As someone who absolutely loves stuffed peppers, and stuffed cabbage rolls, I knew I was going to enjoy Greek beef stuffed onions, or “salantourmasi,” as our Greek friends call them, but they were even better than I imagined. And, as much as I loved the taste and appearance, what I loved even more was the ingenious technique.
I know I said this was my first attempt, but I will admit that long ago, I tried to stuff an onion by scooping out the center, but the meat to onion ratio was way off, and the final result wasn’t good. Here, we separate the layers, and then roll up the stuffing, which works significantly better. The Greek-spiced beef filling was very delicious, but this technique begs for experimentation, and would be great with lots of different stuffings, which is why I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients
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4 large yellow onions, peeled
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1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
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1 pound ground beef, divided
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1 cup diced onion
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1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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2 teaspoons kosher salt
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1 pinch cayenne pepper
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4 garlic cloves, minced
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
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3/4 cup white long grain rice
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2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
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1 1/2 cups chicken broth
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1/3 cup crumbled Greek feta
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1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
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1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
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1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish
Tomato Broth
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4 cups onion cooking water
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2 cups tomato sauce
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2 tablespoons chicken bouillon paste
Directions
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Cut 1 inch from each end of onions. Stand onion on a flat side, put the point of a sharp knife in the very center, and make 1 cut, straight down from top of onion to bottom.
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Bring a saucepan with 6 to 8 cups salted water to a simmer; add onions and simmer until they soften enough that layers can be easily separated, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove onions from water with a slotted spoon; let cool. Do not discard onion cooking water.
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Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add half the beef; cook and stir, breaking up beef with a spatula until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup diced onions, black pepper, salt, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Add garlic, dried oregano, and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add rice and stir until evenly coated. Add vinegar and chicken broth, lower heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
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Add remaining beef, feta, parsley, mint and oregano to a bowl, along with cooled rice mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine. Refrigerate until needed.
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For tomato broth, measure 4 cups onion cooking water into a saucepan; stir in tomato sauce and chicken bouillon paste. Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce heat to low, and keep hot until needed.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
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Separate onion sections and set aside the best 18 pieces, ideally using the ones from the middle of the bulb that are long enough to cover the filling. If desired, tear or chop extra onion, and add to the bottom of a large baking dish.
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Add about 2 rounded tablespoons of filling to each onion section, and roll up to cover filling. Place stuffed onions in the baking dish, and ladle tomato broth over the dish. Cover with foil, and place on a sheet pan to catch drips.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and continue baking, uncovered, until onions are tender, and filling is fully cooked, about 1 hour more. If the dish appears too dry, you can place foil back on. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
John Mitzewich
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 428 | Calories |
| 25g | Fat |
| 26g | Carbs |
| 26g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 6 | |
| Calories 428 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 25g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat 8g | 38% |
| Cholesterol 76mg | 25% |
| Sodium 1676mg | 73% |
| Total Carbohydrate 26g | 9% |
| Dietary Fiber 4g | 14% |
| Total Sugars 10g | |
| Protein 26g | 52% |
| Vitamin C 20mg | 22% |
| Calcium 137mg | 11% |
| Iron 4mg | 24% |
| Potassium 864mg | 18% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
