Stuffed Yellow Banana Peppers

Yellow Banana Sweet peppers are a staple of Hungarian cooking. Being a hot summer, these peppers are not available.  I made the meat filling mixture, and stuffed it in parboiled cored peppers. Then without the sauce, I froze them 6-8 per bag, keeping mind that my family is so much smaller now. It is wonderful to be able to pull out a bag, add a can of tomato juice, and cook it slowly, only to finish with a roux, on a winter day when no such peppers can be found. I love the aroma of the peppers in my kitchen. I have at least 10 servings of dinners for the fall.
Stuffed Peppers are made as follows:

Ingredients

• 4 multicolored bell peppers
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice, rinsed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon sweet or hot Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Wash peppers. Cut off tops and remove seeds. Season cavities lightly with salt and pepper. ( I also add a little Vegeta, a chicken soup seasoning, and Gulyas tomato paste found in a tube at most deli shops.  Finely chop pepper tops and place in large bowl.
   
2. Add onion, ground chuck, pork, rice, ( I precook rice at least half done)egg, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic to bowl with pepper tops. Mix well.(I personally don't add pork, strictly beef) The reason Hungarian's add pork is for the more pallatable fat content. I simply add 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil.
   
3. Stuff peppers lightly with meat mixture because rice will expand. If you have any leftover meat filling, form it into meatballs.
   
4. Place peppers and any meatballs in a small slow cooker. Mix together tomato sauce and sugar and pour over peppers. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. This also can be cooked in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour or on the stovetop for 1 hour.

This is the raw product when freezing,
This is the finished product, delicious with crusty bread

Recipe for Roux below. It appears as an arduous lengthy process but takes less than 5 minutes. When the aroma is that of a nutty fragrance, it is done. Just add into tomato juice over stove top unto  peppers. Canned tomato juice will need 2 table spoons of sugar to taste.

Yield 8 ounces Units US

• 4 ounces butter or 4 ounces other fat
• 4 ounces flour

Directions

1. To make a basic roux start by measuring, by weight, the amounts of fat and flour desired.
2. It's a one to one ratio (e. g. 4 ounces of fat and 4 ounces of flour equal 8 ounces of roux).
3. Butter is the most commonly used form of fat.
4. Melt the butter over medium heat, careful not to start browning it, then slowly add the flour to the butter, whisking constantly.
5. Within 2 to 3 minutes the roux will have a consistency of a cake frosting.
6. Both fat and flour have various levels of moisture content and the possible choices of fat and flour that can be used are many.
7. For example, butter contains a small amount of water.
8. However, bacon fat, which has been perfectly rendered, contains no water.
9. Within these variables there are varying levels of consistencies.
10. If your roux is too thin, add a small amount of flour.
11. If it is too thick, add a small amount of fat to thin it out.
12. When cooking with a roux, be sure to add only cool liquids or ingredients to a hot roux, or vice versa.
13. As you incorporate the liquid into your roux, be sure to whisk frequently and add the ingredients slowly.
14. Then heat the entire mixture until it comes to a simmer.
15. This process will keep the roux from creating lumps.
16. Once all of the liquid has been added to the roux, cook the sauce or soup for at least 20 minutes, otherwise your finished product may have a granular or gummy texture.