Cantonese Stuffed Peppers in Black Bean Sauce

About This Recipe

This dish is based on yeung dau see, one of the classic yong tau foo-style stuffed dishes found across Cantonese cha chaan teng menus, where vegetables like peppers, eggplant and tofu are stuffed with a fish-and-pork paste and braised in a savory sauce. Halved peppers are packed with a mixture of ground pork and minced shrimp bound with a little cornstarch and white pepper, giving the filling a springy, well-seasoned bite rather than a dry meatloaf texture. The peppers are pan-fried filling-side-down first to set and lightly brown the meat before the sauce goes in, a step that keeps the filling from falling apart later in the braise. Fermented black beans, mashed with garlic and a splash of Shaoxing wine, are what give the sauce its distinct savory-funky depth — this is not the same as a Sichuan chile-garlic sauce, and the black bean flavor is the star here rather than raw heat. Simmering the stuffed peppers gently in the sauce for the final few minutes lets the filling finish cooking through while the peppers soften just enough to hold their shape.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 mediumbell peppers(halved and seeded)
• 300 gground pork
• 150 gshrimp(peeled and minced)
• 1 tbspcornstarch
• 1 tbsplight soy sauce
• 0.5 tspwhite pepper
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 2 tbspfermented black beans(rinsed and mashed)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tbspShaoxing wine
• 0.75 cupchicken stock
• 1 tspdark soy sauce
• 1 tspcornstarch(mixed with 2 tbsp water, for slurry)
• 2scallions(sliced, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Combine ground pork, minced shrimp, cornstarch, soy sauce and white pepper in a bowl. Mix vigorously in one direction for about 1 minute until the mixture turns slightly sticky and cohesive.

2. 2

   Stuff the peppers

   Pack the filling firmly into each pepper half, mounding it slightly and smoothing the top with a wet spoon.

3. 3

   Sear the peppers

   Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place peppers filling-side-down and cook 4-5 minutes until the meat is lightly browned. Flip peppers so the skin side is down.

4. 4

   Build the sauce

   Push peppers to one side, add mashed black beans and garlic to the cleared space, and fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Add Shaoxing wine, then stock and dark soy sauce, stirring to combine with the peppers.

5. 5

   Simmer

   Cover and simmer over medium-low heat 10-12 minutes until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through (internal temp 71C/160F).

6. 6

   Thicken and serve

   Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 1 minute until the sauce glazes the peppers. Garnish with scallions and serve with steamed rice.

Variations

• •

  Use all pork or all shrimp if you prefer a single-protein filling — the texture will be slightly denser or springier respectively.

• •

  Add a few soaked, chopped shiitake mushrooms to the filling for extra umami, a common addition in home versions.

• •

  Swap bell peppers for halved Japanese eggplant or blocks of firm tofu for a classic yong tau foo variation.

Storage

Refrigerate in the sauce up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water so the peppers don't dry out.

Frequently Asked Questions