Preheat the oven to 425°F. 

Arrange tomatoes, onion, garlic, and pepper on a parchment-lined half sheet pan. Drizzle with avocado oil and bake for 20–30 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and everything is cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Roasting Poblanos: Roast poblano peppers on a comal over medium heat, turning to char all sides until blackened. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sweat for 5 minutes to loosen the skin.

Meanwhile, pan-fry the corn tortilla in a skillet with 2-3 tbsp of oil over medium heat until crispy and browned on both sides. Set aside to cool.

Uncover the peppers after sweating, avoiding excess steaming that could weaken them. Peel off the charred skin once cool enough to handle. 

Prepping the Peppers: Make a slit from the center toward the stem. Carefully cut out the seeds with a small knife or kitchen scissors, preserving the stem, and scoop out any remaining seeds.

Stuffing Peppers: Gently stuff cheese into each pepper through the slit, keeping the structure intact—slight widening is okay. Set aside.

Coating: Spread flour in a large dish. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour to coat the surface evenly, then shake off excess. Set aside briefly.

Transfer the cooled roasted tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, and serrano pepper (with the stem removed) to a blender. Break the crispy corn tortilla into pieces and add it, along with oregano, cumin, black peppercorns, chicken broth, and vinegar. Blend until smooth.

Batter: Separate egg whites and yolks into two transparent containers, ensuring no yolk mixes with the whites.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a large deep pan to 325–350°F.

Whip the whites with a whip attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form—stop before over-whipping.

Reduce speed to medium-low, adding yolks one at a time, letting each incorporate fully. Stop mixing once combined; the batter should be light, fluffy, and smooth. 

Coat the Peppers: Dip each floured pepper into the batter, ensuring full coverage. 

Carefully place the coated peppers into the hot oil, frying in batches of 2 to avoid overcrowding. Fry until the underside is golden, targeting the sides to seal the batter. Flip gently and cook the other side until golden as well. 

Remove from oil and repeat with remaining peppers.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large deep pan over medium heat. Pour in the salsa, add cilantro leaves, and simmer gently, covered, for 10–15 minutes over medium-low heat. 

Season with salt to taste. Add the fried peppers, coating them well with the salsa—spoon it over if needed. 

Cover and gently simmer for 5 minutes, until the batter softens, fully cooks, and absorbs the sauce, and the cheese softens. 

Serve with refried beans, Mexican rice, cactus salad (VIDEO), and warm corn tortillas.