Stuffed Tomatoes with Minced Meat

• • 12 medium tomatoes, about 2 kg
• • ½ kg pork mince
• • ⅓ cup olive oil (85ml)
• • 1 cup finely chopped dry onion (140g)
• • 1 well-filled tablespoon (35g) tomato paste
• • 1 tsp sugar (5g)
• • 1 tsp ground cinnamon (5g)
• • 1 ½ tsp salt (12g)
• • ½ tsp black pepper
• • 2 tbsp dried oregano (3g)
• • 1 cup fresh chopped parsley (50g)
• • 1/2 cup glaze rice (120g)

For Baking

• • ½ cup fresh lemon juice (125ml)
• • 1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 1 cup (250ml) hot water

1. 1. Cut a slice from the top of the tomatoes (this will also serve as the lid) and carefully remove the pulp, which you coarsely chop.
2. 2. Next, we prepare the mince: Pour the olive oil into a non-stick pan and when it heats up, sauté the onion for about 3 - 4 minutes. Add the mince and stir until it turns pale, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir it into the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release its aromas. Add the coarsely chopped tomato pulp and the sugar to reduce the acidity of the tomato. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add the cinnamon, salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley. Stir the filling, add the rice, and turn off the heat. Let it cool and fill each tomato up to 2/3 full. Cover with its lid. Place them in a baking dish and pour in the lemon juice and the vegetable stock. Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C fan-assisted for 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are browned and the sauce has thickened. Serve garnished with a little fresh parsley.