Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Chiles Rellenos
310 kcal a serving, against 795 for the traditional version. That is 485 kcal off, or 61%, with 28.2g of protein. Serves 4. 1 hour.
What the traditional version is
Large green chillies blistered over an open flame, sweated in a bag and peeled. Sliced open and stuffed generously with white melting cheese, then dusted in plain flour. Dipped into a fluffy batter made from whipped egg whites and yolks, then deep-fried in vegetable oil until golden. Served swimming in a thin, garlicky tomato sauce.
What changed, and what each change costs
99g of absorbed frying oil, 75g of plain flour and 150g of whole egg swapped for nothing
The batter and the frying process soak up staggering amounts of fat. Stripping all of that away entirely removes the heaviest part of the cooking, leaving you with just the pepper and its filling.
What it costs you. You lose the entire point of the traditional dish. The spongy, oil-soaked exterior that grabs the tomato sauce is completely gone. You're eating a roasted pepper, not a fried one.
400g of melting cheese reduced to 150g, and 300g of lean pork mince added
If you just eat a roasted pepper with a tiny bit of cheese, you'll be hungry quickly. Dropping the cheese cuts the fat, while packing the cavity with lean pork adds the bulk you need.
What it costs you. This is a meaty main course. Nobody is going to mistake it for a gooey cheese bomb. The filling is much firmer and you miss that molten stretch. This is the first compromise you'll notice when you cut into the pepper.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 795 | 310 |
| Protein | 34.2g | 28.2g |
| Fat | 59.5g | 15.1g |
| Saturated fat | 23.6g | 8.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 32.7g | 18.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.3g | 9.1g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
This is a satisfying dinner. The loss is the airy, oil-slicked decadence of a battered poblano. You get a dense, meaty roasted pepper. The roasted tomato sauce delivers a sharp punch, and the pork brings real savoury depth. It's a very good plate of food. Just don't expect it to taste like the deep-fried classic.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback