Bell peppers stuffed with garlicky ground pork, rice and chile, baked until tender.
Stuffed vegetables aren't a classic centuries-old Filipino dish, but ground-meat-and-rice fillings are a beloved home-cooking technique borrowed from Filipino picadillo-style dishes and adapted here into stuffed bell peppers, a format many home cooks reach for when they want a complete meal in one vessel. The filling leans on the same base used in giniling (ground pork sauteed with garlic, onion and tomato) with a kick of chile added for warmth. Rice cooked into the filling absorbs the meat's juices, so every bite carries flavor rather than tasting like plain rice packed around meat. Baking the stuffed peppers covered for most of the cooking time keeps them tender rather than shriveled, with the foil removed at the end so the tops can brown slightly. This is a practical home-cook adaptation, useful for stretching ground pork into a full dinner, rather than a claim to any single regional classic.
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 190C (375F). Blanch peppers in boiling water 3 minutes to soften slightly, then drain.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until fragrant, then add ground pork, breaking it up, and cook until browned, about 7 minutes.
Add tomatoes, chiles, soy sauce and fish sauce. Simmer 5 minutes until the mixture thickens and tomatoes break down.
Stir in cooked rice until evenly mixed. Spoon the filling into the peppers, packing gently.
Place peppers in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil, top with cheese if using, and bake 10 more minutes until peppers are tender and tops are golden.
Blanch the peppers briefly before stuffing so they cook through evenly in the oven without staying raw and crunchy.
Pack the filling firmly but not compacted, or the rice can turn dense instead of fluffy.
Taste the filling before stuffing; it should be well-seasoned since the pepper itself is mild and needs a flavorful filling to carry the dish.
Swap ground pork for ground chicken or beef for a different flavor profile.
Add raisins and a pinch of sugar to the filling for a picadillo-style sweet-savory balance.
Make it spicier by adding a spoonful of chili garlic sauce to the filling mixture.
Refrigerate cooled peppers in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 175C (350F) oven for 15 minutes, or microwave until heated through.
Stuffed pepper dishes are common across many cuisines, and this version draws on Filipino giniling (ground meat sautee) technique, adapting it into a baked stuffed-vegetable format popular in home cooking for using up ground pork and leftover rice.
Yes, stuff the peppers and refrigerate covered up to a day ahead, then bake when ready to eat, adding about 10 extra minutes to the covered baking time since they'll start cold.
Any fresh red chile or even a pinch of chili flakes works; adjust the amount to your heat preference since chile varieties differ widely in spiciness.
They likely need more time covered in foil; peppers vary in thickness, so thicker-walled peppers may need an extra 10-15 minutes covered before uncovering to brown.
Per serving (350g / 12.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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