rocoto relleno

{{short description|Common Peruvian dish}}

File:Rocoto relleno.jpg

File:Rocoto.jpg

File:Rocoto relleno. Sol de mayo, Arequipa.jpg

Rocoto relleno is the Peruvian variety of stuffed peppers, a dish popular in the city of Arequipa, a city in the Andes mountains located in the southern parts of Peru which is famous for its take on dishes derived originally from Spain. Rocoto peppers were cooked in water and vinegar to remove as much spiciness as possible. Minced meat is placed inside the rocotos and is then topped with melted cheese, baked and served whole. Rocotos are capsicum pubescens which are at least ten times spicier than jalapeño when raw. This is considered one of the most famous dishes of Peru and served all over the world.{{cite web|title=National Geographic's top 10 things to eat in Peru|url=http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/peru/machu-picchu/food-drink/#page=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110621040632/http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/peru/machu-picchu/food-drink#page=2|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 21, 2011|date= |accessdate=2013-04-30}}{{cite web|title=Go Andes: Peru Holiday Experts|url=http://www.goandes.com/peru-travel-info/peruvian-food-drink|accessdate=2013-04-30|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722102532/http://www.goandes.com/peru-travel-info/peruvian-food-drink|archivedate=2013-07-22}}

Characteristics

This dish takes a while to prepare. The dish is only mildly spicy and the stuffing inside the rocoto can include anything. The most popular stuffing is a beef-mix which contains beef, pork, onions, garlics, margarine (butter) cream and pecans. Putting a hard-boiled egg inside the rocoto is also very popular way to serve.

Ingredients

Preparation

The rocoto relleno is generally prepared by stuffing the rocotos with an ideal beef-mix and then topped with cheese. Then it is put inside the oven with tomato sauce and served whole with baked potatoes or salad.

Preparation of the rocotos: First the upper parts of the rocotos are cut off and seeds are removed. The rocotos are then cooked in water with salt and vinegar to get the worst of the heat out.

Preparation of the stuffing: Chopped beef and pork are mixed with a seasoning made of margarine, ground garlic, onion, and aji panca paste. The beef-mix is then mixed with pecans, flour, stock and cream and then fried in olive oil with tomato sauce and wine.

History

The Incas prized the rocoto for its special flavor and cultivated it around 1.500 to 2.900 meters above sea level. This dish was the most common way to prepare rocoto.{{Cite book |last=National Research Council |url=https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/1398/chapter/1 |title=Lost Crops of the Inca's |publisher=National Academy Press |year=1989 |edition=1st |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=196-197 |language=en}}

References

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