Karniyarik (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)

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1. 1Step 1: Slice your eggplants in half lengthwise (if you're using 4 medium-sized eggplants for this recipe, you'll want to pare the eggplant in stripes lengthwise instead of slicing them in half).
2. 2Step 2: Fill a large bowl with water, stir in 2 tsp of salt, then add the sliced eggplants. Weigh the eggplants down with a plate to keep them submerged; soak for 30 minutes while you prep the filling. This step helps remove the bitterness from the eggplants.
3. 3Step 3: Heat a skillet on medium heat for a minute, then add the ground beef. Saute until most of the pink is gone, stirring frequently to break up chunks, about 4 minutes.
4. 4Step 4: Add the onions and continue to saute until the onions start to soften, about 4 more minutes.
5. 5Step 5: Add the coarsely chopped tomatoes (be sure to reserve four tomato slices for later), tomato paste, garlic, and salt and pepper; simmer until the tomatoes are softened, another 5 minutes.
6. 6Step 6: Stir in the chopped parsley, season to with more salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
7. 7Step 7: Remove the eggplants from the water, rinse, and pat dry. Season with a little salt and pepper.
8. 8Step 8: In a large skillet (I just washed the one I had used to make the filling), warm 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil on med/high heat for a minute, the place the eggplant cut-side-down. Cook in batches until browned, about 4 minutes, then set on paper towels to drain. You only need to brown the cut side of the eggplant. If you're using medium-sized eggplants, you'll want to brown them on the pared stripes, a couple minutes per side, until the whole eggplant is browned.
9. 9Step 9: Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
10. 10Step 10: Scoop out the seed part of each eggplant and set aside. You don't need to spoon out too much of the eggplant, just enough to make a divot to put the filling into. If you're using medium-sized eggplants, simply make a deep slice lengthwise and push apart each slice to create an opening for the filling.
11. 11Step 11: Spoon in the filling then lay down half of a chili pepper and a tomato slice on each eggplant. It's okay if you have leftover filling - you can saute it in ghee or oil with the scooped out eggplant pieces to have something to snack on while the eggplants bake.
12. 12Step 12: Bake until the eggplants are soft all the way through, 20-30 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes before serving.