Original: English

Stuffed Bell Peppers

A classic home-style recipe for stuffed bell peppers. The secret lies in the caramelized onions and the meat mixture seasoned with a touch of miso. Learn the tips to lock in the juices and enhance the harmony between the meat and peppers for a restaurant-quality finish. This dish is a comforting and nostalgic taste that's perfect with rice.

📖Cooking Basics

miso（ramen）

Steps

Finely mince 1/2 onion. Make vertical and diagonal cuts to make mincing easier, then finely chop from the edge. [Secret Tip!] Press down on the tip of the knife and use the heel of the blade to chop even finer.
🕒 00:16
Place the minced onion in a frying pan, add a small amount of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt, then sauté over medium-low heat. [Secret Tip!] The salt's osmotic effect helps it cook faster.
🕒 00:59
Once the onion has released most of its moisture, add a small amount of water and spread it evenly. Evaporate the moisture again. Repeat this process a few times until the onions are caramelized. [Secret Tip!] Adding water and evaporating it shortens the cooking time. The goal is to bring out the onion's sweetness.
🕒 01:37
Spread the caramelized onion onto a plate or tray and let it cool completely. [Secret Tip!] Adding warm onions to the meat mixture can cause the meat's fat to melt and its sweetness to be lost. Refrigerate after it has cooled down.
🕒 02:11
Remove the stems from the 4 bell peppers by pushing them in with your finger. Cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the inner pith and seeds.
🕒 02:35
In a bowl, combine 1/2 tbsp miso and 1/2 tbsp cooking sake (rice wine). Dissolve the miso completely until no lumps remain. [Secret Tip!] Dissolve it beforehand to prevent lumps from forming when added directly to the meat mixture.
🕒 03:14
Add the ground pork and beef mix (200g), thoroughly chilled in the refrigerator, to a bowl. Add 2 pinches of salt and knead well until sticky. [Secret Tip!] Kneading with salt first helps the meat become sticky and prevents juices from leaking out. Use chilled ground meat to prevent the fat from melting.
🕒 03:37
To the sticky meat, add 1 egg, 10g breadcrumbs, 1 clove of minced garlic, and the previously dissolved miso. Mix everything together.
🕒 04:22
Add the chilled caramelized onion to the meat mixture and mix until uniform. [Secret Tip!] Adding chilled onions prevents the meat temperature from rising and the loss of sweetness.
🕒 04:52
Slam the mixed meat mixture onto the bowl about 10 times to remove any trapped air. [Secret Tip!] Removing air prevents cracking and juice leakage during cooking.
🕒 05:17
Evenly coat the inside of the prepared bell peppers with all-purpose flour as needed, and tap off any excess flour. [Secret Tip!] Flour acts as an adhesive between the meat and the bell peppers.
🕒 05:37
Gently open the bell peppers and use a spoon to firmly stuff the meat mixture all the way to the bottom. A slightly mounded shape is ideal. [Secret Tip!] Stuffing firmly to the bottom prevents gaps from forming between the meat and peppers during cooking.
🕒 06:14
Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat and add a generous amount of vegetable oil.
🕒 06:49
Place the bell peppers in the heated pan with the meat side down and sear for about 2 minutes until browned.
🕒 06:56
After 2 minutes, carefully flip them over using a spoon. [Secret Tip!] Using a spoon helps prevent the peppers and meat from separating.
🕒 07:14
Once all have been flipped, pour 2 tbsp of cooking sake (rice wine) into the gaps of the frying pan, avoiding the meat.
🕒 07:33
Cover with a lid and steam for 3 minutes. [Secret Tip!] Steaming brings out the sweetness and umami of the bell peppers.
🕒 07:40
After 3 minutes, remove the lid and turn off the heat. Pierce with a bamboo skewer or similar; if clear juices run out, it's cooked through.
🕒 07:49
Remove the bell peppers and make a sauce using the flavorful drippings in the pan.
🕒 07:59
Add 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp honey to the frying pan and heat over low heat. [Secret Tip!] Be careful not to over-reduce by heating on high heat.
🕒 08:07
Heat until the mixture boils thoroughly. The sauce is now complete.
🕒 08:32
Arrange the stuffed bell peppers on a plate and drizzle with the warm sauce.
🕒 08:37