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| Colca Canyon, near Arequipa, in southern Peru |
A couple weeks ago, I was in the Union Square farmer's market, picking up some fresh produce, when I spotted some beautiful peppers. I knew they were not bell peppers by the shape, which was very exciting because I had been seeking the incredibly hard-to-find rocoto for months.
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| Arequia, Peru |
The rocoto is a red, mid-sized, spicy pepper, primarily grown and consumed in Peru. During my travels there in May 2008, I stumbled on a dish called rocoto relleno, or stuffed pepper, in the mountain town of Arequipa. It was particularly cold that night, and the rocoto relleno, with its spicy pepper shell and the warm, somewhat creamy beef mixture inside, was perfect to warm me up.
Ever since that trip, I have been hoping to recreate that meal. But rocoto peppers, or even a reasonable substitute (i.e. mid-sized, spicy pepper), were very hard to find. Bell peppers were big enough, but not spicy. Almost every spicy pepper I found offered the heat, but they were too small to stuff.
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| Spicy peppers, prepped for stuffing |
Finally, on that fateful day in Union Square over two years later, I found peppers that would work! While the nice woman working the table didn't know the name of the peppers, I knew they would work for the dish. About the size of an orange, they were big enough to stuff, and the woman promised the peppers would be spicy.
Back at home, I set to work. When prepping the peppers, it's key to scoop out all the seeds. The seeds carry a lot of the spice, and while spice is great for this dish, too much would overpower it. Also, be careful when cutting the "hats" of the peppers. Make sure you keep them big enough, allowing you to easily scoop the meat into them, but not too big so that the meat spills out during cooking.
Next, focus on the meat. I recommend using ground beef, but if you had some ground pork or lamb, it would work. It might sound odd, but the boiled eggs are key to the meat recipe. They add an essential creaminess to the dish. Also, try to find a really smoky paprika. Follow the recipe (posted below), and let the meat sit for about 5-10 minutes before placing into the peppers.
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| Finished Product - Rocoto Relleno, with roasted potatoes and steamed peas |
When roasting the stuffed peppers in the oven, keep an eye on the pan. It should always have about a 1/2" of water. This will keep the peppers from burning and drying out, giving the pepper a nice steamed texture. For sides, I served roasted potatoes and steamed peas, but I think almost anything would do, such as rice, other green vegetables, etc.
Enjoy!
To serve two people:
Ingredients:
4 mid-sized rocoto peppers (or other spicy varieties)
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled, and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika (preferably smoked)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried Ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 T. fresh parlsey, minced
1 T. vegetable oil
2 T. cream cheese (optional)
Salt
Pinch of sugar
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F
2. Prep your peppers by carefully cutting out the tops (saving for later...these are called the "hats"), and scooping out the seeds. If you have sensitive skin, you can wear gloves to protect you from the spicy capsicum oil contained inside the peppers.
3. Heat a large sauté pan to medium; add vegetable oil.
4. Once hot, add onions, and sauté until soft, about 5-10 minutes.
5. Add garlic, stir.
6. Add beef, sugar, salt, and all the spices and herbs, except the parlsey. Stir well, let sauté for about 10-15 minutes, or until the beef is cooked through.
7. Turn heat to low, add the diced eggs and parlsey, then stir.
8. Turn off the heat, and let rest about 5-10 minutes. Season with additional spices and salt, to taste.
9. Next, place your peppers in an oven-safe roasting pan, far enough apart so they do not touch.
10. Scoop the meat mixture so that it almost fills the peppers, leaving room for the cream cheese (if using) and the peppers' hats.
11. Place a small scoop of cream cheese on the meat of each pepper (if using), then place the hat on top.
12. Add water to the pan so it's about 1/2" up on the sides.
13. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the peppers are slightly browned and a bit shriveled.
14. Serve and enjoy!
