This recipe the perfect medley of high-end and comfort food. The flavor combination of the mini beef patties with the creamy eggplant and the sweet tomatoes is the epitome of comfort. Creating the layers one by one will take some time, but the presentation of this dish takes it to the next level.
You want to ensure the patties, eggplant and tomato slices are similar in size and can always cut them on the sides to match. It’s very important to cook the eggplant slices before assembling the dish otherwise they can get chewy. For this recipe, I prefer to bake them in the oven, but you can also fry them in a pan.
The beef and the tomatoes will extrude more liquid as they cook so the dish will not be dry. If there’s too much liquid at the end, remove the lid and increase heat to medium-high to boil off the excess liquid. This dish is best served with a side of bread or mashed potatoes and a simple salad. The left-overs can be stored in the fridge for two to three days and reheat well in the microwave.
Beef Eggplant Tomato “Ratatouille”
Course: Dinner, LunchDifficulty: Medium4
servings45
minutes1
hourBeef, eggplant and tomatoes create the perfect comfort food.
Ingredients
3 Japanese eggplants
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 medium yellow onions
4-5 Roma tomatoes
3 tsp kosher salt plus more for eggplants
1½ tsp ground black pepper
A few basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Slice eggplants into 1/4-1/3 inch thick circles, place on a wire rack or paper towel and sprinkle both sides with salt and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Dry the eggplants with paper towels and drizzle both sides with olive oil.
- Place eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with silicone or parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven @350º F for 20-25 minutes until cooked.
- While the eggplants cook, grate the onion on a coarse grater, squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Add ground beef, 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and combine to mix. Rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
- In the meantime, cut the tomatoes into 1/3 inch thick slices.
- After the meat has rested, form into small patties similar in size to the eggplant and tomato slices.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick circular pan with tall sides and a lid. Begin layering the eggplant, tomato, and beef patties, placing each trio on its edge, repeating the trios to form a circle on the outer edge of the pan and working your way towards the middle. You may have to cut the edges of the tomatoes or eggplants or reshape the patties to keep everything similar in size. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tbsp of water to the pan and cook with lid on for 25-30 minutes. Remove the lid and raise the heat to medium-high to allow the excess liquid to boil off (10-15 minutes) keeping an eye on the pan to make sure it does not burn.
- Garnish with basil leaves and serve with a side of bread or mashed potatoes.
