Roast the chile poblano on the open flame of a gas burner, or underneath your oven’s broiler. Roast until the chiles are blackened but not burnt, about 3-5 minutes. Wrap the roasted chiles in a clean kitchen towel, and them place the bundle in a grocery bag, either paper or plastic. Allow the chiles to sweat for at least 10 minutes. Remove the chiles from the bag and towel, and peel away charred skin. Rinse the chiles, and remove top stem, and interior seeds. Rinse again if necessary to remove any extra skin or seeds that cannot be removed by hand. Slice into strips, and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large covered 3qt (3lt) Dutch oven or sauté pan. Add the onions, and sauté for about a minute. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and brown over medium heat until very well browned, about 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over, and brown for another 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, and hold in a separate plate while you prepare the rice. Leave the caramelized onions in the pan.

Add the uncooked rice to the hot pan with onions. Stir and toast the rice until it turns opaque, about 2 minutes. Carefully add the chicken broth or water, which will steam quickly. Add the garlic and the chiles strips.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and adjust to a medium low heat. Simmer for 25 minutes, without removing the lid. All of the liquid should be absorbed. If not, cover and cook for 5 more minutes.