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Photo by Ignacio Urquiza.
This festive dish, resplendent with the colors of the Mexican flag, is traditionally served on September 16 in honor of Mexico’s Independence Day, though it is popular anytime in the late summer and fall when the walnuts are fresh and the pomegranates abundant. During August and September in the highlands of Mexico, particularly in Mexico City and Puebla on the streets bordering the markets, village women can be seen sitting on blankets painstakingly peeling off the brown skin from each individual wa lnut. It is important to use the freshest walnuts as possible, as they produce such a creamy, rich sauce that it is worth the effort demanded to peel them. This recipe is from Cocina de la Familia.
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Cut the meat into large chunks, removing any excess fat. Place the meat into a large Dutch oven with the onion, garlic, and salt. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foam that collects on the surface. Lower the heat and allow the water to simmer about 45 minutes, until the meat is just tender. Take the pot off the stove and let the meat cool in the broth. Remove the pieces of meat and finely shred them. (If making stuffed chiles with a tomato sauce rather than the walnut sauce, save the broth.)
Warm the oil in a large, heavy skillet and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until they turn a pale gold. Stir in the shredded meat and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon, pepper, and cloves, then stir in the raisins, the 2 Tbls chopped wal nuts, and the candied acitrón. Add the chopped pear and apple, and mix well. Add the tomatoes and salt to taste, and continue cooking over medium-high heat until most of the moisture has evaporated. Stir often so that the mixture doesn’t stick. Let cool, cover, and set aside. The picadillo may be made 1 day in advance.
Make a slit down the side of each chile, just long enough to remove the seeds and veins. Keep the stem end intact. Drain the chiles on absorbent paper until completely dry. Cover and set aside. The chiles may be prepared 1 day in advance.
At least 3 hours in advance, place the 1 cup walnuts in a small pan of boiling water. Remove from the heat and let them sit for 5 minutes. Drain the nuts and, when cool, rub off as much of the dark skin as possible. Chop into small pieces.
Place the nuts, cream cheese, crema, and salt in a blender and purée thoroughly. Stir in the optional sugar, cinnamon, and sherry, if using, until thoroughly combined. Chill for several hours.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. When ready to serve, reheat the meat filling and stuff the chiles until plump and just barely closed. Put the filled chiles, covered, to warm in the oven. After they are thoroughly heated, place the chiles on a servin g platter or on individual plates, cover with the chilled walnut sauce, and sprinkle with the parsley and pomegranate seeds.
Acitrón is crystallized biznaga cactus and comes in bars a little smaller than a cube of butter. I have found it in the United States only in heavily Mexican-populated areas such as Chicago and Los Angeles, but when you go to Mexico, you can buy some a t any large city candy store, including at the Mexico City airport. If you can’t find it, candied pineapple is an acceptable substitute, but don’t use citron, a preserved citrus fruit that has a decidedly different taste and texture and is best kept for y our seasonal fruitcake.
Poblano chiles are commonly found in most grocery stores these days, but unfortunately are often incorrectly labeled pasilla chiles which are a dried red chile. The chile you are looking for is a large fresh chile with very broad shoulders and is p erfect for stuffing. The easiest way to roast chiles is to place them directly in or over the flame of a gas stove for about five minutes, turning with tongs as they char and blister on all sides. The idea is char the flesh, but barely cook the flesh. Th e chiles can also be roasted on a very hot charcoal or gas grill as close to the coals as possible and although not recommended they can be broiled close to a preheated electric element, turning occasionally. After the chiles are roasted, put them in a pa per or plastic bag and let them sit for about five minutes before removing the skin. Use your hands to rub, pick and/or peel the skin away and if necessary rinse the chiles quickly under water. It is fine if some of the charred bits of skin remain. Slice open one side of the chiles and cut and scrape out the membrane with its seeds. Now they are ready to stuff.
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