Vietnamese French Inspired Stuffed Tomatoes Food

VIETNAMESE (FRENCH INSPIRED) STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Slice off about 1/2" tomato top and scoop the seeds inside.
• Reserve pulp for sauce in a small bowl, set aside.
• Dry each side of tomato "cup" gently until dry with a paper towel.
• Fill each cup with the filling ingredients (pork, shiitake mushrooms, 2 TB fish sauce, sugar, ground pepper, shallots and scallion), making sure they are tightly packed in tomato.
• Over medium high heat, add olive oil to cover bottom of saute pan.
• When oil is hot, place tomatoes with the meat facing down
• Cook until surface of meat is nice and golden, or approximately 10-15 minutes.
• Transfer all tomatoes to roasting pan and bake for 40 minutes.
• SAUCE PREPARATION: Add the reserved tomato pulp to small saucepan and bring it to a boil.
• Simmer uncovered about 5-10 minutes and remove from heat.
• Mix with water, fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar then add it to your tomatoes.
• Serve over steamed rice and voila, you're done. =).

STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Set up your grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
• Cut the tops off of each tomato and scoop out the inside flesh into a bowl. Set aside the tomato shells. Roughly chop the inside tomato flesh or break it up with your hands, yielding 1 cup. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Place a large saute pan over the direct heat side of the grill and add a drizzle of olive oil. Season the ground beef with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the ground beef and cook until it begins to brown, breaking it up into smaller pieces as it cooks, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, onions, lemon zest, another drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Give it a stir and cook until fragrant and the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Then stir in the reserved tomato insides. Cook for about 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan for any brown bits. Add the mint and parsley. Give it one more stir and remove from the heat. Add the rice, pine nuts and goat cheese.
• Fill each reserved tomato shell to the top with the beef mixture and place into a cast-iron skillet. Sprinkle with the panko and drizzle with olive oil. Place on the indirect heat side of the grill and close the lid. Bake until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with olive oil drizzled over the top.

THIT HEO DON CA (PORK-STUFFED TOMATOES)

Steps:

• Cut each tomato into two and scoop out most of the pulp, leaving a firm case.
• Place each half upside down on paper towels to drain.
• Combine all other ingredients and mix well.
• Fill tomato halves with mixture and pat it down firmly.
• Heat oil in skillet and put in tomatoes, stuffed side down.
• Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes are just soft, but not mushy.
• Remove and put on an oven safe plate, stuffed side up.
• Put under broiler for 10 minutes until pork chars a little.
• Serve garnished with a sprig of fresh coriander.