For The Chiles:
- 4 medium-sized poblano chiles
- 2 teaspoons lard or vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 Roma tomato, cored and chopped (or 1/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes, drained)
- 1 medium green apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins, chopped
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For The Walnut Sauce:
- 1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup milk, plus more if desired
For Serving:
- Seeds from 1 ripe pomegranate
- Chopped cilantro
Roast the poblano chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place chile in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tight and let the chile steam for 20 minutes.
While the chiles are steaming, in a large skillet, on medium, heat up the fat and then add the ground pork. Cook until lightly browned (about 5 minutes) and then add the onions. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes and then stir in the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme and allspice. Add the chopped tomato, apple, raisins, dried apricots and pecans and add salt to taste. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Take the chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin. Cut a slit into each chile, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and pith. Stuff each chile with one fourth of the picadillo filling. To make the sauce, place the walnuts in an oven set at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove the walnuts, allow them to cool and then rub them to peel off the skin. (Even though it’s traditional to completely peel the walnuts, I wouldn’t stress too much if bits of skin stay on the nuts.)
Place the walnuts in a blender along with the sour cream, cream cheese and milk and blend until a smooth, slightly thick sauce forms. Add the cinnamon and salt to taste. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add more milk. To serve, place a stuffed chile on each plate and pour over it some of the walnut sauce. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and cilantro for garnish.
Serve at room temperature.
