Brasciole alla Sansevero (Italian Beef Rolls Sansevero)

Brasciole alla Sansevero

(Italian Beef Rolls Sansevero)

serves 6

(Italy)

When I was a kid, my mother's brasciole was an extra-special  Sunday treat; she would cook it in her Sunday "gravy" until the meat was butter soft.  Unfortunately she never wrote the recipe down so I developed this recipe from what I remembered.  I developed the sauce for it but I invite you to add the fried brasciole to your special Sunday "sauce" and create your own memories.

Ingredients

6 thin slices of round steak, flattened with a meat mallet to 1/8- 1/4 inch thick

1 pound ground veal, beef, or pork - OR - 2 cups dry Italian bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

3 slices of bacon, diced grease reserved

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup pine nuts

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 eggs, beaten

Sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 28 ounce can of tomatoes, crushed
1 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
½ cup basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1 cup red wine
2 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves

Preparation

the sauce:

1.  In a large sauté pan over medium heat sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until softened but not browned.

2.  To the softened onions add tomatoes, herbs, red wine and water and leave to simmer over low heat while you prepare the brasciole.

the brasciole

1.  On a clean work surface, lay out beef slices flat.

2.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the minced veal (or bread crumbs and tomato paste), the bacon, garlic, parsley, oregano, shallot, raisins, pine nuts, Parmesan, beaten eggs, and the reserved bacon grease.  Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Place a heaping tablespoon of stuffing mixture on each beef slice, spreading it out well.  Roll up the beef jelly roll style and secure with kitchen twine.

4.  Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a separate sauté or frying pan over medium heat.  Brown the brasciole on all sides

5.  Place the browned brasciole in the sauce, cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours over low heat.

6. Working with one brasciole at a time and while keeping the sauce warm, remove a brasciole from the sauce to a clean cutting board; cut and remove the string, slice the brasciole into 1 to 2-inch thick "pin-wheels" and arrange the slices on a serving platter; continue until all the brasciole have been sliced.   Pour the warm sauce over the "pin-wheels" and serve immediately accompanied by crusty Italian or French bread.

Next Week's Posting: Pasta e Fagoli Basilicata (Pasta and Beans Basilicata)