Sweet Sausage & Sticky Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

by Greg James

INGREDIENTS

(This is a BIG recipe. I did a half recipe and it fed four people just fine with left-overs)

2 - cups uncooked sweet rice (sticky rice)
1 - 14 oz. can coconut milk
12 - bell peppers (assorted colors)
10 - slices thick smoked bacon (diced)
3 - lbs. mild Italian sausage
1 - lb. pork meat (diced)
20 - oz. Mang Tomas all purpose sauce (product of the Philippines)
1/2 - cup sweet onion (diced)
12 - medium sized mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 - cup green onions (chopped)
1 - tbs. ginger (minced) 
1/2 - lb. smoked gouda cheese (grated)


Before getting into directions, this recipe is also a big time commitment. If you have multiple dutch ovens, you will be happy you do and can do a couple things at the same time. We decided to cook the rice in a rice cooker to save time, even then and with the half recipe, it took us over 2 hours. It IS worth it though!
Remember to soak the rice the night before!

Step One: The Rice
Soak sweet rice in cold water the night before making this recipe, rinsing one time before soaking. 
Drain rice, place in 12 dutch oven and stir in coconut milk, mixing evenly.
Place lid on oven, cook with 6 coals under the oven and 10 coals on the lid for 1 hour, with quarter rotations at 15 minute intervals.

Step Two: Pepper Prep
While rice is cooking, cut a round opening near the top of each bell pepper.
Remove core/seeds and place cap of each pepper back in place.

Step Three: Steam Them Bells
Steam bell peppers in 16 dutch oven using large trivet (just something to keep the peppers off the bottom of the oven and out of the water) and 1/2 cup salted water for 30 minutes or until tender using one ring of coals under the oven and 12 coals on the lid, cool and set aside.
Remove coals from 12 oven when rice is cooked, leaving covered to slowly cool.

Step Four: The Filling
Brown bacon, sausage and pork meat in a 16 oven using a solid layer of coals under the oven, drain off excess grease.
Stir in mushrooms, onions. ginger, all purpose sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. (Add mango, if used)

Step Five: Stuff 'Em Good
Insert a layer of rice in each bell pepper, leaving room for meat filling.
Stuff each pepper with meat mixture and replace cap on each pepper

Step Six: The Final Cook
Wipe inside of 16 dutch oven, place large trivet in bottom and arrange bell peppers in the oven.
Bake for 1 hour using one ring of coals under the oven and one ring of coals on the lid.
Top bell peppers with cheese with 10 minutes remaining during baking period. Pepper caps can be discarded at this point if desired.

The peppers were absolutely delicious! We had a great time, just make sure you HAVE time. Enjoy!


http://youtu.be/EocF5wFQfDE