Hispanic Heritage · Perú

La Sierra

Arequipa · Characato · Yanahuara · Cayma · Cusco · Urubamba

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Rocoto relleno con pastel de papa

Rocoto relleno in Arequipa. Presentation may differ from this recipe. Idan Robbins · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized source thumbnail; display may crop to fit.

Descubre

Arequipa’s rocoto relleno pairs a filled chile with a potato bake. The pepper, savory meat, warm seasoning, and dairy create a plate that is both lively and substantial.

La Gente

Preparing the rocotos matters: follow the blanching steps to moderate their heat without erasing their character. Make the filling separately, then bake as directed. The potato accompaniment gives the spicy pepper a rich, mild partner.

Sabor

The sierra cooks earthy and warm: cumin, garlic, black pepper, and the fruit heat of native chiles, rocoto and ají panca, in stews built over wood. Cheese and potato carry the richness. There is no coconut, no lime, no coast. This is mountain food, and it means to keep you warm.

Spice DNA · Heat high · Smoke medium · Herb medium · Sweet low · Acid low

Seasonings to explore

Minced Garlic in Olive Oil. In the beef filling and in the potato layers. Adds a savory garlic base.
Cumin, ground. The sierra's spice. Generous.
Black Pepper, ground. In the filling.
Smoked Paprika. The closest jar to ají panca, the dried red chile that gives Peruvian stews their color and their smoke.
Cayenne Pepper. To put the heat back in when a bell pepper stands in for the rocoto. Be honest with yourself about how much.
Oregano, whole. A pinch in the filling and in the pastel de papa.
Onion Powder. With the fresh onion.

Ground beef, raisins, peanuts, black olives, hard-boiled eggs, queso fresco or a mild melting cheese, evaporated milk, and potatoes. Badia does not sell the rocoto. Nothing outside the Andes tastes like it, and the page will not pretend otherwise.

Cocina

Rocoto relleno con pastel de papa

Arequipa's stuffed chile and its potato cake, baked side by side. With bell peppers if you must, and cayenne to remember what you are missing.

Serves 6

The peppers

6 rocotos, or 6 large red bell peppers
3 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp vinegar, for the rocoto boils

The filling

2 tbsp oil
1 large red onion, minced
2 tbsp Badia Minced Garlic in Olive Oil, or 5 garlic cloves minced
½ tsp Badia Onion Powder
1 lb ground beef
1½ tsp Badia Cumin, ground
1 tsp Badia Smoked Paprika
½ tsp Badia Black Pepper, ground
½ tsp Badia Oregano, whole
½ tsp Badia Cayenne Pepper, more if using bell peppers, less if using rocotos
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
¼ cup black olives, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Salt
6 slices queso fresco or mild melting cheese

Pastel de papa

2 lb potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
2 tbsp Badia Minced Garlic in Olive Oil
1 cup queso fresco, crumbled, or grated melting cheese
2 eggs beaten with ¾ cup evaporated milk
¼ tsp Badia Oregano, whole
Salt and Badia Black Pepper

Tame the rocotos. If using rocotos: cut off the tops, scoop out seeds and veins with gloves on, and boil them three times in fresh water, 3 minutes each, the last time with the sugar and vinegar. Drain. If using bell peppers, cut the tops, seed them, and blanch once for 2 minutes.
The filling. Warm the oil over medium. Cook the onion until soft, add the garlic and onion powder, then the beef, breaking it up. When it has lost its pink, add cumin, smoked paprika, pepper, oregano, and cayenne. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in raisins, peanuts, olives, and eggs. Salt. The filling should be moist and dark.
Stuff. Fill each pepper, top with a slice of cheese, and set the cap back on at an angle.
The potato cake. Oil a baking dish. Layer potato slices, a little garlic, salt, pepper, and cheese, and repeat until the potatoes are used. Pour the egg and milk over. Oregano on top.
Bake. Set the peppers in the same dish beside the potatoes, or in a second dish. 375°F, 35 to 40 minutes, until the cheese on the peppers has browned and the potatoes are tender under a knife.
Serve one pepper and a square of pastel de papa per plate. A glass of chicha if you can find it, a beer if you cannot. Arequipa would understand.

Pueblos de la Sierra

Arequipa · Characato · Yanahuara · Cayma · Cusco · Urubamba · Ollantaytambo · Pisac · Puno · Juliaca · Huancayo · Jauja · Ayacucho · Huaraz · Cajamarca · Huánuco · Abancay · Andahuaylas · Cerro de Pasco