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You can do this two ways: the easy way, or the hard way.
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The hard way consists of roasting and peeling your own chiles.
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Its really not hard as much as it is time consuming.
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You put the whole chiles in the oven under the broiler until the skins turn black, flip em over and blacken the other side.
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Put the charred chiles in a sealed paper or plastic bag for 20 minutes and then peel the skins off.
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Make a slit down the side of the chile and carefully remove the seeds from the inside and the stem (optional).
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I chose the easy way this time.
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I started with a can of roasted and peeled green chiles.
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All you have to do to prep is rinse away the seeds from the inside of the chile.
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Thats it.
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Much easier.
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To make your life easier, start with the sauce.
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Heat some oil in a medium skillet and saute some garlic.
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Throw in some flour and make a roux.
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Add a can of diced tomatoes or dice up a large fresh tomato and put it right in there.
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Add some chicken broth or powdered bouillon (I went with the powder) and stir to combine.
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The tomatoes will release their water as they cook causing the contents of the pan to become more sauce-like.
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You can help this along and crush the tomatoes with the back of your spoon or leave it chunky up to you.
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When you get a consistency that you like (a nice thickness) remove the pan from the heat and set it to the side.
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Put a lid on it to keep it warm.
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Prepare your chiles however you choose, either in the oven or from the can.
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Also slice up some monterrey jack cheese, about one slice per chile.
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I should mention now that you may not use all the cheese you slice.
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Sometimes you have to cut the slices to fit inside the chile and end up with leftover bits.
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Just stuff them as much as you can without tearing the chile.
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Set these to the side as you prepare the batter.
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Start by separating some eggs.
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In a large bowl or a stand mixer, whip up the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
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Add a dash of salt.
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And then slowly, ever so gently, fold in the egg yolks.
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Now you need to set up an assembly line to finish this off because efficiency is key, here.
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On the stove, start heating a large pan of oil, about an inch or more deep.
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Closest to the stove, leave the egg mixture, but not too close that the heat from the stove will cause the mixture to separate.
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Give it about 8-10 inches of space, at least.
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On the other side of the egg mixture, leave a pan or a plate of plain flour for dredging your stuffed chiles (this step is optional, but I think it helps keep the egg on the chile).
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Next to the flour, and furthest from the stove, have your stuffed chiles ready and waiting.
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Roll your chiles in the flour, coating both sides.
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Tap off the excess.
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Dip the chiles in the egg mixture making sure they are completely coated.
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This is very messy.
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Make sure that the oil in the pan is very hot.
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Gently and slowly, lay your chiles in the oil and fry them for 45-60 seconds or until they turn golden brown.
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Flip them over gently and fry the other side for the same amount of time.
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The egg batter will expand slightly during frying so its best to fry only two or three at a time, depending on how big your pan is, to avoid them expanding into each other, thus causing a flipping nightmare that could potentially lead to the destruction of a few chiles.
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Do.
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Not.
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Want.
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Remove the chiles to a plate lined thickly with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
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Put a couple of these beauties on a plate with some rice and beans and top them off with that delicious sauce you made earlier.
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These are fabulous!!!
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Better than any restaurant relleno Ive ever had.
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And if youre lucky enough to have left overs, they are just as delicious the second time around!
