Cheese and poblano empanadas

To roast the poblanos:

1. The poblano peppers can be roasted on the grill, in the oven under the broiler, or over the flame on a gas stove. I recommend grilling as the first option, place the peppers on a hot grill and grill on each side until they are blackened or charred. Next best option is to place them on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler (set to high) and roast on each side until charred. For the stove stop method, my least favorite because the fumes can be strong, use thongs to hold the poblano peppers and place them close to the flame, turn until they are blackened.
2. Place the poblano peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 10 minutes– this will help them sweat so that the skin becomes very loose and easy to remove.
3. Peel off the skins from the roasted peppers, cut them half and remove the seeds and stems. Remove any liquid inside the peppers.
4. Cut the poblano peppers into strips and then cut them into small pieces, about ½ inch to 1 inch wide.

Poblano empanada assembly:

1. To assemble the empanadas, place a spoonful or two of the cheese mixture and some chopped roasted poblano peppers or rajas on the middle of each empanada disc.
2. Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges. You can either use a fork to help seal the empanadas, or use your fingers to twist and curl the edges creating a churito or curl type seal. You can also use an empanada mold to seal the empanadas.
3. If you have time, for best results, especially since these empanadas contain cheese, chill the empanadas for at least 30 minutes before baking, this will help them seal better and prevent leaks.
4. Before baking, brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk; this will give a nice golden glow when they bake. If you are making several batches of different empanadas and have any poblanos left over, you can place a small piece of the pepper on top of each empanada as a marker to help identify the filling.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden.
6. Serve the poblano and cheese empanadas with your choice of dipping sauce.