Sicilian Brasciole à La Lena Recipes

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.

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.