabasco Sauce
- 7-8 grinds fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Blend the apple cider vinegar, lime juice, sugar, celery seed, celery salt, black pepper and Tabasco in a mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly.
- Add the avocado oil and whisk again.
- Set the dressing aside at room temperature for at least thirty minute.
- Add the cole slaw mix to the carrots, green onions and cilantro in a metal bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes.
- At the last minute before serving, add the dressing to the cole slaw mixture and toss.
- Serve in chilled ramekins or salad bowls.
Notes
- If you have an aversion to using a packages cole slaw mix, take a half head of green cabbage and run it through a mandolin for thin slices and proceed with the recipe.
