Recipe by Darin Cram

Looking for a spicy compliment to your next grilled or smoked dinner? Toss these cheesy, spicy chile rellenos stuffed with chorizo, garlic, onion, and spices into your smoker for a tasty treat or serve them at your next get-together. Your guests will thank you!

Ingredients:

6 large Poblano Peppers
1 lb Chorizo
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for drizzling
1.5 cups prepared rice, cooled
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (for a hotter filling, leave the seeds in)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 to 3 tsp of your favorite hot sauce, or more to taste
3 to 4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated
Salt
Pepper

Prep your smoker for a 250-275 degree burn, with a chunk or two of apple or cherry wood. You do not want a heavy smoke here! If using a grill (weber kettle, gas grill..etc.) set up for indirect cooking and follow the same instructions.

Instructions:

Coat poblanos lightly with olive oil, and roast in 425 degree oven until outer skin is brown and bubbly. This can also be done on a grill. Be sure to turn peppers often and watch closely. After peppers are roasted remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Gently peel the skin from the peppers. Then take a knife and make a slit down the middle of the pepper (do not go through the other side) from the top of the pepper and stopping just short of the bottom tip. Reach through the slit and remove the seed core. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo, onion, garlic, jalapenos, red bell pepper, cilantro, and cumin and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the beans, hot sauce, rice and 2 cups of the cheese. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and more hot sauce as necessary. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed-out peppers (make them full, but do not over stuff and split the chile). Place in a disposable aluminum pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, dividing it evenly among the peppers. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the cheese. You may have some left over filling; feel free to nibble on this while waiting for the peppers to cook.

When ready to cook, place the pan with the peppers in the smoker. Cook the peppers until the cheese is browned and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the peppers to a platter or plates and serve at once. Enjoy!