Las Chabela’s Chilis Gueritos con Camarone

Google Translate provides the following translation from Spanish to English of “gueritos” to mean “little white boy”. Personally I think this is humorous. The dish that I have been recently ordering at Las Chabelas in Brawley, CA is Chilis Gueritos con Camarone (White Chiles with Shrimp).

Chilis Gueritos con Camarone (White Chilis with Shrimp)

Guerito Chilis, also known as Guero or Santa Fe Grande Chili Peppers which were used in the recipe Bite Sized Mini Stuffed Peppers are a nice change from the more commonly known chilis (Jalapeno, Poblano, Anaheim and Hatch) in Houston. Guerito Chilis range between 500 – 700 scovilles. The peppers contain just enough heat to provide additional flavor, but are not even close to overpowering the subtly of the shrimp and melted cheese.

The dish is served with six peppers stuffed with diced shrimp blended with a shredded white soft Mexican cheese and then broiled / baked (but not so much that the peppers are completely wilted). The stuffed peppers are placed on a bed of Spanish rice with additional cheese sprinkled on top and with what appeared a light drizzle of mole sauce. The plate was then broiled for a few more minutes and then served.

Chilis Gueritos con Camarone is a surprisingly simple dish that packs some intense flavor and contrasting textures in each bite. What is most surprising is that the peppers are served with a container of soy sauce. Initially I thought that this was pure blasphemy and heresy, but the soy sauce goes well with the stuffed peppers. The soy sauce is intended to be poured lightly on top of the pepper. The entire combination is well made. The crunchiness and slight heat of the peppers, the tender sweetness of the diced shrimp mixed with the melted cheese all brought together with the savory saltiness of the soy sauce makes for a very enjoyable dish. For me, it is a meal that I have not experienced anywhere else in my travels.

In addition to enjoying Chilis Gueritos con Camarone as it is listed on the menu, you can also order the dish with each stuffed pepper wrapped in bacon. I have never met a dish with bacon that I did not enjoy. In lieu of the soy sauce, the bacon provides the intended saltiness and adds an additional element of textured from the broiled bacon wrapped around the peppers. The simple addition of the bacon provides a completely different dish that is just as enjoyable.

Chilis Gueritos con Camarone y Bacon (White Chilis Stuffed with Shrimp and Cheese, Wrapped in Bacon)

I am confident that this dish can be replicated at home and I intend to try and make Chilis Gueritos con Camarone one of these weekends. I have thoroughly enjoyed eating these stuffed white peppers with shrimp and will do my best to replicate the dish when I get the chance in my own kitchen.