Grilled Stuffed Poblano Peppers
by pstretz in Cooking > BBQ & Grilling
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Grilled Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Tasty stuffed poblano peppers stuffed with rice, onions, green pepper, and grilled pork loin, then grilled themselves to cool the spice.
This is my first instructable so please comment on ways to improve. There are many more on the way. I love this site!!
This is my first instructable so please comment on ways to improve. There are many more on the way. I love this site!!
What You Need
Software:
1 Green Pepper
1 Small Onion
4-5 large Poblano Peppers
4-6 small Cloves of Garlic
2-3 cups Cooked Rice
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1 Pork Loin
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Hardware:
Way to cook the rice
Grill
Knives
Basting brush
Cutting boards (raw meat board and veggies board)
Spoon
Note To Self: Take pictures of ingredients and tools next time
1 Green Pepper
1 Small Onion
4-5 large Poblano Peppers
4-6 small Cloves of Garlic
2-3 cups Cooked Rice
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1 Pork Loin
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Hardware:
Way to cook the rice
Grill
Knives
Basting brush
Cutting boards (raw meat board and veggies board)
Spoon
Note To Self: Take pictures of ingredients and tools next time
Cook the Rice
Start by cooking the rice according to the directions on the container or your rice cooker. Make sure you rinse it and throw salt in the water.
Start Up the Grill
If you have a gas grill you can start it just before putting the meat on. Since I love the flavor imparted by a charcoal grill I wanted to start it ahead of time so it was ready when i was.
Prepare the Garlic, Loin, and Onion
If you have a large head of garlic, pull cloves out till you get to the middle. The middle cloves are smaller and I find that using smaller cloves enables you to leave the garlic in at the end for great flavor without getting smacked in the face with garlic flavor at various times through your meal. Put the cloves on your veggies cutting board and give them a smack under your knife or a spatula. This will make them easy to peal and open up the clove to flavor the meat as it has been crushed.
Quick Tip: Rub your hands on some stainless steel like a spatula, spoon, or other cooking utensil (preferably not your knife) to loosen the bonds of the garlic to your skin and they won't smell like garlic. Thanks Alton Brown.
Take the loin out of whatever package it came with and put it on your meat cutting board. Take your knife and puncture the loin deep enough to insert the small garlic cloves you've prepared. Just sort of randomly insert them, there is no wrong way to do this. Break out your friends salt and pepper and season the meat well.
Cut both ends off the onion, peal off the outer dry layers and cut it in half. You are going to grill this so you want it whole.
Quick Tip: Rub your hands on some stainless steel like a spatula, spoon, or other cooking utensil (preferably not your knife) to loosen the bonds of the garlic to your skin and they won't smell like garlic. Thanks Alton Brown.
Take the loin out of whatever package it came with and put it on your meat cutting board. Take your knife and puncture the loin deep enough to insert the small garlic cloves you've prepared. Just sort of randomly insert them, there is no wrong way to do this. Break out your friends salt and pepper and season the meat well.
Cut both ends off the onion, peal off the outer dry layers and cut it in half. You are going to grill this so you want it whole.
Commence Grilling
If you have a 3 burner gas grill, start the front and back or both sides leaving the center off. If you have a 2-burner setup, turn on the front and leave the back off. If you, like me, are working with charcoal push the coals to either side, leaving the center coal-less. Place the meat on the "off" part of the grill so it will cook indirectly. Place the onion halves over direct heat and close the grill.
Wait a good 4 minutes, or so, then flip the onion over pulling off the 2-3 outer layers separating each onion into 2 parts. Cover and wait another 2-3 minutes and then pull the onion off the grill.
Quick Tip: Separating the onion means more of it gets cooked. The more of it that is cooked, the mellower the flavor. If you want stronger onion flavor, don't separate it and the center will not cook as much and be stronger in flavor.
Leave the meat on the grill and take your onion inside.
