Rocoto relleno facts for kids
Rocoto relleno is a famous dish from Peru. It's a type of stuffed peppers that comes from the city of Arequipa. Arequipa is a beautiful city in the Andes mountains in southern Peru. This city is well-known for its unique versions of dishes that first came from Spain.
In Spain, people used sweet peppers for their stuffed dishes. But in Peru, sweet peppers were not common. So, cooks in Peru started using a special chili pepper called rocoto. These peppers are very spicy when raw! To make them less hot, they are cooked in water and vinegar. After that, a tasty mix of minced meat goes inside the rocoto. Finally, melted cheese is added on top, and the whole thing is baked and served. Rocoto peppers are much spicier than a jalapeño pepper. This dish is now one of the most popular in Peru and is enjoyed worldwide.
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What Makes Rocoto Relleno Special?
This dish takes some time to prepare, but it's worth it! Even though rocoto peppers are very spicy, the final dish is only mildly hot. This is because of how the peppers are prepared.
Popular Fillings
You can put almost anything inside a rocoto pepper for this dish. The most common filling is a delicious beef mix. This mix often includes beef, pork, onions, garlic, and a creamy sauce. Sometimes, people also add pecans for extra flavor. A popular way to serve Rocoto relleno is with a hard-boiled egg placed inside the pepper.
Main Ingredients
To make Rocoto relleno, you will need:
- Rocoto peppers: These are the main ingredient.
- Red vinegar: Used to reduce the pepper's spiciness.
- Meats: Chopped beef and chopped pork.
- Oils and sauces: Olive oil, tomato sauce, and white wine.
- Dairy and nuts: Cream, pecans, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
- Vegetables and seasonings: Red onion, garlic, aji panca paste, potatoes, salt, and margarine.
- Other: Flour and beef stock.
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How to Prepare Rocoto Relleno
Rocoto relleno is usually made by filling the peppers with a tasty beef mix. Then, it's topped with cheese. The stuffed peppers are baked in the oven with tomato sauce. It's often served whole with baked potatoes or a fresh salad.
Preparing the Rocoto Peppers
First, the top part of each rocoto pepper is cut off. All the seeds are carefully removed from inside. Then, the peppers are cooked in water with salt and vinegar. This step is very important! It helps to remove most of the intense heat from the peppers.
Preparing the Filling
Next, the chopped beef and pork are mixed together. A special seasoning is made with margarine, ground garlic, onion, and aji panca paste. This seasoning is mixed into the meat. Then, pecans, flour, beef stock, and cream are added to the meat mix. Finally, this delicious filling is fried in olive oil with tomato sauce and wine.
See also
In Spanish: Rocoto relleno para niños
