Making cocktail-sized chiles rellenos for the holidays

"Like our tamale piece, we republish this every year for those who want to try to make something special. I discovered from another New Mexican family in the Bay Area that they too made these small rellenos at Christmas. Both of our grandfathers came from San Antonio, New Mexico so maybe the recipe originated there. In this video, Mission Local's founder, Lydia Chávez, explains how to make cocktail-sized chiles rellenos. The recipe has been in our family for years, invented by my mother and her cousin Evelyn to entertain New Mexican style over the holidays."

"Saute and mince meat, making sure all the moisture is gone. Chop chilies, onion and garlic into fine bits. Mix chopped ingredients into the cooked meat. Wait for the mixture to cool, then shape into small bullets with ground up saltines. Stiffen egg whites, mix in yolks and dredge bullets in egg mixture. Fry rellenos for one minute. Serve immediately or freeze for later."

Cocktail-sized chiles rellenos combine roasted green chiles and sautéed ground meat seasoned with coriander, onion, and garlic. The recipe calls for two pounds each of ground meat and roasted green chili, one large onion, three garlic cloves, ground Saltine crackers, three eggs, and salt to taste. Cook the meat until all moisture is gone, mix in finely chopped chilies, onion, and garlic, cool, then shape into small bullets with crushed crackers. Beat egg whites until stiff, fold in yolks, dredge bullets in the egg mixture, and fry briefly for about one minute. Make a large batch to freeze and serve through the holidays; careful moisture control prevents soggy rellenos.

Read at Mission Local