Charing the skins and removing just enhances the sweetness of the pepper and removes the bitterness of the skin. If not removed, you may get a separation of skin and flesh later on when your stuffed peppers are baking, ending up with a strange papery bitter 'skin'.

I've stuffed and grilled smaller peppers off to the side of coals and did not mind the skins.
I use fresh red pepper, chopped fine, in salads... bean, pasta, chicken, slaws...and like the crisp freshness. For some reason i like the skin off green peppers, especially poblano. And large green regular peppers. For some reason i get immediate stomach digestion problems with fresh green ones chopped. The process of charing and remove the skin solves that issue...
I would try one or two with the skin on...i do know some like it that way....experiment and see if works for you.

What Sleevendog said is true about the skin, but I love them in chilis rellenos with the skin on, barely charred. The skins get tough, though, and require a knife and fork with some application. Also, if you're doing a battered version, the batter will stick better if it's peeled. If you want more of a char flavor (which I find can overwhelm the poblano's distinct flavor, a lot of which is in the skin, as well), the skin will come off whether you want it to or not. :) At that point, handle carefully so you don't tear the now-slimy flesh. :) I love 'em that way too, but they're very different dishes. :)

Basically, lovely and/or smoky is skin off, rustic, chewy (as in have to chew, sink your teeth into, not like taffy) and poblano-y is skin on.

Yes that's another reason why I didn't want to char and peel it, they kind of get soft and hard to handle. I don't do the batter thing, I stuff them, make a sauce to pour over, and bake them.

I think the poblano chili skin gets tough with cooking, so that's why I roast & peel before using them. The peel separates from the chili and ends up rolled tightly into little papery shards of pepper skin. I don't like that texture much.

I char the peppers in my oven's broiler, and then let them steam in a covered bowl for at least 20 minutes. I agree that the peeled whole chili can be hard to handle. I use a grapefruit spoon to get out all the seeds and sometimes end up with a tear down the entire length of the chili. But even so, I'd rather have the peel gone.

I don't batter the chilis either. Usually flour or masa dredge, egg wash, and then either breadcrumbs or more masa. If I use breadcrumbs, I bake the stuffed peppers.

Same with breading, Shambo's way, as battered. If you leave the skin on, the coating will tend to fall off, though if you're delicate and do it in the oven, it has a better chance of sticking.

They work fine the way you make them, Ritaweeda, with the skins on. As I said, I love them that way. :) But they are tough. You don't char them to the point of the skin curling, just toast them until they start getting brown spots, but feel more raw than cooked, just soft and warm, with the skin still attached. You don't really need to char them at all in that case, if you're not fond of the smoky flavor, though you should blanch or steam them a bit to soften before stuffing. Especially when cooked in sauce, and with a soft filling, I like the contrast of the tough skin that actually needs teeth and chewing. Otherwise, it can just be a pile of goo.

I do think it makes a difference. Charring contributes to the flavour. I blacken them on the grill. Then I put them into a bag and let them steam for a few minutes. The skins are then easy to remove.

I char them on the grill like Ann does, and I prefer to use mesquite wood/charcoal for flavor.

I remove whatever skin comes off easily, and whatever does not want to come off, I leave on. I get probably 80% of it off, but leaving a small amount does not really hurt. You don't need to be fanatic about removing the skin, but whatever you do remove will help. Depending on how mature your chilies are, the skin may be less tough and more difficult to remove. The tough skins are easy to remove, which is why it is okay to leave the ones that are difficult, as they will be less tough.

Lars

I used to roast mine in the oven and steam then peel and deseed as mentioned in previous comments. I also found this difficult as the peppers tend to get slimy and fragile. Recently I found a video on you tube that solves this problem. "How to roast a poblano pepper with a propane torch." This method takes more labor at first than just Throwing the peppers in the oven but in the long run it pays off because you don't have to be as careful when deseeding. Furthermore it's just downright fun! After steaming in a paper bag for about 10 minutes You can just lightly rinse the pepper and rub with a paper towel to get the blackened skin off. The peppers remain slightly flexible but firm, allowing for easy removal of seeds as the torch will not really cook them which makes them slimy and fragile. The only real drawback here (and it's a big one) is that there is a danger of burning yourself or starting a fire so please use extreme caution! After deseeding, pat dry. I dust the peppers lightly inside and out with flower, stuff with Monterey Jack, dip in a whipped egg batter and deep fry in my wok untill golden brown. I spoon or splash oil over the tops or flip them halfway to insure even cooking. On the egg batter- I put a bowl in the freezer, separate the egg whites, whip the whites with a hand mixer in the cold bowl with a dash of salt till fluffy like a mirange - then fold back in the yellows with just a few turns. I like to top them with sharp cheddar cheese and keep them in the oven on warm untill I have enough to serve. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired. This is a lot of work ( a labor of love ) but it's fun to plan a dinner party around it and let the process become a source of entertainment and conversation! Plus your guests will be amazed at your skills and how delicious these little baby's are!