Recipe of the Week: Beef Braciole with Prosciutto and Caciocavallo Cheese
A southern Italian favorite dish, Braciole or involtini as it is sometime called is served on special occasions. In my family my Nonna always made it and served it on Sunday when the whole family gathered at her house for dinner. A little laborious and time consuming but definitely worth the effort for all the great praise that you will receive. Braciole can be made in a large roll or in small individual ones. My family always made braciole in a large roll then sliced it and serve it with homemade pasta and crusty Italian bread. Butterfly the steak and pound it thin and evenly season it with salt and pepper and top with proscitto and bread stuffing then roll it and tie with butcher string and braise it in tomato sauce for several hours until fork tender. Serves 12. (Chef tip: To make braciole, you can use flank steak or sirloin or top round.)
3 pounds beef, thinly sliced from the top round of the leg
1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced thin
1/4 pound Caciocavallo cheese, sliced thin
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dry porcini mushrooms, soaked in water
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups Pomodoro sauce
3 cups beef stock
Lightly pound beef with a flat mallet; cover with plastic wrap to prevent the meat from tearing. Season each beef slice with salt and pepper, top with prosciutto and cheese.
In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, milk, eggs, cheese, thyme, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Keep the mixture moist with a little of the prepared stock.
Place a spoonful of bread mixture on top of the beef slices. Roll up each slice and secure with a toothpick or tie with string.
Melt butter and oil in a 12-inch saute pan and brown beef braciole on all sides. Add wine, porcini mushrooms, Pomodoro sauce and stock, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
Remove from heat and place the beef in a serving dish. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce with salt and pepper.