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Chile rellenos with Mexican-style oxtail

Chile rellenos with Mexican-style oxtail

Tender, slow-braised oxtail seasoned with smoky spices gets tucked inside blistered poblano peppers alongside melted mozzarella. Coat them in a light, fluffy egg batter, fry until deeply golden, and serve over a rich tomato sauce for a truly satisfying Mexican-inspired feast.

Prep:less than 30 mins
Cook:over 2 hours
Serves:Serves 4
Dietary:Nut-free
Saturday Kitchen Chef photoBy Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

Nutri-Score DThis recipe receives a Nutri-Score of D due to the generous amount of olive oil used for searing and frying, alongside the natural fat content of the oxtail. While the dish provides a good amount of protein from the oxtail, eggs, and cheese, the frying process and chipotle paste increase the overall fat and calorie density, making it a wonderfully rich dish best enjoyed as an occasional treat.

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Mexican-style oxtail

  • 8 pieces oxtail, around 1kg/2lb 4oz total weight
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 300ml/10fl oz red wine
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 20g/¾oz fresh oregano, leaves picked
  • 10g/1/3oz thyme leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 dried ancho chillies
  • 3 tbsp chipotle paste
  • 250ml/9fl oz chicken stock
  • 50ml/2fl oz cider vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tomato sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 100ml/3½fl oz chicken stock

For the chile rellenos

  • 4 large poblano peppers
  • 200g/7oz mozzarella, torn into pieces
  • 3 free-range eggs, separated
  • 100g/3½oz plain flour
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander, to serve

Customise

  • Swap oxtail for slow-braised beef shin or short ribs if preferred.
  • Replace mozzarella with a crumbly Mexican cheese like Cotija or a mature Cheddar.
  • Use anchovy fillets instead of ancho chillies for a deeper, savoury umami hit.
  • Swap poblano peppers for large mild green capsicums if poblanos are unavailable.

Method

Braise the Oxtail (2½ hours, can be done ahead)

  1. Season the oxtail generously with salt and pepper, then heat the olive oil in a large pan over a high heat until it starts to shimmer. Sear the oxtail pieces all over until they develop a beautiful deep brown crust, which adds so much flavour to the final dish.
  2. Remove the oxtail from the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Toss in the onions and garlic, cooking them gently for about 5 minutes until they soften and become fragrant.
  3. Add the smoked paprika, ground cumin, and chilli powder, stirring everything together to toast the spices for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble away until it reduces by half, concentrating that lovely richness.
  4. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, followed by the fresh oregano, thyme, bay leaves, dried ancho chillies, chipotle paste, and chicken stock. Return the oxtail to the pan, bring everything to a gentle simmer, and let it cook slowly for around 2½ hours until the meat is incredibly tender and falling off the bone.
  5. Lift the oxtail out of the pan once it is perfectly tender, and pick the meat off the bones, shredding it into bite-sized pieces. Place the pan back on the heat and let the remaining stock reduce by half.
  6. Season the reduced stock to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the cider vinegar to give it a pleasant tang. Fold the shredded oxtail meat back through the rich sauce and set it aside.

Make the Tomato Sauce (45 minutes, can overlap with oxtail braising)

  1. Heat the olive oil in a separate saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, cooking them slowly for 20 minutes until they are completely soft and sweet.
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes, dried oregano, and chicken stock to the pan. Simmer the sauce gently for a further 25 minutes until it thickens nicely, then blend it until completely smooth or leave it slightly chunky if you prefer.

Prepare the Peppers (15 minutes)

  1. Blacken the poblano peppers by roasting them in a very hot oven at 230C/210C Fan/Gas 8 or by placing them directly over a gas flame until the skins are completely charred and blistered all over.
  2. Pop the blistered peppers into a bowl and cover them to let them steam until they are cool enough to handle. Gently peel off the charred skin, taking care to keep the peppers intact.
  3. Split the peppers vertically and carefully open them up. Stuff each one with a generous helping of the braised oxtail and some torn mozzarella, then secure the opening with a cocktail stick to hold all that lovely filling inside.

Fry and Serve (10 minutes)

  1. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they form soft, foamy peaks, then lightly whisk the egg yolks in another bowl. Gently fold the yolks into the whites to create a light, airy batter that will puff up beautifully when fried.
  2. Dip each stuffed pepper into the plain flour, shaking off any excess, then coat them thoroughly in the fluffy egg mixture.
  3. Heat enough vegetable oil to shallow fry in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the peppers for 1–2 minutes on each side until they turn a gorgeous golden brown.
  4. Transfer the fried chile rellenos to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. Serve them immediately on top of the rich tomato sauce, scattered with freshly chopped coriander.

 

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