Ingredients :

• The peppers — Get different colors if you can — red, yellow, orange. They each have a slightly distinct taste: red is the sweetest, green the bitterest. Size matters: aim for the size of a closed fist. Too small, and the filling overflows; too big, and there isn’t enough.
• 85/15 ground beef — The 15% fat content is what gives the filling its moisture. Use beef that’s too lean and you’ll get something dry, almost grainy after an hour in the oven. Don’t try to go light here — this isn’t the right place.
• San Marzano tomatoes — Canned, not fresh. San Marzanos are less acidic and more concentrated than classic peeled tomatoes. If you can’t find them, a good Italian passata will do. Avoid budget canned crushed tomatoes — too much water, not enough flavor.
• Basmati rice — Cooked but still slightly firm to the bite — the rice finishes cooking in the oven with the filling. If you overcook it at the start, it will become a compact mass after forty-five extra minutes. Remove it from the heat two minutes before it’s perfect.