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Relleno negro
Turkey and pork black chilli stew
Relleno negro: Yucatán turkey and pork in black charred-chilli recado
Relleno negro, or chilmole, is the great fiesta dish of the Yucatán peninsula, cooked for Christmas, New Year and village saints' days. Turkey is simmered in a jet-black broth coloured by recado negro, a paste of chillies charred until black, and served with a 'but', a meatball of minced pork and spices wrapped around hard-boiled egg. Recado negro paste is sold in Mexican shops; it is very hard to make at home safely because the chillies are burnt outdoors. Serve with corn tortillas or in tortas. Chef's tip: dissolve the recado in some of the warm broth first, so it blends smoothly instead of floating in black lumps.
- Total time
- 195 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the turkey and broth
- 4 ⅜ lb turkey thighs and drumsticks
- 12 ½ cups water
- 1 onionhalved
- 1 head garlichalved and charred in a dry pan
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tomatoescharred and chopped
- 1 green pepperchopped
- 1 handful epazote or coriander
- 3 tbsp masa harinamixed with 150 ml water
For the 'but' (pork meatball)
- 1 ⅛ lb minced pork
- 2 tbsp recado negro paste
- 1 eggraw
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 hard-boiled eggspeeled
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 4 ⅜ lb turkey thighs and drumsticks, 12 ½ cups water, 1 onion, 1 head garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano and 2 tsp salt in a large pot, bring to a simmer, skim and cook gently for 1 hour.
60 minStep 2: Ladle 300 ml of the warm broth into a blender with 5 ½ oz recado negro (chilmole) paste and 2 tomatoes and blend until smooth. Stir it back into the pot with 1 green pepper and 1 handful epazote or coriander.
Step 3: Mix 1 ⅛ lb minced pork, 2 tbsp recado negro paste, 1 egg and ½ tsp salt. Flatten it on a sheet of cling film into a rectangle, lay 3 hard-boiled eggs end to end in the middle and roll the meat around them into a log, sealing well. Wrap in a double layer of muslin or foil with holes, and tie.
15 minStep 4: Lower the meatball into the broth and simmer for 45 minutes, until the turkey is very tender and 165°F in the thickest part, and the meatball is 160°F in the centre.
45 minStep 5: Whisk in 3 tbsp masa harina and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring, until the broth thickens slightly. A common mistake is adding the masa too early: it catches and burns on the base.
10 minStep 6: Unwrap the meatball and slice it so each slice has egg in the centre. Serve the turkey in the black broth with slices of the meatball and warm tortillas.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does relleno negro take?
- About 195 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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