Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 tbsp chopped green olives
• 3 tbsp raisins
• 8 green pepers
• 1/4 C bread crumbs
• 2/3 C water
• 3 tbsp dry Cuban cooking wine

For the sofrito

• 6 tbsp oil
• 5/4 C chopped onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/3 C chopped green pepper
• .5 tsp dried oregano
• .25 tsp ground cumin
• 1 C tomato paste
• 6 tbsp dry Cuban cooking wine
• 3 tbsp vinegar

Procedure

For the sofrito

1. Fry onion, crushed garlic, and chopped pepper in oil for 7-10 minutes without letting brown.
2. Add oregano and cumin, stir, then add tomato paste.
3. Sauté for another 10-12 minutes, add the wine and vinegar, and cook for another 45 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

1. Divide sofrito into thirds and set aside 2/3 for the sauce.
2. Add the beef, olives and the raisins (soaked in warm water, then drained) to the remaining third.
3. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes until somewhat reduced.
4. Wash peppers well, cut a hole around the stalk and clean the seeds out.
5. Fill the peppers with mincemeat mixture and seal the opening with breadcrumbs.
6. Heat the reserved sofrito with the water and cooking wine in a flameproof earthenware dish large enough to take all the peppers quite snugly.
7. Add the peppers, cover, and bake on a medium heat for around 30 minutes, turning once.
8. Serve in the same dish.