Greek-Style Beef With Eggplant - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 (1 lb) eggplants, peeled, halved, and cut each half into quarters
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb lean ground beef
4 onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
5 1/2 ounces tomato paste, 1 can in U.S
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped, and packed
grated parmesan cheese, to taste

Preparation

In a colander over a sink, combine eggplant an 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Toss to ensure eggplant is well coated and set aside for 30 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400\u00b0F (200\u00b0C). Rinse the eggplant well under cold water and drain. Pat dry with a paper towel. Brush the eggplant with one tablespoon of the olive oil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake the eggplant until soft an fragrant, about 20 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
In a skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and onions and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and peppercorns, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and red wine and stir well. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Stir well.
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until mixture is bubbly and eggplant is tender. Stir in parsley and serve. Pass the Parmesan at the table.