When I think of stuffed tomato, I think of those lunches I had as a five-year-old kid alone in my room in the summer. It had all the components of a wholesome meal, one that I could eat with one hand, while the other flipped Doraemon comic pages. But it took me one hour to finish a bowl of rice, a leisurely and unrestrained freedom that I reveled in, without parental supervision.
As a kid, I was left to my own devices during the day, since both my parents were at work. I woke up to find little pouches of xôi (sticky rice) on the table that my mom bought for breakfast before heading to the kindergarten (she was a teacher). For lunch, I turned to her instruction notes to heat up certain dishes, but most often, I could find them compactly portioned to fit snuggly inside a rice cooker to keep warm. Opening the rice cooker and inhaling the smell of white rice fused with sweet tomatoes and savory meat was pure bliss. Also accompanying me were comic books and novels that I grabbed with enthusiasm when my father took me to the strip of second-hand bookstores near my house in his off days. Food and entertainment – what else could a five-year-old kid ask for?
But you didn’t come here for my story. You’re looking for a way to make the best out of the bag of tomatoes you lug home after the farmers’ market. They’re red and ripe at their prime time and don’t all deserve to be cooked down in a sauce. Salads are great too, but maybe there’s only so much salad a person can take?
So here I am with these stuffed tomatoes. They’re sweet, tangy and savory at the same time. They burst with juice when you bite into them, but first, you’ll have to get through the slightly crisp edge of the ground pork. To achieve that, pan-frying them in a covered skillet (non-stick pans work, too) with the meat side down until it crisps and browns, before flipping them over and removing the lid. The whole process takes less than 15 minutes.
The stuffing for this is straightforward: ground pork, shallots and the standard seasoning of salt, pepper, sugar, fish sauce. Just make a batch of this meat mixture and use it in your omelette, bitter-gourd soup (any soup really), and even spring rolls (if you have rice paper on hand). Not a big fan of pork? Replace it with beef, chicken, turkey, or vegan meat, if that’s what your heart desires.
Go ahead and make these, pair them with rice and a splash of soy sauce to punctuates the umami note of these tomatoes. Lunch can last as long as you want, because you’ve been cooking for months, and this is what you deserve.
Pan-Fried Stuffed Tomatoes (Cà Dồn Thịt)
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes around 350 g in total
- 200 g ground pork
- 2 shallots minced
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp oil for frying
Instructions
- Split the tomatoes crosswise and remove the seeds. Pat dry with paper towel.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and let rest for 30 minutes.
- When ready, use a small spoon to stuff the meat in every nook and cranny of the tomato halves and press firmly.
- In a skillet or pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tomatoes (meat side down) and press them onto the skillet surface. Cover and turn the heat to medium. Cook for about 5-7 minutes.
- When the meat develops a golden-brown color, remove the lid and flip the tomatoes. Continue to cook for about 5 more minutes.
- Remove the tomatoes from the skillet and serve hot with rice.
