Spiced Pork Stuffed Hatch Chile

Ingredients

• 450 g pork mince (1 lb)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 roasted hatch chile (roughly chopped)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 - 2 tsp lime (or lemon juice)
• 4 large hatch chile peppers
• Oil
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Grated cheese (cheddar, monterey jack or pepper jack)
• 1/3 cup cilantro (loosely packed)
• 2/3 cup greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• 3 tsp lime or lemon juice (to taste)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Pork Filling (can be made ahead of time) ---

2. 2

   Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat.

3. 3

   Add about 1 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced pork along with all the spices (everything except for hatch chile and lime juice) and a generous pinch of salt. Cook over medium high heat while separating the meat and mixing in the spices.

4. 4

   When the pork is cooked through, add the chopped roasted hatch chile and lime juice, and season to taste. Stir to mix and heat through.

5. 5

   Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. Make the yogurt sauce and prepare the chile while the stuffing is cooling.

6. 6

   --- Cilantro Yogurt Sauce ---

7. 7

   Place the cilantro, yogurt, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small food processor. Process until the cilantro is mixed well with the yogurt. Season to taste if needed. Keep in the fridge until needed.

8. 8

   --- Stuffed Chile ---

9. 9

   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil (or line) an oven-proof dish with some olive oil.

10. 10

    Wash and dry the hatch chile.

11. 11

    Cut a window in the hatch chile using a sharp knife as shown in the pictures in the post. Remove the seeds and white pith. Stuff the hatch chile with the cooked pork mince mix.

12. 12

    Place the stuffed chiles in the prepared oven-proof dish. Brush the chile peppers with some oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper over the peppers.

13. 13

    Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the chile peppers have softened and the pork is starting to caramelize. Sprinkle cheese over the openings on the peppers to cover the pork and return to the oven to roast for a further 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.

14. 14

    Remove from the oven and let it rest for just a few minutes.

15. 15

    Serve while hot with the cilantro yogurt sauce drizzled on top, and cracked pepper and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!