Rice and Beef–Stuffed Tomatoes

“Stuffed tomatikas are really personal to me,” Roy Yerushalmi told me, using his nickname for tomatoes as we hit the shuk to pick up the raw ingredients for his beloved Turkish great-grandmother Fortuneé’s filled vegetables. “Istanbulites didn’t use a lot of rice,” he told me, sipping the premeasured cognac that was supposed to go into the recipe. “It was considered déclassé.” When I left a tiny scrap of meat in the bowl, he gasped. “Part of my family lived through the siege of Jerusalem,” he told me. “Letting the meat run down the drain? NEVER!” Into the skillet went lemon juice, a splash of that cognac (or what was left of it), and the stuffed tomatoes, which came out homey but rich. The fat from the meat and olive oil carrying the subtle flavor of the cognac, they were as good at room temperature as they were hot.

Serves 6 to 8

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

10 to 11 large firm, ripe tomatoes, depending on the size of your pot (about 4 pounds)

¾ pound ground beef (at least 20% fat)

⅔ cup uncooked round rice, such as carnaroli

¼ cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

¼ cup chopped dill, plus more for garnish

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large egg

1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

¼ cup sugar

⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Generous splash of cognac or chicken broth, plus 1 to 2 cups additional broth, as needed

Choose the oven-safe pot you’re going to use; a 6-quart stockpot should work well. Fit the whole tomatoes into the pot to gauge how many tomatoes you’ll need; they can be tight-fitting. Remove the tomatoes from the pot. Using your hands, gently combine the beef, rice, parsley, dill, olive oil, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and chill until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut off the top ½ inch of the tomatoes; reserve the tops. Using a small teaspoon, hollow out the centers of the tomatoes, leaving as much flesh intact as possible on the inner walls; reserve the tomato liquid and seeds. Season the insides of the tomatoes lightly with the salt. Remove the filling from the fridge and fill the tomatoes about three-quarters of the way up, leaving room for the rice to expand when cooked. Put the sugar and lemon juice in the bottom of the pot and cook, stirring, until the mixture caramelizes slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cognac and swirl around to deglaze for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, fit the tomatoes inside, then gently pour the tomato liquid and enough broth into the pot so it comes about halfway up the tomatoes, opening the tomatoes and splashing a bit of the broth on top of the filling.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the tops on the tomatoes, place the pot over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook until the tomatoes soften, the rice looks swollen, and the broth has reduced by about one-third, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover, transfer the pot to the oven, and continue to cook until the tops are a little browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately, or at room temperature.