Braciole
Why I Love This Recipe
I've been making this for a while - it's one of my husband's favorites. I most recently made it for him on Valentine's Day.
Ingredients You'll Need
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
3 tablespoons whole milk (you can also use a mix of heavy cream and lowfat milk)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons pignoli nuts, toasted
1/4 cup pecorino romano, grated
2 eggs, hard boiled, chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
3 large slices (about 1 lb.) beef bottom round, already cut into braciole slices by butcher, or cut and pounded thin
Prosciutto, thinly sliced
Imported provolone
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
tomato paste
small amounts of basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper
Directions
Place bread crumbs in a bowl and add milk a little at a time. Make it so the bread becomes damp but not too wet.
Stir in the eggs, parsley, cheese, pignoli nuts and garlic. Mix well and set aside.
***If your meat isn't already pounded thin*** With a meat mallet, pound each slice of beef round to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
Arrange one of the pounded meat slices in front of you and top with prosciutto.
Spread some of the stuffing over the prosciutto, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges.
Place a stick of provolone crosswise over the edge of the stuffing closest to you.
Fold the border closest to you over the provolone, then fold the side borders in to overlap the edges of the stuffing. Roll into a compact roll.
Secure the end flap with twine or toothpicks. Finish all the rolls, then season with salt and pepper.
Put oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat with chopped garlic and add rolls. Turn after first side is seared.
After second side is seared, turn again, then add tomatoes, seasonings, and tomato paste.
Stir together carefully (work your spoon around the meat), turn heat down to low, and cover.
Cook for at least 2 hours (the longer, the better), stirring occasionally. Serve with pasta.
