Tips from the chefs of Kiwilimón to make the best filling for chile en nogada

The history of chile en nogada makes it one of the most emblematic dishes of the country and is a gastronomic proof of the mestizaje in our country, as it carries in its endemic ingredients a piece of Mexico, but in its flavors a touch of Spain.The traditional recipe for chiles en nogada states that it must contain several seasonal ingredients, such as panochera apple, lechera pear, or criollo peach, which is why this delicious dish is only enjoyed between August and September. If this year you are going to encourage yourself to prepare them with one of our recipes, whether breaded or unbreaded, vegetarian or the classic with meat, the Kiwilimón chefs give you their tips to make the best filling for chile en nogada.5 tips from Kiwilimón chefs for making the filling for chile en nogadaOur recipe for traditional filling for chile en nogada requires about 20 ingredients to prepare, and Chef Mayte Rueda mentions the importance of the meat, as she points out that for practicality, ground meat is usually used, but what many of us don’t know is that the meat should be chopped.The main difference between using chopped meat and ground meat is that the former will retain moisture better, and it simply involves chopping the meat with a knife into small cubes instead of buying it already ground by a machine, which makes this our first tip.Chef Yamilette González, chef coordinator, suggests that before sautéing the meat, you perform this step with all the dried fruits, with or without oil (that is, if you want a lighter version, you can toast them in the oven, depending on how much fat you want to give to your filling), but if you use a little oil, you help to stimulate the essential oils of the dried fruits and seeds.The third tip is one of the most successful, because with this Chef Yamilette tells you how to substitute raisins: “instead of raisins, you can use blueberries. Hydrate them by sautéing them with a little oil, to give them flavor.” She also advises adding soft-textured fruits, such as peach and apple, at the end of the process; “make sure they are cut into small cubes, like the meat, and then use that same oil and pan to sauté it.”The fourth tip is about how to save money when making chiles en nogada, as for the chef coordinator, you can save time and money by using pre-made fried plantains instead of pink pine nuts, buy white pine nuts, “which are cheaper, and you can also use other types of seeds that will give you the same textures when tasting it, like sunflower seeds.”And her last tip goes for those preparing a vegetarian filling. To make a vegetarian chile en nogada that stands out from the rest and bread it, Chef Yamilette assures. The filling is made with mushrooms, and the ideal ones are cremini, as they have a more neutral flavor, although you can also use other types of mushrooms. Additionally, she recommends using some legumes mixed with the mushrooms, like lentils, to make it more consistent and balanced. “Since it is a vegetarian recipe, it’s important to be more careful with seasoning to maintain the flavor balance of the vegetables. Add hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, make it more abundant with seeds, to make it richer, and don’t forget to sauté or toast them to release their essential oils.”