Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Aji Relleno (Green Bell Pepper Stuffed with Ground Beef)

Well this is my grandmothers stuffed Bell Pepper dish. It is a green bell pepper, stuffed with well seasoned raw ground beef binded with raw beaten eggs, stuffed well, sealed and simmered in a tomato based sauce.

This is a comorting dish (well to me almost anything Cuban that has been simmered, etc. is comfort food.)

Main Ingredients:
-6 medium green bell peppers
-1 beaten egg to bind the tops
Ingredients for filling:
-1 lbs. lean ground beef
-2 large eggs beaten
-1/2 onion minced
-4 cloves garlic finely minced (mashed to a paste in a mortar or with a garlic press)
-1/2 bunch cilantro or parsley minced
-1 teaspoon cumin
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 1/2 more or less salt to taste
-1/2 cup cracker meal or bread crumbs
For the sauce
-1 can 8 oz. tomato sauce
-1 teaspoon cumin
-1/2 teaspoon oregano
-Salt to taste
-1/2 a bunch of cilantro minced or parsley
-1/2 onion minced
-4 cloves of garlic finely minced or mashed (in a mortar or garlic press)

Directions for Main Ingredients and Filling:
(1)Wash the green bell pepper from outside only, cut a small circle on top of the bell pepper where the stem is, just remove the stem cap, carefully clean out the insides without ripping, remove seeds and white parts. As much as you can without breaking it. Set aside.
(2)Beat an egg and add a pinch of salt set aside.
(3)Now mix ground beef with 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and salt to taste, 1/2 minced onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 2 beaten eggs, and 1/2 cup cracker crumbs or bread crumbs, or grated hard old bread your choice ( I use crackers)
(4)Now fill bell peppers carefully with ground beef mixture, don't fill all the way to top leave a little bit of space and spoon in a little beaten egg to be able to make the caps of the bell pepper fit. Repeat until your done with all peppers. If you have leftover meat you can just get another bell pepper and prepare it, or you can make it into a meatball or something. (I had no leftover ground meat)
Directions for sauce:
(5)Now heat exra-virgin olive oil on medium, then sautee 1/2 minced onions and 4 garlic cloves until fragrant don't let garlic burn, add tomato sauce, and about 1 cup water to thin our sauce, then add cumin, oregano, and salt to taste, bring to a boil stir.
(6)Place carefully bell peppers over boiling sauce standing up, spoon over sauce, cover and simmer on medium low for 25- 30 minutes until everything is cooked.
(7)Your done sprinkle some minced cilantro or parsley around.


I ate it today with the "Congri Con Coco" (check out recipe on my blog) I made.

If your wondering how to start digging into the bell pepper, in my house we simply cut it right down the middle with a fork and kinfe then cut pieces with bell pepper and meat and eat like that. Then I scoop some of the tasty sauce with my spoon and drizzle it over each bite.

PLEASE DO NOT JUST SCOOP OUT MEAT AND NOT EAT BELL PEPPER IF SO DON'T EAT IT AT ALL!

11 comments:

Núria said...

No veo el momento de empezar a cocinar tus recetas.... tu abuela merece un pedestal... que rico todo, Nathan!!!!

These stuffed peppers are a dream... they look soooooo good! I'm cloning the recipe for sure ;D

Wanna party? Come have a drink in my blog!

Raymond said...

Wow, it looks like I'm 2 years behind your blog. I was looking up una receta para rabo encendido (don't you just love how our minds start racing when we say that) and I stumbled across your blog. Love!!!! your tata...mine was tita y me enseno cocinar antes que se muriera. Estaba leyendo tus recetas y no pude encontrar una receta para Arroz con Pollo a la chorrera, In my opinion the one I make is the best I've ever had; beer and all. Let me know if you'd like me to share it with you and I'd be more than happy.

Nathan said...

Raymond,
Glad you found my blog, I love hearing from my fellow Cubans :) I have one recipe for "Arroz Con Pollo" on my blog, by adding more liquid you can make it "a la Chorrera" and yes I'm still searching for an Arroz Con Pollo recipe I'm gonna settle with, haven't found it yet, still looking, but I've come to the conclusion that "a la Chorrera" is best, and that I want beer in it, but haven't found the best recipe yet :)

I'd love it if you would share your recipe for "Arroz Con Pollo a la Chorrera" :)

Pastor Angel C. Izquierdo said...

Excellent! I'm about to treat my family... is almost ready! Thanks a lot!

Pastor Angel C. Izquierdo said...

Excelente, estoy casi listo para servirlo a mi familia en la cena!
Gracias!

Nathan said...

Pastor Angel,
Let me know how it turned out :)

Elam39 said...

Hola te escrivo en espanol. es mi lengua... me alegra que seas cubano como yo, buscando encontre tu receta que la compartire entre amigos cubanos en casa este domingo,, mas adelante te cuento como me vinieron y si hubo comentarioss .. yo pienso hacerla asì como tu.. con el congri.. hayy si ya tengo ganas de empezar a comerr.. mil graciaaaa por compartir

Elam39 said...

Graciasss millllll.. cubana 100%

Nathan said...

Elam36,
Gracias por la visita dejame saber como te gustaron :) con aji rojo o de otros colores queda el platillo mas dulcon y de maravilla tambien :)

Anonymous said...

Made this tonight. Easy and delicious. Followed the recipe, only filled 4 peppers and it took more like 45-50 mins to cook, but well worth it. lookig forward to the leftovers. Thank you Nathan. Andy

Luis Ruiz Duran said...

Fabulosa receta. Mi made la hacia de esa manera, pero desconocia Los detalles. Gracias.