Stuffed Tiger Skin Green Chilies

Niang Hupi Qing Jian Jiao (酿虎皮青尖椒)

Subtly spicy green chilies are stuffed with a flavorful mixture of minced pork and mushrooms and cooked in an ultra-tangy, umami sauce.

These Tiger-Skin Green Chilies are stuffed with a mixture of minced Pork and Mushrooms flavored with Garlic and Ginger. The result is a delicious filling with a similar flavor to a dumpling. The minced Pork and Mushroom filling is stabilized with Corn Starch so it will remain inside while the Chili is pan-fried in a searing hot wok. Simple Seasonings within the filling like Salt, Sugar, and White Pepper really enhance the umami of the meat and mushrooms.

In the following recipe, I start with a block of Pork Belly and mince it into a fine paste often called a farce in western cooking. The best method for this is undoubtedly the traditional way – a cleaver in each hand and a bit of arm strength. Mincing the Pork in this way produces a better texture in the final results – the meat will have a bit of bounce and consistency that just can’t be replicated in a food processor. Regardless, a food processor or meat grinder can be used to save time. If really pressed for time, most Ground Pork from the grocery store will do just fine. The flavor of finely minced Pork Belly is obviously superior, but for a weeknight meal, speed and convenience can be as important as flavor.

The Mushrooms in this dish are non-negotiable as they not only provide flavor but also texture and structure to the filling. So how do the dried Shitake Mushrooms add this massive amount of flavor? All Mushrooms are naturally high in MSG, so Shitake Mushrooms are really just strategic umami reserves. They will add umami naturally to the dish. As such, even the water from soaking the Mushrooms is valuable as it can be used to flavor both the minced Pork and the Sauce. All of the Seasonings and Sauces work with the base flavor of the minced Pork and Mushrooms.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 25 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

3 dried Shitake Mushrooms

250 grams Pork Belly

4 Large Green Chilies (青尖椒)

Minced Pork Aromatics
1 clove of Garlic
1 1-inch cube of Ginger

Aromatics
2 cloves of Garlic
1 2-inch block of Ginger

Garnish
1 green stalk of Small Scallion (小葱)

Minced Pork Seasonings
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. White Sugar
1/4 tsp. Ground White Pepper
1/4 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder
2 tsp. Water (Preferably from Rehydrating the Mushrooms)
2 tsp. Corn Starch

Peanut Oil

1 Tbsp. Fermented Black Beans (豆豉)

Seasonings
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. White Sugar
1/2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder

Sauces
2 Tbsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Water (Preferably from Rehydrating the Mushrooms)
1/2 tsp. Oyster Sauce

Directions

1.) Place the Mushrooms in a bowl, fill the bowl with water, and cover it with a damp paper towel. Allow the Mushrooms to rehydrate while preparing the other ingredients.

2.) As quickly as possible, thinly slice the Pork Belly, cut the slices into strips, and then cut across the strips, cutting them into a large dice. Use a cleaver in each hand to mince the Pork Belly into a smooth paste. Set the Pork Belly aside in a large mixing bowl.

3.) On a clean cutting board, prepare the Green Chilies by cutting off the top of each pepper, removing the core with the seeds, and leaving behind a hollow tube. If using particularly long Green Chilies, cut them in half into roughly 4-inch-long pieces. Set aside the Green Chilies on a plate.

(The number of Green Chilies can vary quite a bit depending on the amount of Minced Pork Filling, so it’s best to have a few extra).

4.) Peel and mince all of the Garlic and Ginger, adding some to the bowl of minced Pork and the majority to a small bowl for Aromatics.

5.) Slice the Small Scallion and set the pieces aside in a small bowl to be used as a Garnish.

6.) With the Mushrooms rehydrated, slice them into 1/4-inch-thick strips and then cut across the strips, cutting them into a roughly 1/4-inch dice. Set the diced Mushroom aside in a bowl and optionally reserve some of the Mushroom soaking water to be used in the Minced Pork Seasonings and Sauces.

7.) Add the Minced Pork Seasonings (Salt, Sugar, White Pepper, Chicken Bouillon, Water, and Corn Starch) in the order listed and mix them thoroughly by hand into the Minced Pork. Then, add the diced Mushrooms and mix them in thoroughly to make the Minced Pork Filling.

8.) Fill each tube of Green Chili as full as possible with the Minced Pork Filling.

9.) Heat a seasoned wok on medium heat until quite hot. Quickly, arrange all of the Stuffed Green Chilies on a single layer in the wok. Then, pour about 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil around the sides of the wok, allowing it to pool in the basin.

10.) Gently swirl the Chilies around the bottom of the wok to coat each one in the Oil. Then allow them to pan-fry (煎) on one side for about 2 minutes until the skin of the pepper has become pale and blistered.

11.) Flip each Chili a 1/3 turn onto its other side. Swirl the Chilies around the bottom of the wok to coat them in the Oil. Then, allow them to fry on this side for another 2 minutes. Repeat this once more, cooking the Chilies on their remaining side for about 2 minutes. Once pale and blistered all over, remove the Stuffed Chilies from the wok and set them on a plate.

12.) Add another 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil to the wok and heat on medium. Once hot, pull the wok away from heat and add the Aromatics, stir-frying them just a few seconds until fragrant.

13.) Add the Black Beans and give them a few stirs before returning the Stuffed Green Chilies to the wok. Return the wok to heat, gently stirring the Green Chilies into the fragrant Oil.

14.) Add the Seasonings (Salt, Sugar, and Chicken Bouillon) followed by the Sauces (Chinkiang Black Vinegar, Water, and Oyster Sauce) and give everything a final couple of stirs.

15.) Arrange the Stuffed Tiger-Skin Green Chilies on a plate, drizzle them with excess sauce, and Garnish them with a sprinkling of sliced Scallion.

 

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