Recipe
Stuffed Bell Peppers (No-Slip Method!) Cooked with Seeds! Perfect with Rice
Ingredients
- 6green bell peppers
- 200gground meat blend (beef and pork)
- 1/2onion (approx. 100g)
- 1tbsp potato starch
- 1tbsp mayonnaise
- apinch of salt
- apinch of black pepper
- 1tbsp oil
- flour,as needed
- 2tbsp sake
- 2tbsp mirin
- 1tbsp soy sauce
- 1tsp sugar
- 1tsp ketchup
About "Stuffed Bell Peppers"
A 1-star Michelin Japanese chef teaches you how to make Stuffed Bell Peppers. The secret to soft, juicy meat is adding mayonnaise and potato starch to the ground meat blend and kneading it with salt to lock in the juices. Leaving the bell pepper seeds in adds nutrition and texture. Cook them meat-side down without flipping, steam-cook, and glaze with a soy-based sauce.
Introduction to 【荒木町鈴なり】村田明彦の煮るなり焼くなり →
Tips for Making "Stuffed Bell Peppers"
-
Prep
- Leave the seeds in the peppers. They are highly nutritious and create a pleasant popping texture when cooked.
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Prep
- Lightly dust the inside of the peppers with flour. This is the key to preventing the meat from separating.
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Meat Filling
- Knead the ground meat with salt first to make it sticky and prevent separation, using the same principle as hamburger steak.
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Meat Filling
- Use 1 tbsp of mayonnaise instead of egg. It is easier to measure, makes the meat soft and fluffy, and boosts richness and umami.
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Stuffing
- Press the meat filling firmly into the corners and edges of the peppers. This prevents it from separating even when the meat shrinks during cooking.
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Stuffing
- Smooth the center flat instead of mounding it. Since the meat naturally expands when cooked, making it slightly concave is the trick.
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Heat Control
- Cook meat-side down and never flip them over. This is the most important step to lock in the meat's umami and prevent separation.
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Heat Control
- Start on high heat until sizzling, then reduce to medium. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
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Heat Control
- Once browned, reduce to low heat, cover, and steam-cook for about 3 minutes. This gently cooks the pepper side with steam, keeping it crisp.
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Seasoning
- Add ketchup to the sauce as a secret ingredient. It adds acidity and depth, making it perfect to eat with rice.
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Seasoning
- Keep the amount of soy sauce to half of the sake and mirin. This prevents it from becoming too salty and creates a mellow flavor.
Ingredients for "Stuffed Bell Peppers"
14 items* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon
How to Make "Stuffed Bell Peppers"
- 1
Remove the stems of the green bell peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Push the seeds inside slightly with your finger, leaving them attached.
- 2
Lightly dust the inside of the peppers with flour, tapping off any excess.
- 3
Place the ground meat blend in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and knead well by hand until it becomes pale and sticky.
- 4
Add the potato starch, minced onion, mayonnaise, and black pepper, and mix well.
- 5
Scoop the meat mixture with a spoon and stuff it into the peppers, pressing it firmly into the corners. Smooth the center flat.
- 6
Heat oil in a frying pan, arrange the stuffed peppers meat-side down, and heat over high heat.
- 7
Once you hear a good sizzling sound, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes until nicely browned.
- 8
Once browned, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and steam-cook for about 3 minutes.
- 9
Insert a skewer or chopstick into the thickest part of the meat; check if it is cooked through by ensuring the juices run clear (not cloudy).
- 10
Pour in the pre-mixed sauce of sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and ketchup all at once.
- 11
Spoon the sauce over the meat to coat it, letting the sauce reduce slightly.
- 12
Once the sauce has reduced and become glossy, turn off the heat, plate, and serve.
Food Science
Combining the inosinate in the ground meat with the glutamate in the green bell peppers, soy sauce, and ketchup creates a synergistic umami effect. Additionally, slowly browning the meat side triggers the Maillard reaction, enhancing the savory aroma and depth of flavor. Furthermore, the potato starch and mayonnaise added to the meat mixture help retain moisture, keeping the texture incredibly juicy.
Detailed Commentary on "Stuffed Bell Peppers"
* Content organized by topics from the video.
A Classic Yet Delicious Dish! Ingredient Intro
In this episode, we are making a staple of home cooking: Stuffed Bell Peppers. Our chef, Mr. Murata, is highly motivated, calling it a 'must-have classic recipe.' The ingredients are 6 green bell peppers, 200g ground meat blend (beef and pork), 1/2 onion (approx. 100g), 1 tbsp potato starch, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, 1 tbsp oil, and flour as needed. For the sauce, prepare 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tsp ketchup. Since the green bell peppers we bought are quite large, we will adjust how many we can stuff as we go. The ground meat blend of beef and pork will create a juicy and rich flavor.
