Recipe for Stuffed Cucumber aka Caigua or “Pepino Para Rellenar”

Serves 4

4 large caigua stuffing cucumbers (check out the photo in my last post)

1 lb. ground beef

4 hard boiled eggs

olive oil

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 small sweet or hot chile minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1 large ripe tomato chopped

1/4 c raisins

1/4 c green olives

1/4 c beer

salt and pepper to taste

Brush the caigua with a little bit of olive oil and roast in a 400f oven for a few minutes until they start to blister and soften up a bit. Pull them out of the oven and let them cool.

Make the picadillo filling in a large saute pan. Heat a little oil and brown the onion, garlic, and chile pepper. Add the spices and the tomato and keep stirring.

Deglaze with the beer. Add the raisins and olives.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stuff each caigua with picadillo and a boiled egg. Flash the stuffed peppers in a hot oven in order to be sure that they are served hot.