I tried Lidia's Braciole. The meat I used was top round. No one liked the meat.
Also served was honeydew wrapped in pancetta.
Braised Beef Rolls
Braciole di Manzo
cookbook: Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen
main ingredients: beef
serves: 6 servings
This is a typical Italian-American Sunday meal if ever there was one. Serve the braciole as they are, or fish them out of the sauce, arrange them on a platter, and serve the sauce with rigatoni or gnocchi. Sausages and meatballs may also be added to the pot for an even more bountiful dinner.
For the Braciole
1½ cups milk
2 cups day-old country bread, cubed (1/2-inch), crust removed
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 pounds beef bottom round, cut into 12 slices, each 1/2-inch thick
12 slices imported Italian Prosciutto
¼ pound provolone, cut into 1/4 x 1/4 x 2-inch sticks
salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 35-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
½ cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
Water as needed
salt
crushed hot red pepper
To make the stuffing, pour the milk into a medium bowl, add the bread cubes and let soak until the bread is very soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the bread, squeeze out excess milk from the cubes with your hands and return it to the bowl. Stir in the chopped eggs, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, raisins, pine nuts and garlic. Mix well and set aside.
Pound each slice of beef round to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Arrange one of the pounded meat slices in front of you with one of the short sides closest to you. Top with a slice of prosciutto, and tap the prosciutto with the back side of a knife so it adheres to the beef. Spread 2 tablespoons of the stuffing along the edge of the meat closest to you, leaving a 1/2-inch border over the provolone, the fold the side borders in to overlap the edges of the stuffing. Roll into a compact roll about 4 inches long. Secure the end flap with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining beef and stuffing, then season the rolls with salt and pepper.
To brown the braciole and start the sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy casserole over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook until the onion is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add as many of the braciole as will fit in a single layer and cook, turning the braciole as necessary, until golden on all sides, about 7 minutes. If necessary, repeat with any remaining braciole. Adjust the heat under the pan as necessary to prevent the beef from scorching.
Meanwhile, empty the tomatoes into a bowl and squeeze them with your hands until coarsely crushed , removing the cores as you do.
If necessary, return all the braciole to the casserole. Pour the wine into the casserole, bring to a boil, and cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes. Add tomato paste and bay leaves and stir until paste in dissolved. Season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper, adjust the heat to simmering and cook, adding water necessary to keep the braciole completely submerged, until the beef is tender, about 3 hours. Remove the toothpicks before serving.
Grilled Caesar Salad
Insalata alla Cesare Grigliata
cookbook: Lidia's Italy in America
Norm note: After tossing salad, dressing and cheese, I added Clementine sections and crumbled bacon. It was snowing so I didn't grill the lettuce.
serves: Serves 6
Caesar salad is not a traditional Italian recipe and grilled Caesar salad is certainly a recent phenomenon. I discovered it at La Scala Ristorante in Baltimore where I was taken by the Pastore family, the local distributor, Sun of Italy, for all that is good and Italian. Nino Germano the presiding chef owner at La Scala says he invented this recipe purely by accident. During a busy evening in the kitchen, a cut head of young Romaine lettuce fell on the grill while being passed. Nino, a frugal padrone, set it aside and when the evening was over and it was time to have his dinner, he decided to dress that grilled Romaine as he would a regular Caesar salad. And so this recipe was born.
3 cups country bread cubs, about 1/2 inch pieces
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large hard cooked egg, yolk only
4 garlic cloves
4 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
3 heads (1 package) romaine hearts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
¼ cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus a 2 ounce piece for shaving
Food Processor;
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Preheat a grill pan that fits over 2 burners over medium-high heat. Scatter bread cubes on a baking sheet, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toast until crisp throughout, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a mini food processor, combine egg yolks, garlic, anchovies, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the work bowl as needed. With the processor running, pour 4 tablespoons oil through the feed tube to make a smooth dressing, Season with the salt and pepper.
Drizzle romaine hearts with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, then brush all over to coat evenly. Lay romaine on the grill pan, cut side down. Grill just until marked and slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Arrange grilled romaine on a platter. Drizzle with most of the dressing. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and croutons. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the piece of Grana Padano or Parmigiano all over the top of the salad.
Fettucini Alfredo Italian style
Cooked Fettucini
4 T. Butter
2/3 C. cream
1/2 C. chicken stock
2 sage sprigs
salt to taste. Taste after cheeses are added
1 t. Pepper
2 egg yolks
1/4 C. Parmigiano Reggiano
Melt butter, add warm cream before butter melts. Add stock, S. & P. and sage
Remove sage. Add cooked pasta and egg yolks and toss to coat. Add cheese and pepper and toss well.
