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Meat
Easy
4-6 Servings
Allergens 
No Allergens specified
2 Hours, 40 Minutes
Diets
If you’re looking for a dish that’s quiet and easy to ignore, keep walking. This is a dish that’s full of personality and absolutely not afraid to steal the show!
In the classic Sephardic kitchen, you’ll find a lot of stuffed foods. We stuff peppers, onions, and everything else you can imagine — but I wanted to kick it up a notch.
Let me tell you why you’ll love this showstopper of a dish: The jalapeños are generously stuffed with a combination of ground meat, rice, fresh cilantro, and spices. They’re then cooked in a sauce that’s so heavenly, you’ll want to jump headfirst into the pot! This dish checks all the boxes: It’s spicy, hearty, aromatic, and wholesome. The rice and meat offer substance, the jalapeños bring just the right amount of fire, and the tomato-cilantro sauce provides a fresh, herby contrast that lightens the dish while amplifying its flavor.
1 and 1/2 pounds (680 grams) ground meat
1/2 cup white basmati rice
1 cup fresh washed and chopped cilantro
1 and 1/2 tablespoons Pereg Paprika in Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or 3 cubes Gefen Frozen Garlic
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 jalapeño peppers, halved and deseeded
2–3 tablespoons Gefen Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
2 vine tomatoes, diced small
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons Tuscanini Tomato Paste
1 and 1/2 tablespoons Pereg Paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 and 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup washed and chopped cilantro
Mix meat, rice, cilantro, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper until combined.
Fill each jalapeño half generously with meat, as the meat will shrink a bit during the cooking process. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large, shallow, oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until lightly golden.
Add tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, and spices. Mix and cook over medium heat for five to eight minutes.
Add water and cilantro and cook for 10 minutes on a low simmer.
Add the jalapeño peppers to the pot, making sure each one is nested in the sauce, and spoon a little sauce on top of each jalapeño.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
Bake for one hour, then lower heat to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius) for another hour, until fork-tender.
Photography by Chay Berger
Food Prep by Leah Hamaoui
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I made this and it was a big hit. I used a bit more meat and 2 fewer peppers and made some additional small meatballs. I will defintely make it again.