Stuffed Rocoto Chiles

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The heat factor in this dish can be very high, but the other ingredients will temper it somewhat. Serve it with hot slices of fresh corn and rounds of sweet potatoes.

Ingredients

20 red rocoto chiles, or substitute the largest jalapeños available

  • Water to cover

  • 1 pound pork, cubed

  • 3 cups water

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 onions, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 cup peanuts, toasted and ground

  • 1 pound cooked green peas

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, diced

  • 4 eggs, separated

  • Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Wash the chiles, leave the stems intact, open half way, and carefully remove the seeds. Place the peppers in a large pot, cover with water, and boil the chiles slowly for 3 minutes. Drain the chiles carefully, keeping them intact, and set aside.

Place the pork in a medium saucepan, add the 3 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, or until the pork is tender. Drain the mixture and reserve the cooking liquid. Grind the pork using a coarse setting on the grinder, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet and sauté the onions and the garlic. Add the ground pork, peanuts, peas, salt, pepper, and enough of the reserved pork stock to keep the mixture moist. Mix in the chopped eggs, then remove from the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.

Stuff the chiles with this mixture and close as tightly as possible.

Beat the egg whites until they are quite stiff and then fold the well beaten egg yolks into the whites.

Heat the oil, and when it is ready, dip each pepper into the egg mixture and deep fry for 30 to 60 seconds, until the outside is golden brown.

Sriracha Sauce

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A table condiment similar to ketchup–but much more pungent–sriracha sauce is named after a seaside town in Thailand. Increasingly popular, this sauce is found on the tables of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants all over North America. Fresh red chiles are the key to the flavor of this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh red serrano, cayenne, Thai, or chile de arbol chiles, stems removed
  • 2 1/2 cups rice vinegar (or substitute white distilled vinegar)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Instructions

Remove the stems from the chiles. Place the chiles and vinegar in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Turn off the heat and add the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Place the saucepan contents in a food processor or blender and puree until a smooth thin-paste consistency. Add additional rice vinegar if the mixture is too thick. Allow the mixture to steep for several hours, place in glass containers, and refrigerate. The consistency should be slightly thinner than ketchup.

Optional: Strain the sauce through a sieve and discard the solids for a smooth, seedless consistency.

Nam Prik (Pepper Water Sauce)

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This is the typical Thai chile sauce that is found in many forms–served in restaurants, bottled, and made in homes. There are many variations, of which this is probably the most basic. It is served with almost every Thai appetizer and entree.

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 3 fresh, small Thai chiles, or substitute fresh piquins or chiltepins, stems removed, minced with the seeds (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/4 cup prepared nam pla fish sauce (available in the ethnic sections of some grocery stores, or in Asian markets)
  • 2 cilantro leaves, chopped

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake well. Allow to sit to blend the flavors. Use immediately and refrigerate the remaining sauce. It will last several weeks in the refrigerator.

Machaca Shredded Beef

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This recipe can be stuffed in enchilads, tacos, sopalillas.

Ingredients

  • 3-pound arm roast

  • Water

  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped green chile

  • 1 tomato, chopped

  • 1/2 onion, diced

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Place the roast in a large pan with water to cover and simmer until tender and the meat begins to fall apart, about 3 to 4 hours. Remove the roast from the pan, remove the fat and bone, and shred the meat by hand or with a fork.

Return the meat to the pan, add the remaining ingredients, stir well, and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed by the meat, about 30 minutes.