Pammies Braciole Sandwich Recipes

PAMMIE'S BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Gently pound the steak to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle the inside of the meat with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine the eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley and garlic. Place the mixture down the middle of the meat. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the meat. Roll the meat with the grain and tie with butcher's twine in three places to secure the roll. Sprinkle the outside of the roll generously with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat, add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and sear the beef on all sides until golden brown. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, turn down the heat to medium. Add the tomato paste and cook 3 more minutes. Then deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping all the fond from the bottom. Add Jeff Mauro's Marinara Sauce. Bring to a simmer, and then add the meat back to the pan. Simmer over low heat until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.
• Remove the meat from the pot and season the sauce again with salt and pepper, if necessary. Cut the twine from the meat and slice against the grain into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Serve with extra sauce and a bowl of hot giardiniera.
• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, the onions, garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper. Sweat until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring to avoid burning. Add the crushed tomatoes. Once the sauce begins to bubble turn down the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside for later use.

GRILLED STUFFED BRACIOLE

Steps:

• For the braciole: Put the flank steak in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up for easy slicing.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice water bath. Blanch the asparagus briefly, then transfer them to the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and pat dry.
• In a bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, chiles, pine nuts, raisins, olive oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
• Butterfly the steak horizontally (the striations and grain should run horizontal at the end), opening the top flap like a book until it is one flat piece. Gently pound out with a meat mallet to even the thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Layer the cheese over the steak, leaving about a 1-inch perimeter. Then add the breadcrumb mixture and spread it within 1 inch of the edge, patting it down evenly. Next, horizontally layer the asparagus in the same fashion.
• Starting at the shorter end of the steak (the striations and grain of the meat should be running horizontally), tightly roll the steak into a pinwheel, taking care to make it even. Using twine, tightly tie the roll in 1-inch increments, then loop around the edge to seal the sides.
• Heat one side of a gas grill on high for indirect cooking.
• For the braciole baste: Combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano in a small bowl and mix together.
• Season the exterior of the braciole with salt and pepper. Brush with the baste and sear on all 4 sides until properly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Lower the heat to medium and move the braciole to the cool side of the grill. Cover and cook, basting every 5 minutes with the braciole baste, until the internal temperature hits 120 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes. Tent with foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
• For the braciole sauce: This can be done directly on the grill while the braciole is resting. Heat a large, cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and tomatoes. Give a toss, then don't move the tomatoes until they start to char and blister, 3 to 4 minutes. Toss again and finish charring for about 3 minutes. Pour into a bowl, toss with the basil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Stir until slightly broken and chunky.
• Remove the string from the braciole, then slice into 1-inch medallions. Serve with the braciole 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.

FRANKIES SPUNTINO PORK BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cutlets up on a clean work surface with the shorter sides on top and bottom (seam side up, if made from a butterflied cut). Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with minced garlic, parsley and cheeses. Roll a cutlet into a tight log. Stretch butcher's twine along the length of the roll; wrap string tightly around one end and continue wrapping to the other end, each turn an inch from the previous one; tie loose ends. Repeat with remaining braciola.
• Empty two cans of tomatoes into a mixing bowl. Use your fingers to break tomatoes apart, and discard firm cores and tops. Pour half the sauce into a deep-sided roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add oils. When oils are hot but not smoking add braciola and sear, rotating every minute or so, until browned all over. Reduce heat to medium, add whole garlic cloves and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer braciola to roasting pan, allowing garlic to continue cooking until golden. Add a cup of remaining sauce to skillet, and scrape browned bits from bottom; shut off heat, and pour over braciola. Add remaining sauce to braciola, completely covering braciola. (If there isn't enough sauce, use another can of tomatoes.) Cover tightly with foil, and bake until tender, from 1 to 3 hours. Check frequently for doneness.
• Snip twine off braciola. Arrange, whole or sliced, on a platter, drizzle with some sauce and transfer remaining sauce to a serving bowl. Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano.