Beef Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients (4 people):
8 Marmande or large tomatoes

600 g. ground beef

3 slices of bread, crust removed

3 or 4 tbsp. milk

100 g. bacon, coarsely chopped with a knife

1 egg

2 shallots, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tbsp. mustard

1 tbsp. chopped parsley

1 tbsp. thyme and/or basil, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

120 ml white wine

A little olive oil for cooking

Preparation:

Prepare the tomatoes:
Cut off the top of the tomatoes and reserve the “caps”, with a teaspoon scoop out the tomatoes of their pulp and seeds, reserve in a medium bowl, arrange the tomatoes in a lightly oiled oven dish.

Make the stuffing:
In a large bowl, add the bread and sprinkle with milk, mash until the bread is moist and completely disintegrated.

Add the meat and all the ingredients except the wine, mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated, I put a rubber glove and mix by hand. Cook 1 tablespoon of stuffing in the microwave, taste and correct seasoning if necessary.

Assembly:
Preheat your oven to 200°.

Fill the tomatoes with stuffing, distribute a little pulp around the tomatoes, do not put the seeds and the juice because the tomatoes and the pulp will already give up a lot of water, sprinkle with white wine, sprinkle again a little salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 minutes, then cover the tomatoes with their caps and continue cooking for another 25 minutes.

If you have a lot of water at the end of the cooking time, you can serve it as a base for a soup, a risotto or a sauce.

Serve with rice.