Sicilian Braciole Recipes

SICILIAN BRASCIOLE A LA LENA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and parsley, and continue cooking until onions begin to brown. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.
• In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, Romano cheese, raisins, pine nuts and pepper.
• Pound steak to 1/2 inch with a moistened mallet or the side of a cleaver. Spread onion mixture evenly over meat, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges. Spread bread crumb mixture in an even layer, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roll up from the narrow end, and tie tightly with kitchen twine.
• Heat remaining olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown roll on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Pour in spaghetti sauce, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, until tender.

BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.
• Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.

THE BEST BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir the cheeses, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together.
• Lay the flank steak out flat on work surface and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• Pat the bread crumb mixture over the steak.
• Starting at one short end, roll up the steak (like a jelly roll) and tie with butcher's twine. Season the outside with the remaining salt and pepper.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add the flank steak.
• Cook, turning until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
• Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil, and stir in the tomato sauce.
• Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After about 1 1/2 hours, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer.
• Remove the braciole from the sauce. Cut the twine off, and slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.
• Transfer the slices to a platter, and spoon some sauce over the slices.

BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Flatten steak to 1/2-in. thickness. Rub with 1 tablespoon oil. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, garlic, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spoon over beef to within 1 in. of edges; press down. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; tie with kitchen string. , In a Dutch oven, brown meat in remaining oil on all sides. Add onion and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, sugar and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 70-80 minutes or until meat is tender. , Remove meat from sauce and discard string. Cut into thin slices; serve with sauce and If desired, spaghetti and additional grated Parmesan cheese and minced fresh parsley.

SICILIAN STICK TO YOUR RIBS MEAL: MEATLOAF BRASCIOLE (ROLL UPS), PASTA, BROCCOLINI AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Put water on to boil for your pasta.
• Mix meat and next 10 ingredients as if you were making meatloaf. Flatten meat out on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet into a thin layer: 1/2-inch thick, 12 inches long by 6 to 8 inches wide. Cover meat with arugula or spinach, prosciutto and cheese then roll the meat, using the waxed paper to help roll up into a large log, working across the 6 to 8-inch side, resulting in a 12-inch long log. Drizzle the log with extra-virgin olive oil to coat lightly.
• Roast meatroll 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch slices, 3 pieces per portion, and serve. Make pasta while meat is in the oven.
• Salt water and cook off pasta, about 7 to 8 minutes to al dente, with a bite to it. Drain and return pasta to hot pot.
• While pasta cooks, place broccolini in 1-inch of water in a sauce pot and bring up to a boil. Add salt to the water and add the trimmed broccolini. Cover and cook 5 minutes, drain and reserve.
• To hot, cooked pasta add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, butter, ricotta, lemon zest, thyme, broccolini and season with salt and pepper. Toss pasta to coat it in the cheese and butter. Season it with salt, to your taste. Portion pasta onto dinner plates alongside meat roll slices and top pasta with tomatoes and freshly ground pepper.

BRACCIALONI

Steps:

• Pound meat as thin as possible, hopefully 1/4 inch thick. Drizzle or brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkle with a thin layer of bread crumbs. Layer the prosciutto over the crumbs, and sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs, and chopped hard-cooked eggs. Roll the meat up into a tight spiral, and secure with kitchen twine.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan, or stock pot over medium-high heat. Sear the outside of the roast on all sides. Pour spaghetti sauce over the roast, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Remove meat from the sauce to a serving platter, and let stand for 15 minutes. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.
• Carve the meat into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Serve with spaghetti and sauce.

SICILIAN BRACIOLE LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil; cook the onion, celery, and carrot over med-low heat, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until vegetables are nearly softened.
• Add in the garlic and cook, stirring 1 minute.
• In a large mixing bowl, gently but thoroughly mix together (use your hands) the ground meats, 3/4 cup of the bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper.
• On a large piece of waxed paper, pat the meat into a 9x12 inch rectangle.
• In a small mixing bowl, stir together the currants, parsley, sage, marjoram, lemon peel, and remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs.
• Sprinkle the mixture over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.
• Use the waxed paper to help roll up the meat from the long side.
• Invert the roll into a 13x9 inch baking dish; discard the waxed paper; smooth the edges of the meat to form a neat roll.
• Bake 45-50 minutes or until the roll is firm and nicely browned.
• Make the sauce while the loaf is baking.
• In a large skillet, heat the butter; cook the mushrooms and shallots over med-low heat, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and have given up their liquid.
• Increase the heat to medium; cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes or until about half of the liquid is evaporated.
• Stir in the flour; cook, stirring 1 minute.
• Whisk in the broth, marsala, and herbs.
• Bring to a boil, stirring.
• Lower heat to med-low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Take the meat loaf out of the oven and let stand 10 minutes.
• Cut into 12 slices and serve with the sauce.