Rocoto Relleno (Stuffed Spicy Peppers)
Red aji rocoto chilies are stuffed with a cooked mix of ground beef, onions, garlic, olives, raisins, herbs, and spices, then topped with queso fresco and baked in an egg-and-milk sauce. Fair warning: despite its scarlet good looks, this dish is not the stuffed bell pepper you’re used to—the rocoto is a little larger than a plum with a bright, fruity, tropical berry essence and almost twice the heat of an aji amarillo (or in gringo terms, about ten times hotter than an average jalapeño). So that first bite will wake you up. But the chili’s initial burn is quickly tempered by the sweet and savory filling inside, and the melted queso fresco and eggy cream sauce in which it all cooks.
The rocoto chili originated in the southern region of Arequipa, and while it’s now ubiquitous throughout the country, it’s still hard to find beyond Peru’s borders, which makes rocoto relleno a dish that homesick Peruvians pine for when abroad.
