90 MINSMAINSPORKBEEFOVERNIGHTFREEZER-FRIENDLY ❄️

Plnená Paprika v Paradajkovej Omáčke

Sweet pale peppers stuffed with seasoned minced pork and rice, gently poached on the stovetop in a sweet-and-sour spiced tomato gravy.

YIELD4 Portions (6 Stuffed Peppers + Meatballs)
PREP25 mins
COOK50 mins

Ingredients

Peppers & Meat Filling

  • 6 Light green Cubanelle or Hungarian wax peppers (svetlá TV paprika)
  • 500 g Minced pork shoulder (bravčové mleté pliecko, ~20% fat)
  • 80 g Parboiled or medium-grain rice (rinsed and drained)
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 Medium yellow onion, very finely minced
  • 3 cloves Fresh garlic, grated
  • 15 g Rendered pork lard (bravčová masť) or sunflower oil (for onions)
  • 6 g Premier sweet Hungarian/Slovak paprika
  • 1 g Ground black pepper
  • 6 g Fine sea salt

Tomato Gravy (Paradajková Omáčka)

  • 40 g Rendered pork lard or unsalted butter
  • 40 g All-Purpose (AP) flour (unbleached, standard US)
  • 140 g Double-concentrated tomato paste (paradajkový pretlak)
  • 700 g Tomato passata / crushed sieved tomatoes
  • 500 ml Rich poultry or beef stock (hot)
  • 40 g–50 g Granulated sugar (to balance acidity, to taste)
  • 3 Dried bay leaves
  • 4 Whole allspice berries (nové korenie)
  • 1 pinch Ground cinnamon (optional traditional touch)
  • 5 g Fine sea salt (to taste)

To Serve

Method

  1. Sauté Aromatics: Melt 15 g pork lard in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté minced onions for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add grated garlic and sweet paprika, stir off heat for 30 seconds, and let cool slightly.
  2. Mix Meat Filling: In a large bowl, combine minced pork, rinsed raw rice, sautéed onion-garlic mixture, raw egg, 6 g salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly by hand until sticky and cohesive.
  3. Prep & Stuff Peppers: Cut tops off peppers and scoop out seeds and inner white ribs. Stuff each pepper loosely with meat filling (leave 1 cm headspace at top for rice expansion during poaching). Roll any leftover filling into 4–5 cm meatballs (guľky).
  4. Build Stovetop Tomato Sauce: In a wide Dutch oven or deep heavy pot, melt 40 g pork lard over medium heat. Whisk in AP flour and cook for 2 minutes to form a pale golden roux (zápražka). Whisk in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Gradually pour in hot stock and tomato passata, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps.
  5. Season & Simmer: Add bay leaves, allspice berries, sugar, pinch of cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring until smooth and lightly thickened.
  6. Poach Stuffed Peppers: Submerge stuffed peppers and free meatballs into simmering sauce in a single layer. Lower heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 40–45 minutes until meat is fully cooked and rice is tender.
  7. Adjust & Serve: Discard bay leaves and allspice. Taste sauce and adjust balance with extra sugar or salt if needed. Serve piping hot with warm slices of steamed Domáca Parená Knedľa or boiled potatoes.
Chef's Tip: Never pack the meat filling tightly into the peppers; the raw rice grains absorb moisture from the meat and tomato sauce as they simmer, expanding significantly. Leaving slack prevents peppers from splitting open during the stovetop poach.