For the peppers:
8 large poblano peppers
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups arborio or other short-grained rice
¾ cup light-colored beer
1½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
For the crema:
3 tablespoons sour cream or Mexican crema
Juice of half a lime
Pinch of salt
Preheat broiler to high. Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil about 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until blackened. Alternately, roast over a gas flame set to high heat. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until cool enough to touch.
Meanwhile, heat the broth to a low simmer in a small saucepan. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking an additional minute. Add the rice to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, until lightly toasted. Stir in the beer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for about 1 minute until the beer has mostly evaporated.
Ladle 1 cup of broth into the rice mixture and simmer, stirring frequently, until it has been absorbed. Add the remaining broth, ½ cup at a time, allowing it to absorb before adding more. Add the corn with the final addition of broth. The rice should cook for 25-30 minutes total, and it should be creamy and tender. Stir in the Monterey Jack, salt, a generous amount of pepper and 3 tablespoons of cilantro. Remove from heat.
Heat oven to 400º. Remove the skins from the peppers. Cut a slit lengthwise in each pepper, and remove the seeds and ribs. Fill each with risotto. Arrange on a baking dish and top with crumbled cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned on top. You can also pop them under the broiler for a few minutes, which is what I did.
While the peppers are cooking, whisk together the sour cream, lime juice and salt in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cooked peppers and sprinkle the remaining cilantro on top.