Individual Braciole

(Total time, prep and cook: about 3 hours Serves:6)

Braciole Ingredients:

    • 2 lb flank steak
    • 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
    • 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
    • 12 cloves roasted garlic (or use 8 cloves fresh unroasted garlic instead)
    • salt & pepper
    • olive oil

also needed: baker's twine or toothpicks

Sauce Ingredients:

    • 1 medium onion, chopped
    • 1/2 cup red wine
    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
    • Two 28-oz cans whole Italian tomatoes
    • salt & pepper, to taste

serve with pasta

-Remove all visible fat from the flank steak.

-Pound the steak with a meat mallet.

-Using a very sharp knife, cut off individual cutlets against the grain. Aim for the cutlets to be about 4 or

5 inches wide.

-Make the filling: pulse the fresh parsley, grated romano and roasted garlic in your food processor, just

enough to chop and mix the ingredients. Stream in about a tablespoon of olive oil while you do this. to

help the mixture hold together.

-Spread the mixture evenly onto the cutlets.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Roll up the cutlets tightly enough so that the filling won't fall out, but not so tight that the sauce won't be

able to penetrate when you simmer them. To roll the cutlets, start rolling from the narrowest end.

-Use toothpicks or baker's twine to secure the rolls.

-Lightly brush with olive oil, covering the entire roll. Season with salt and pepper.

-Heat a large saucepan or dutch oven on your stovetop to medium/high heat.

-Cook the braciole in batches. until they are browned on all sides. Don't worry about cooking the inside. you will

be simmering them in sauce for 2 to 2 1/2 hours and they will cook while they simmer.

-Do your sauce prep as the braciole is browning: Chop the onion. (If you want a smooth sauce.

quickly buzz the tomatoes in your blender or food processor. If you'd rather a chunky sauce, you could

simply mash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon when you add them into the pan.)

-After the last batch of braciole has browned, remove them from the pan. Lower the heat to medium, and

add the chopped onion to the pan. Stir the onion for a few minutes. until it softens and is barely starting

to brown.

-Add the red wine. Give it a stir and it should quickly loosen up all of the browned goodness on the

bottom of the pan.

-Pour in the tomatoes.

-Sprinkle in the oregano.

-Stir to blend in the oregano. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then lower the heat to a low simmer.

-Carefully place your braciole into the sauce, pushing them down so they are completely submerged. Let

them simmer on low heat for at least two hours, until the meat is tender, tasting for seasoning about halfway

through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

-Serve with pasta.