Rocoto Relleno

Rocoto Relleno

A classic Arequipa dish of boiled rocoto peppers stuffed with spiced beef, topped with melted white cheese, and baked until bubbling. Serve with boiled potato slices and the pepper's own sauce.

Prep

30 min

Cook

45 min

Total

75 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •4 whole rocoto peppers, large, round, red or yellow; if unavailable, use 4 large red bell peppers and add 1–2 chopped jalapeños for heat
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) ground beef, 80% lean
• •1 whole onion, red or white, finely chopped
• •3 cloves garlic, minced
• •100 g (3½ oz) peas, fresh or frozen
• •1 whole carrot, small, diced (optional)
• •2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
• •1 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
• •1 tsp dried oregano, or to taste
• •1 tsp salt, plus more for boiling
• •black pepper, ½, freshly ground
• •200 g (7 oz) white cheese, such as queso fresco, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack, sliced or grated
• •4 whole potatoes, medium, boiled and sliced, for serving
• •2 whole eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and halved, for garnish (optional)

Steps

1. 1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rocoto peppers and boil for 5–8 minutes to tame their heat. Drain and let cool slightly.
2. 2 Carefully cut a small lid from the top of each pepper and remove the seeds and white membranes, keeping the pepper intact. Set aside.
3. 3 In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. 4 Add the ground beef, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned and cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. The beef should reach an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F).
5. 5 Stir in the peas and carrot (if using) and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. 6 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
7. 7 Stuff each pepper with the beef mixture, filling it loosely. Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish.
8. 8 Top each pepper with sliced or grated white cheese.
9. 9 Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the peppers are heated through.
10. 10 While the peppers bake, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain and slice.
11. 11 Serve the stuffed peppers hot, with boiled potato slices and hard-boiled egg halves if desired. Spoon any pan juices over the top.