Braciole

Filed under Beef

Prep: 35 min | Cook: 180 min | Servings: 4

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell. Special equipment, toothpicks.

Inactive prep: 3 hours.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil, extra-virgin
  • 1/2 cup Pancetta, finely diced, for the stuffing
  • 1 Onion, large, finely diced, for the stuffing
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pinch Red pepper flakes, crushed, for the stuffing
  • 2 cup Bread, day-old Italian, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 2 clove Garlic, smashed and finely chopped, for the stuffing
  • 1/2 lb Mushroom, button or cremini, sliced
  • 1/2 lb Spinach, stems removed, cut into chiffonade
  • 1/2 cup Pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup Provolone, grated
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, plus more for garnish
  • 2 lb Top round, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 12)
  • 1 Onion, large, finely diced, for the sauce
  • 1 pinch Red pepper flakes, crushed, for the sauce
  • 2 clove Garlic, smashed and finely chopped, for the sauce
  • 4 tbsp Tomato paste
  • 1 cup Red wine
  • 1 can Tomato, 32-ounce San Marzano, passed through a food mill
  • 2 cup Water
  • Parsley, leaves, chopped, for garnish

Directions

  1. For the beef rolls: coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the pancetta and bring to medium heat. Cook until brown and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions and crushed red pepper and season with salt. Cook until soft and very aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, combine the bread and milk in a large bowl and let sit until the bread absorbs the milk and is very soft; squish everything together with your hands. Reserve.
  3. Add the garlic to the pancetta and onion and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt, and saute until soft and they have released their moisture, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach.
  4. Add the onion-mushroom mixture to the bread and stir. Add the pine nuts, provolone and Parmigiano and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt if needed.
  5. Lay the beef slices between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet to flatten evenly. Put about 1/4 cup of filling on one end of each slice and roll up, securing with toothpicks.
  6. Coat a large, wide pot with olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the rolls with salt and brown on all sides. Remove and reserve.
  7. Sauce: pour the oil out of the pot. Add a light coating of fresh olive oil, the onions and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and sweat over medium heat until translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and red wine and cook 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 2 cups of water and season with salt.
  8. Return the beef rolls to the pot and snuggle them into the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the toothpicks.
  9. To serve, arrange 2 or 3 braciole on each plate, halving 1 or 2 rolls to show the stuffing. Spoon on some sauce and garnish with Parmigiano and chopped parsley.