Wait a good 4 minutes, or so, then flip the onion over pulling off the 2-3 outer layers separating each onion into 2 parts. Cover and wait another 2-3 minutes and then pull the onion off the grill.
Quick Tip: Separating the onion means more of it gets cooked. The more of it that is cooked, the mellower the flavor. If you want stronger onion flavor, don't separate it and the center will not cook as much and be stronger in flavor.
Leave the meat on the grill and take your onion inside.
Stuffing Prep
All the rest of the prep is done on the veggies cutting board so your meat on can go into the sink at this point. Cut both ends off the green pepper and run your knife along the inside to get out all the seeds. Give it a quick rinse under water and chop it into bite size pieces. Cut up the grilled onion roughly the same size as the pepper. The onion should have been resting while your dealt with the pepper. My rice was done at this point so, in the veggies went. Toss some sushi vinegar into the rice to add a little more flavor. If your rice still has a little while to go, set everything in a bowl and wait. There is still more to do.
Finish the Meat
Most likely around 15 minutes has elapsed since you put your meat on the grill. Head outside and flip it over. You should see a nice redish tan color on the meat with very minimal burning. Cover your grill and give it another 10 or so minutes. A tenderloin is done at 160F so you can check it and pull it off when the thermometer reads 155F. I don't have a thermometer so, I just guessed.
Pull the meat off when it is done and cover the grill. DO NOT turn off the grill yet, we have more grilling to do. Give the loin about 5 minutes to finish carryover cooking and it should read close to 160F. Cut the loin in half and make sure it is not pink and fleshy in the middle. (If your meat is not done, throw it on the grill for a while longer. Test it by cutting it in half until you are sure it is done.) Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and coat liberally with the hoisin sauce. Dump everything into the rice at this point as is should be done cooking by now. Loosely mix everything together as you just want it mixed, not blended. _
Pull the meat off when it is done and cover the grill. DO NOT turn off the grill yet, we have more grilling to do. Give the loin about 5 minutes to finish carryover cooking and it should read close to 160F. Cut the loin in half and make sure it is not pink and fleshy in the middle. (If your meat is not done, throw it on the grill for a while longer. Test it by cutting it in half until you are sure it is done.) Cut the meat into bite-size pieces and coat liberally with the hoisin sauce. Dump everything into the rice at this point as is should be done cooking by now. Loosely mix everything together as you just want it mixed, not blended. _
Prepare and Cook the Poblanos
Give the poblanos a good rince under water. Cut off the tops just past the stem and save the tops for garnish later. Pull out the seeds and rince the insides with water. Use a spoon and push the mixture into the pepper. Really stuff it in there, don't be shy about it. the rice should be the glue that holds everything in and the pepper will loosen up a little while it grills. When all the peppers are stuffed, head back out to the grill. Coat the peppers with the olive oil and place them over direct heat. Give them about 10 minutes a side or until they char a little. Some charring is a good thing here.
If you have some squash, you may want to throw it on during the poblanos cook time for a side dish. Squash coated with a little garlic olive oil and grilled = pure awesome.
If you have some squash, you may want to throw it on during the poblanos cook time for a side dish. Squash coated with a little garlic olive oil and grilled = pure awesome.
Plate It Up and Enjoy
Toss a poblano top or two on a plate with maybe a sliced up tomato, a couple of the grilled stuffed poblanos and some squash, crack open a bottle of wine and enjoy. Bon Appétit!!
Very Important Saftey Tip
So after feasting and having a nice dinner conversation with the wife, we retired to the couch to watch a little TV before bed. In the middle of watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations I rubbed my eye cause it was itchy. HUGE MISTAKE!!!! about a second later i was flying for the kitchen and the eye washing the sink could provide. The wife loving every minute of my plight was the one taking the pictures. So, yeah, poblanos are hot peppers. do not rub your eyes with hands that were used to clean them out. using the sink as an eye-wash station is not the best way to go. In hindsight I'd use gloves or something.