Red neck rellenos

[tenngun]

I made a big pot of chili and then froze some in single servings. Could take some to work.
Then a bit back I made some carnetas, and did the same thing froze some single servings to take to work or for my wife to have on nights I’m working.
So I’m off and wife ask what’s for dinner.
I had some bell pepper, loaded it 1/3 full of chili, some cheese then carnitas meat more cheese then in the oven. 350 for 45 min, then pop on the broiler to brown come of the skin.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Sounds a lot like a stuffed pepper to me....

 

[tenngun]

Same thing only variable was use of southwest/Mexican rood instead of more classic Italian style meats. No great leap.
But then chili rellenos is just stuffed peppers, pasties are just calazones right

 

[satx78247]

Sounds YUM to me.

yours, satx

 

[bender20]

What is a carneta?

 

[satx78247]

A Tex-Mex version of roasted pork. = Usually spelled "carnitas" here in The Alamo City.

yours, satx

 

[bender20]

Thanks

 

[tenngun]

Small bite sized pieces of pork roast with different combos of spices roasted low and slow, 200 degrees or so for 4-8 hours. I use pepper, chili powder cumin and cinnamon with whole garlic cloves laid onto the meat

 

[bender20]

That sounds tasty. I'm going to have to try that. You have a recipe or just wing it?

 

[tenngun]

3 lbs pork roast cut in to 1.5 inc square pieces. Put in a bowl and dribble with olive oil till all the meat is wet with it. In anothe bowl mix chili powder about 1/4 cup or so, a teaspoon or so of cumin and cinnamon salt and black pepper. Lay in a shallow biking pan. Pour a little chicken broth or water in the bottom. Cover with foil pretty tight. Pop in a 200 degree oven for four hours or even 180 over night.
Good served with a salsa verde like tacos or burritos. Or wrap in lightly fried corn tortillas and enchilada sauce Mexican mixed cheese and bake till cheese melted. Or even on a corn meal mush, or over scrambled eggs.

 

[Nativearizonan]

Everything you made sounds pretty high on the edible list to me. First class vittles.

One comment for those not from the SW. Not all rellenos are made the same. The Sonoran style rellenos around here are generally made with large NM green chiles stuffed with cheese only, then dipped in an egg batter and fried. Then served with enchilada sauce and melted cheese on top. They might be stuffed with a Mexican white cheese, or a longhorn colby. No meat at all in them.

The non-Sonoran ones filled with meat I have eaten in restaurants are usually made with poblano peppers, rather than bell peppers. Poblanos are a bit hotter than bell peppers.

Carnitas were traditionally cooked in a hand made copper pot called a "Cazo". They were basically cooked in their own grease (lard). I do mine in a crock pot with no added grease.

I have acquired a couple of antique cazos, a large one that came off the Navajo Reservation, and a smaller one I bought at a yard sale. They both look pretty old and primitive, but I don't have any idea of the age, but they could have been made 50 years ago or 250 years ago; who knows. I think they still make them the same way today. They are hand beaten copper with large loop handles riveted to two sides of each pot. I figure they'd work in the kit of a Taos based MM.

 

[Nativearizonan]

BTW, the copper cazo should never be used for acidic foods, like tomato sauces, because of copper leaching. Evidently this has never been a problem with cooking carnitas in lard.

 

[tenngun]

I grew up in New Mexico and I prefer cheese pepper and egg only for my true rellenos. But the stuffed green pepper with south westren food just seemed like a good idea.

 

[Nativearizonan]

I grew up in New Mexico and I prefer cheese pepper and egg only for my true rellenos. But the stuffed green pepper with south westren food just seemed like a good idea.

It works for me. I'd definitely eat your concoction, no matter what the label. Calling them a redneck relleno makes sense as they sound easy and filling, something easily cranked out by a working person.

I'm not sure there is such an animal as a "true" relleno, as it is just a matter of the same name being used for different recipes in different regions. A whole lot of the newer chain restaurants go with the meat stuffing, in a shorter pepper, which is and was common in much of Mexico and in much of TX, but the old restaurants in NM and AZ, run by the established long term resident families, all used the cheese filled long green chile pepper.

 

[tenngun]

That goes with most every thing. Pizza is a good example. Pineapple, white sauce and chicken, pepperoni et al is a far cry from original pizza.
And I think we have talked about spicy hamburger, tomato and bean stew served on macaroni or rice often called chili. Or the amazing dishes called gulosh.

 

[Nativearizonan]

I guess I am a redneck cook. When I shop, I buy whatever meat and veggies are on sale this week, then look through the fridge, when it comes time for me to cook dinner, and hunt out the ingredients of my favorite meal which is called "a piece of meat and sumpin' else".