Let's Talk BBQ
Recipes => Recipes => Beef Recipes => Topic started by: teesquare on January 29, 2012, 10:21:40 AM
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I know - I know...sounds weird......
But, the wife wanted me to make stuffed bell peppers - and my old standard recipe is a S.W. Louisiana/S.E. Texas style......Just wanted to try something different.
And - as I have been on this tropical latino/caribbean kick....
So - I started with the peppers themselves. Regular bell peppers - but - I trimmed just the stem it self- so they can sit flat - then open up the pepper on the other end. I bit more labor instense to clean out the seeds this way but - sound reasoning has rarely slowed my curiousity in life ( suppose that is to blame for having broken about half the bones in my body ? ;D )
The Brits had a colonial interest in Central America during much of the last 2 centuries - maybye you remember that Belize used to be called British Honduras? They fell in love with the banana - and this may be one of the more interesting uses for it i have seen.
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0870.jpg)
Malty - no hoppy flavor - no sweet, but has a hint of banana flavor......and keeps the cook hydrated ;D
The rice I used is a natural long grain Lundberg, and the chicken broth, and veggie broth concentrate....
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0869.jpg)
Then a little of the beer above, and Sofrito - whitch is a great soup/stew base of all kinds of roasted red peppers, garlic, oregano, cumin, onion, tomato,bay leaves etc...every region in the world that has a connection to Latin - has a form of softrito. (even Italy and France). All of the ingredients are cooked down and blended to the consistency of a thick pasta sauce, and then stored as a key additive whenever a soup, stew, or many kinds of sauces are to be made. I cheated of course -- and bought a commercial one - as you can imagine the time involved in making this old world classic ingredient alone!
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0863.jpg)
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0881.jpg)
Now - for the meat....
The wife brought home some ground (ugh :P ) turkey....O.k. - I know...it is healthier, etc...but it really is a "blank slate". I mean - you have to add whatever flavor you want - because it does not come with much of it's own ;D. Not really that bad - but...I just like ground pork, beef or even lamb vs ground turkey. And...that is minced garlic in the pan.
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0877.jpg)
SO - BACON to the rescue!
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0875.jpg)
Added the cooked, chopped bacon to the turkey in a fry pan - and browned the turkey. Then added both to the rice:
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0879.jpg)
Now to support the sofrito.....I added some lemon zest - not a lot- but enough to add aroma and a little of the citrus zing. Then some fresh chopped cilantro. Cilantro is a love or hate thing with a lot of folks...I suppose you could add parsely. ( Note - you would starve to death in parts of C. America if you will not eat cilantro. It is used in everything there :))
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0883.jpg)
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0887.jpg)
Now - I needed a sauce for the top of the stuffed peppers - like what you might put on a meat loaf.....
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0889.jpg)
Simple 50/50 mix of A-1 and ketchup....Give it a nice punch but the ketchup lends some sweetness....
And...
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0893.jpg)
Ready for dinner.....
(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0896.jpg)
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Wow..one heckuva cook!! Glad to see you stayed hydrated during the cook 8)
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Gotta keep the gears cooled down and lubed - otherwise I get brain-lock ;D
Thanks Smoke!
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I like it!
We do a lot of GT here... Next time I'll cut some bacon in to jazz it up.
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I love stuffed peppers and those look delicious. Phil
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Thanks Phil! and Squirt- it is just one of those dishes that ou can use any ethnic group of flavors with.
Wonder what Eskimos would do with 'em??? ;D
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Nice cook there T.......for me I never get brain lock......brain farts maybe
Watch for "back-fire" Ron... ;D
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Hi T,
Very interesting recipe.
If you can recall, about how long did you cook those and about what temp.
Thanks,
Don O
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Nice job on those peppers Tee ;)
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Thanks guys! I had forgotten about this one... :-[ :D BUt when I saw the thread again- the taste buds re-called these peppers! they were GOOD!
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Hi T,
Very interesting recipe.
If you can recall, about how long did you cook those and about what temp.
Thanks,
Don O
Don - I think 325-3250F for 30-40 minutes. Because all of the meat products are pre-cooked, what we want to do is to just allow the moisture from the sauce, and the peppers to kind of "steam" into and mix nicely with the stuffing.