Naked Poblano Chiles Stuffed with Meat and Spices with a Creamy Walnut Sauce

Put the meat, quartered onions, smashed garlic and thyme in a large pot and cover with water by one inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 4 hours or until the meat is falling apart. Keep the meat covered with water until it is almost done. At that point you can let the liquid boil off a bit. Drain the meat, reserving the liquid. Strain the liquid and set aside. Discard the onions and garlic. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred, discarding any bits of fat and bone and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the remaining finely chopped onion and minced garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the shredded meat to the pan and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, cloves and salt. Add enough of the reserved liquid to make the whole mixture quite wet. Cook for 30 minutes, adding more liquid if necessary to keep the meat moist. Turn off the heat and stir in the raisins and almonds.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stuff the chiles with the meat mixture. Transfer to a large baking pan, seam side down. Sprinkle the meat stuffed chiles with shredded cheese. Bake the chilies until the cheese is melted and the stuffing is heated through, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare Walnut Cream Sauce. Place the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to grind rather finely. Add the cream cheese and process until smooth. Add the milk a little at a time to create a thick sauce consistency. Add a little sugar, to taste and process briefly. The sauce should not be very sweet.