Recipe: Christopher Hirsheimer's Grandmothers Stuffed Belles (Thomas of Delaware)

"These are absolutely the best. I added some additional items." - Thomas of Delaware

Christopher Hirsheimer's Grandmothers Stuffed Belles
Recipe By :Christopher Hirsheimer for Saveur Magazine; Aug-Sept 2000
Serving Size : 4

4 large green bell peppers, topped, cleaned
salt, as needed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound ground chuck
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped/drained
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup ketchup
6 tablespoons water

Tom Shunick's Additions:
fresh oregano sprigs, cut
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 strip bacon, cut into 4 pieces
4 tablespoons brown sugar
maple pepper, for sprinkling

Exotic chiles are fine, but their prosaic cousins, ordinary green and red bell peppers, ring out with flavor, if you Treat them Right. "My California grandmother had great green pepper moves. Even in the summer, with only a couple fans to ease the searing Sacramento heat, she'd fire up the oven to make stuffed ones---She'd fill stuff the open shells with ground beef, tender white rice, sauteed onions, and tomatoes, then spoon on a ketchup sauce that became a sweet and sticky glaze as the peppers baked in the oven...", says Christopher.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut top off peppers 1-inch from the stem end (save top for another use), and remove seeds. Add several generous pinches of salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged, until brilliant green and their flesh slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain, and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 4 tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden, 10-15 minutes. Add meat, and cook, breaking up lumps with the back of a spoon, until meat just turns from red to pink, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, add rice, tomatoes, and oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp. oil inside peppers, arrange cut side up in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling. Combine ketchup and 6 tbsp. water in a small bowl, then spoon over filling. Add 3-4 tbsp. water to baking dish, then place in oven and bake for one hour, basting with pan juices once or twice.

TOM'S WAY:
- Add the celery seed to the meat mixture.
- Use the cut oregano pieces on top of the stuffed bells and not in the meat mixture.
- To the stuffed bells top with a piece of fresh oregano, a 2-inch square of bacon, top with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and then add the ketchup/water mixture.

NOTES: Copied by Tom Shunick 8/14/2000

Board: Daily Recipe Swap at Recipelink.com
From: Thomas of Delaware 12-14-2005
To: Recipe: Recipes with a Stuffing or Filling (8)
MSG ID: 3135693
MSG URL: Christopher Hirsheimers Grandmothers Stuffed Belles

Thomas of Delaware