Stuffed peppers, Bratislava style

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 6 bell peppers (red, yellow or green)
• 1,000 g minced meat, mixed beef and pork
• 100 g rice
• 1 large onion(s)
• 2 eggs
• 1,500 ml tomato(s), pureed
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp, heaped salt
• 2 tsp, heaped parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp, stripped marjoram, shredded
• e.g. butter or oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

Minced meat stew in a Roman pot (or roasting pan) from the Panonian cuisine

Soak the Roman pot in water for at least 20 minutes (alternatively, a stainless steel roasting pan with a lid can be used). Cook the rice in salted water. Finely crush the marjoram in a mortar and pestle. Finely chop the onion and roast it in a little butter or oil until golden brown. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the peppers, cut out the tops, and remove the seeds. Mix the minced meat, rice, onions, whole eggs, salt, parsley, and marjoram well (this is best done with your hands). Pack the mixture firmly into the peppers to prevent any gaps. Leave a little mixture sticking out at the top; then you have just enough. Place the stuffed peppers in the Roman pot (or roasting pan), open side up, in the oven, and roast uncovered for 15 minutes. Mix the sugar into the passata, pour the tomato sauce over the peppers, and cover. Cook with the lid on for another 40 to 60 minutes, until the peppers are tender. In the German-speaking region of Pressburg (now Bratislava) before World War II, the stuffed peppers were eaten alone with plenty of tomato sauce from deep plates. They could also be served with rice or boiled potatoes.