Prep: No Need to Remove the Seeds?!
First, we start by prepping the green bell peppers. Simply remove the hard stem at the top of each pepper and cut them in half lengthwise. The surprising twist here is that we deliberately leave the seeds inside. Just push the seeds slightly inward with your finger, and the prep is done. We leave the seeds in because they are highly nutritious, and once cooked, they create a delightful popping texture that is incredibly delicious. Once prepped, lightly dust the inside of the peppers with flour. Using a sifter or tea strainer is highly recommended, as it helps apply a thin, even layer without clumping. Gently tap off any excess flour.
Meat Filling: The Magic of Salt & Mayo
Place the ground meat blend in a bowl, add just a pinch of salt, and knead it well by hand. Just like making hamburger steaks, kneading the meat with salt first creates stickiness. This stickiness is crucial because it prevents the meat from separating from the peppers during cooking and locks in the juices for a juicy finish. Once the meat becomes slightly pale, add 1 tbsp of potato starch and 1/2 of a finely minced onion. Next, Chef Murata's secret trick is to add 1 tbsp of mayonnaise instead of egg. Eggs can be difficult to measure in small amounts and often leave leftovers, but mayonnaise is easy to use, makes the meat incredibly soft and fluffy, and enhances both richness and umami. Finally, season with black pepper and mix everything together.
Stuffing: Secrets to Prevent Slipping
Now, we stuff the prepared meat mixture into the green bell peppers. Use a spoon to scoop the mixture and press it into the peppers. Here is the ultimate secret to ensure they never separate: make sure to press the meat mixture firmly into the 'corners' (the inner edges) of the peppers. By ensuring the meat reaches every corner, it won't slip out even when the meat shrinks during cooking. Also, there is no need to mound the meat in the center. Since the meat naturally expands when cooked, smoothing it flat—or even making it slightly concave in the middle—is the secret to a beautiful finish.
Cooking: Never Flip Them Over!
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and arrange the stuffed peppers meat-side down. The most important rule here is to cook only the meat side and never flip them over to cook the pepper side. Flipping them over is what causes the meat to separate. Start on high heat until you hear a sizzling sound, then reduce to medium heat. Leave them undisturbed to cook slowly for about 5 minutes until the meat side develops a beautiful golden-brown color. This 'no-flip' method locks the meat's savory juices into the bottom surface and ensures they cook beautifully without losing their shape.
Special Sauce & Fluffy Steam-Cooking
While the meat is cooking, we will prepare the special sauce that defines the flavor. In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp of sake, 2 tbsp of mirin, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of sugar, and a secret ingredient: 1 tsp of ketchup. By keeping the amount of soy sauce to half of the sake and mirin, the sauce won't be overly salty and will have a mellow flavor. The ketchup adds acidity and depth, creating a taste that goes perfectly with rice. Once you confirm the meat side has a nice sear, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and steam-cook for about 3 minutes. This gently cooks the pepper side with steam without direct heat, keeping them tender yet crisp.
Finishing: Glazing for a Gorgeous Gloss
After steam-cooking, remove the lid and check if the meat is fully cooked. Insert a skewer or chopstick into the thickest part of the meat; if the juices run clear (not cloudy), it is fully cooked. Once confirmed, pour the pre-mixed special sauce into the pan all at once. Spoon the sauce over the meat to coat it well, and let it reduce slightly. As the sauce reduces, it will create a gorgeous, appetizing gloss on the surface of the meat. Once the sauce is well-coated and glossy, turn off the heat, arrange on a plate, and it's ready to serve.
Tasting: Juicy with a Unique Seed Texture
Now, it's time to taste the completed Stuffed Bell Peppers. Plated beautifully, the glossy glaze is incredibly appetizing. Even when lifted with a fork, the meat does not separate from the peppers at all. Taking a bite, the rich juices burst in your mouth. The seeds, which might have been a concern, are not bothersome at all; instead, they provide a pleasant popping texture that acts as a wonderful accent. Thanks to the mayonnaise and potato starch, the meat is incredibly tender and pairs perfectly with the crisp texture of the peppers. The chef mentions that you can easily substitute the sauce with a mix of tsuyu (noodle soup base) and ketchup. This is a highly satisfying dish that will make you crave bowl after bowl of rice.
About 【荒木町鈴なり】村田明彦の煮るなり焼くなり
【荒木町鈴なり】村田明彦の煮るなり焼くなり
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