Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb, or a combination of beef and lamb
- One 28-ounce can tomatoes with juice (or one 6 ounce can tomato paste mixed with 3/4 cup water)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (optional)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 medium sweet bell peppers
Preparation
Step 1
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and clear, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground meat and brown lightly. Skim the excess fat. Dice the tomatoes and add both the tomatoes and their juice (or tomato paste and water) to the meat. Add the herbs, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Preheat the oven to 350°F. While the meat mixture is simmering, slice off enough of the stem end of each bell pepper to expose the whole cavity. Reserve the tops. Remove the seeds and ribs from the pepper cavities and rinse with water. Use a spoon to fill each pepper loosely with the meat mixture, leaving room for the filling to expand. Replace the tops. Place the stuffed peppers in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and pour in water to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Bake, basting every 15 minutes, until the filling is tender, about I hour. (Add more water if the dish becomes dry, and cover the peppers with aluminum foil if they begin to turn brown.) Serve immediately.