Let me share a family dish with you that is also a staple in my culture--the eggplant beef "torta" (Filipino for torte). There are many delicious ways that Filipinos prepare this--some will use shredded salted smoked fish (this is probably my top favourite kind), others use baby shrimp, others use ground pork. But for this recipe, I used a pound of ground wagyu beef.
The savoury flavour of the beef (or the saltiness of smoked fish and baby shrimp) is beautifully contrasted by the sweet notes of roasted peppers. This is a dish that requires time and effort to put together but is oh-so-worth-it. It may not be pretty to look at (it basically looks like scrambled eggs and an eggplant slammed into each other haha), but it is delicious. In the Philippines, they love to serve it over a steaming cup of white rice and the condiments best enjoyed with it are either tomato ketchup, banana ketchup (although, I confess, I am not a fan of banana ketchup), or my favourite--fish sauce with lemon juice. Fish sauce smells like death for most Westerners, but Asians are able to overlook (and quite honestly, even relish) its pungent attributes in favour of its delicious flavour and ability to enhance the taste and flavour of the dish you use it on.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggplants, roasted over the grill and then peeled
sweet peppers, roasted over the grill and then peeled
4 eggs, beaten (2 eggs per large eggplant)
1 lb ground beef (I use wagyu beef for better flavour and softer meat)
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs chives, chopped
salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
Roast the eggplants and sweet peppers over the grill until they are soft and the skin is burnt. Don't worry about them looking black and burnt because that's exactly how you want them--it makes it easier to peel off the skin.
Handle with care because it will be scorching hot! Once done, remove from the grill, and carefully peel the skin off both the eggplants and the peppers. Once sweet peppers are peeled, chop them up and set aside.
On a hot cast iron pan, cook the garlic until fragrant, and then add the onions. Brown the beef and season well with salt and pepper. Once cooked, remove them from the pan.
Take the peeled and grilled eggplant, place it on the pan and mash it gently with a fork so it is flattened. Keep the stem on. Once the eggplant is mashed, place the cooked beef, onions, garlic, and chopped sweet peppers over the eggplant and pour the beaten eggs over it, making sure it coats everything. Let it cook until edges are brown. If you are working with a smaller eggplant, such as those found in Asia, you can even flip it over to brown both sides.
Once cooked, sprinkle with chives and serve hot.