Goodson's Chili Relleno's

Ingredients

- 4-7 Large Pasila peppers (or) 6-9 Large Anaheim peppers

- 1 Cup yellow Corn Meal

- 3/4 Cup Flour

- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder

- 2 teaspoons Salt

- 2 Eggs

- 1 Cup Milk

- ~ 16 Oz's (one pound) Monterey Jack Cheese

- ~ 2 Cups of oil

- Salsa, chilled

Preparing Peppers:

- Wash the peppers

- Cut a length-wise slit down the pepper, make a small (1/2 inch) incision at the top of the slit (should look like the number "7").

- Using a small spoon handle poke inside of pepper to scrape away as may seeds as possible.

- Gently open slit and shake seeds out. I keep the seeds and plant them.

- Place peppers on top of a broiler pan with the slit DOWN.

- Broil for about 30 minutes at 350°, pepper skin should be dark brown or black on the top.

- Remove broiler pan and turn over, broil for about 15 more minutes (or) until pepper skin is dark brown or black on the top.

- Remove peppers fro the oven.

- Let cool for about 5 minutes.

- Place roasted peppers in large sealed container (or) plastic zip-lock bag(s) for about 30 minutes to steam.

Here's the hard part!

- GENTLY remove the skin from the peppers, don't be too concerned when the peppers start to fall apart (this is normal). After you have removed the skin from a pepper gently rinse the seeds out of the inside and place on towel to drain. Don't worry about getting ALL of the skin off, especially when using Pasila peppers.

- Let air dry for about 15 minutes (slit down), then turn over and open slit for an additional 15 minutes.

Make the Batter:

Combine:

- 1 Cup yellow Corn Meal

- 3/4 Cup Flour

- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder

- 2 teaspoons Salt

- 2 Eggs

- 1 Cup Milk

In mixing bowl, mix until semi-smooth and place in the refrigerator.

Prepare the cheese:

- Cut Monterey Jack Cheese into thin (~1/4" X 3") strips.

- If possible cut into long triangle shapes (this will fit inside of pepper easier).

Time to cook:

- Gently place cheese into peppers, leave enough room to 'close' the pepper.

- Pour oil into frying pan, oil should be slightly less than 1/2 of the thickness of the largest pepper.

- Heat oil on medium heat.

- Gently place pepper (with the cheese inside) into batter, scoop batter on top of the pepper (and stem) to cover pepper.

This part takes practice:

- Using your hands, scoop under the pepper and gently / carefully place into hot oil. Use the batter that's on your hands to drip onto the 'non-battered' portions of the top of the pepper (the 'non-battered' portion of the peppers occurs when transferring the pepper from the batter bowl into the oil).

- Let fry for about a minute (until it appears the sides are brown).

- Turn the pepper in oil {this is not easy - and can be dangerous and messy} Use a large flat metal spatula and tongs to carefully turn the pepper in the frying pan with hot oil.

- Let the 2^nd side fry in oil for about one minute. Watch this carefully - if you see "little white ghosts" emerging from the pepper then remove from pan (this is the cheese leaking out). Place in pie dish with paper towel's on the bottom.

Finished: Place Chili Relleno on plate with chilled salsa on top.

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Variations:

- Try adding different types of cheese (keep the Monterey Jack as the primary cheese).

- Try adding cooked hamburger or sausage to the cheese.

- Try adding a little (teaspoon) of habanero sauce to the batter.

Tips:

- As stated, don't freak-out when you're taking the skin off of the pepper and the pepper starts to fall apart! Once you dip into the batter and fry the pepper will seal itself, even if the pepper is in many pieces!

- Place the peppers that are done in the oven on "warm" till all of the peppers are done, this not only helps to keep the peppers warm but also further melts the cheese.

- Keep the batter chilled until use.

- Keep the cheese slices chilled until placed in the pepper.