Stuffed peppers are a very fashionable dish throughout China, and every area has their very own model and taste profile. Among the most well-known stuffed peppers are from Cantonese dim sum, normally utilizing a easy shrimp or fish filling to stuff the bell peppers, completed up with a black bean sauce. On this submit, I need to share a Northern Chinese language stuffed pepper recipe. Completely different from the Cantonese model, my recipe makes use of floor pork for the filling, with water chestnuts for texture. The peppers are pan grilled, then briefly braised in a garlicky brown sauce for a wealthy taste.

The completed dish is satisfying and hearty. It’s straightforward sufficient to place collectively on a weeknight, and spectacular sufficient for a Sunday dinner centerpiece.

Substances

What sort of pepper to make use of?

My favourite pepper for this dish is Cubanelle pepper, or Cuban pepper. It’s a gentle, candy pepper with a little bit warmth. It isn’t too huge to prepare dinner with and but not too small to stuff. The pores and skin is skinny, similar to the kind of pepper we use in China. Alternatively, Anaheim pepper is one other nice possibility that’s fairly much like the Cuban pepper. 

When choosing Cuban peppers, attempt to use those on the smaller aspect with a straight form. So it can have a pleasant pepper-to-filling ratio and be simpler to stuff. 

I choose to not use bell peppers since most that I’ve discovered within the US are fairly giant and have thick pores and skin. If you wish to use bell peppers for this dish, I might slice the peppers into shallow boats (a little bit smaller than half of a bell pepper) that’s about 1” deep. So it achieves a equally sized stuffing.

The stuffing

In Northern China, floor pork is the default filling for stuffed pepper. My recipe makes use of Shaoxing wine and soy sauce for umami, and ginger and scallion for perfume. I additionally add minced water chestnuts for a crunchy crispy texture. The egg and cornstarch work as a binder and tenderizer.

The sauce

I take advantage of a easy brown sauce to braise the peppers. It’s hen inventory primarily based, with soy sauce and oyster sauce for taste. The darkish soy sauce provides a pleasant deep brown colour to the sauce. Sugar is used as a hidden taste to steadiness out the saltiness, and garlic is added for perfume. 

The way to make

Combine all of the filling components collectively. Be certain that to beat the filling in a single round route till it turns into sticky. This helps make sure that the filling binds collectively and doesn’t fall out of the peppers.

To stuff the peppers, reduce off the tops and take away the seeds as totally as you may utilizing a paring knife. Use a small spoon with an extended deal with to stuff the filling. Be certain that to pack in as a lot filling as you may. For those who don’t have sufficient filling to stuff the ultimate pepper, merely reduce off the ends of the unfilled pepper. This can guarantee higher browning afterward.

Grill the peppers in a sizzling pan till the floor is blistered. To char the peppers correctly, first ensure that to dry the pepper floor as totally as you may to forestall splatter. Cook dinner the peppers in a sizzling pan and don’t transfer them. Allow them to prepare dinner for a minimum of two minutes earlier than checking, and it normally takes three minutes to brown both sides. If the pan begins to smoke closely, flip to medium warmth. Blister all sides to create a pleasant texture.

As soon as all sides of the peppers are charred, brown the meat stuffing aspect. Properly formed Cuban peppers can normally get up by themselves within the pan. In the event that they don’t, use a pair of tongs to char one pepper at a time.

Pour within the sauce and canopy the pan. Braise for five minutes, till the filling is cooked via.

Then switch the peppers to a serving plate. Add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. 

Pour the sauce over the plated peppers to complete up the dish.

The way to serve 

You’ll be able to serve these stuffed peppers as a essential course by itself, however I actually wish to serve it with steamed rice. It’s additionally nice to serve the dish as a centerpiece of a bigger meal, together with an appetizer, soup, and sides. Listed below are some pairing ideas:

Steadily requested questions

My stuffed peppers recipe is a Northern Chinese language model, that includes juicy and tender pork stuffed peppers, pan fried till blistered, then completed with a wealthy brown sauce. It’s fairly straightforward to place collectively and excellent for making forward.

Cook dinner ModeStop your display from going darkish

• To arrange the chili peppers: Lower off the ends and take away and discard the seeds.

• Combine all of the stuffing components collectively in a medium-sized bowl. Stir till the paste turns into sticky. Stuff the meat into every pepper, utilizing an extended spoon to push the filling down, to pack in as a lot filling as you may. If you do not have sufficient filling to fill the final pepper, reduce off the half that’s not stuffed. Dry the peppers with paper towels so the floor is dry, to forestall splatter.

• Combine all of the sauce components collectively in a small bowl.

• Warmth the oil in a big skillet over medium-high warmth till shimmering. Add the peppers. Let prepare dinner, flipping often, till the floor has blistered, about 3 minutes per aspect. Then use a pair of tongs to face the peppers up on their ends to brown the filling. Flip to medium warmth if the oil begins to splatter.

• Pour within the sauce and canopy the pan. Let simmer for five minutes, flipping the peppers midway via, till the meat stuffing is cooked via.

• Combine the cornstarch and water till the cornstarch dissolves fully.

• Uncover the pan, then switch the peppers onto a serving plate. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan, stirring instantly till the sauce thickens. Flip off the warmth and pour the sauce over the peppers. Serve sizzling as a essential dish.

Ingredient Substitution Information

1. Each cubanelle peppers and anaheim peppers are appropriate for this dish as a result of they’re gentle and have skinny pores and skin. Their dimension is good for stuffing.
2. To make the dish gluten-free: Use dry sherry to exchange Shaoxing wine, use tamari to exchange soy sauce and darkish soy sauce, and ensure to make use of a gluten-free oyster sauce.

Serving: 1serving, Energy: 234kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.9g, Protein: 22.3g, Fats: 8.6g, Saturated Fats: 2.4g, Ldl cholesterol: 140mg, Sodium: 687mg, Potassium: 602mg, Fiber: 3.5g, Sugar: 5.5g, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 4mg

Did you make this recipe?

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