Beef Braciole

Special tools:

• Kitchen twine

• Dutch Oven

• Mallet

Ingredients:

• extra virgin olive oil

• 15 garlic cloves

• 2 tsp lemon zest

• 5 anchovy fillets rinsed and mashed

• 1 c fresh parsley, minced

• 1/2 c pecorino romano, grated, plus more for garnish

• 1/2 c plain dried bread crumbs

• 5 oz fontina cheese, shredded

• 2 to 2 1/2 lb flank steak, trimmed and sliced as below

• 6 oz pre-sliced prosciutto, about a dozen pieces

• 1 1/2 t diamond crystal

• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

• 1 lg onion, finely chopped

• 1 /2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 small can tomato paste

• 2 c dry red wine

• 28oz can san marzano, crushed tomatoes

• 2 c beef broth

Preparation:

Trimming the Steak

Cutting across the grain, cut the steak in half, then turning the blade parallel with the counter, cut the two pieces creating four thinner pieces. Next cut these in half with the grain to have eight pieces. Place one at a time in a gallon plastic bag and pound with mallet into a rough rectangle no more than 1/4" thick. The bag simply helps you not make a mess on your kitchen. Repeat with each piece.

Set middle rack in oven to lower position. Preheat to 325° f

In a small bowl stir, 3 T oil, half the garlic, lemon zest, anchovy until combined.

Add 1 C parsley, romano and bread crumbs, stir to combine. Add fontina stir and set filling aside.

Arrange the meat so the grain is parallel with the counter, divide the filling equally among the eight pieces, topping each with the slice of prosciutto. Roll tightly and tie the pieces in two places near the end. Be sure to roll them with the grain longways so that when cutting you will be cutting across the grain. This makes them much more tender.

Heat 1/4 c oil in the dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering

Brown the rolls, turning once for about 8-10 minutes total. Transfer rolls to plate.

Add onions and cook until soft and light brown.

Stir in the remaining garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant about 30-45 seconds

Add the tomato paste and cook about 3-4 more minutes

Add the wine and scrape down the dutch oven, stir in the tomatoes and broth.

Return rolls to the pot and bring to a simmer, placing on oven covered, 2 1/2 to 3 hours until tender, flip the rolls halfway through. Transfer rolls to a dish and remove the twine with scissors.

Serve over pasta topped with the red sauce and rolls.

Adopted from a Cooks Illustrated Recipe

Urban Cowgill
March 2021 (updated Jan 2023)