Braciole

[woodburner]

I'm planning on a nice festive dinner, with one main being Braciole, a classic Italian stuffed, and rolled beef.

Marcella Hazan, in her "Italian Cooking" cookbook suggests using slices of top round steak, filled with ham and parsley, and bacon then cooked in white wine, sans the traditional red marinara.

Another not so famous tv cooking personality, uses flank steak topped with bread crumbs, and some freshly grated cheeses, rolled and tied and into a saute pan, briefly before it goes into the oven, after the addtion of marinara and then bakes, under a loosely foiled tent pan for about 30 minutes.

I've had not so good success with flank steak, other than quickly grilled for tacos.

I want to use the marinara recipe with top round steak. Will the top round suffer if I bake it in the oven? Any other suggestions?

woodburner

[Foodie-Girl]

I saw the same TV show and was planning on following the same recipe....until I read your post.

So now I'm also thinking that a different cut of meat might be better??

[woodburner]

I saw the same TV show and was planning on following the same recipe....until I read your post.

So now I'm also thinking that a different cut of meat might be better??

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Well if I were going to use flank steak, it would seem to me that it would need to be flattened with a meat mallet, something which I did not see happen on the show, nor does it reflect in the recipe section of foodtv recipes.

Uniform thickness of the entire steak would be key in my belief, of anything that needs to be rolled and tied.

I'll be using top round slices, about 1/4" thick.

woodburner

[snowangel]

Another not so famous tv cooking personality, uses flank steak topped with bread crumbs, and some freshly grated cheeses, rolled and tied and into a saute pan, briefly before it goes into the oven, after the addtion of marinara and then bakes, under a loosely foiled tent pan for about 30 minutes.

I've had not so good success with flank steak, other than quickly grilled for tacos.

woodburner

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Actually, it was 30 minutes loosely covered, plus an additional hour not covered. Assume this would make a difference?

Diana was home the day the show was aired and was intrigued, so, yes, advice would be appreciated.

[woodburner]

Another not so famous tv cooking personality, uses flank steak topped with bread crumbs, and some freshly grated cheeses, rolled and tied and into a saute pan, briefly before it goes into the oven, after the addtion of marinara and then bakes, under a loosely foiled tent pan for about 30 minutes.

I've had not so good success with flank steak, other than quickly grilled for tacos.

woodburner

←

Actually, it was 30 minutes loosely covered, plus an additional hour not covered. Assume this would make a difference?

Diana was home the day the show was aired and was intrigued, so, yes, advice would be appreciated.

←

Your right, I did not quote the recipe verbatim, and it does call for an extended roasting time uncovered.

My advice is that it flank would certainly require the extra cooking time, in order to *loosen* up. My perception is that flank was originally used for the classic brasciole partly due to it's great beef flavor, adding flavor to the sauce or in this case marinara.

Today it may be also a matter of cost, in that top round can probably be found to be less costly per pound, and it's the American thing to do, mess with an Italian classic.

woodburner

[Marmish]

I use flank, butterflied and sometimes pounded. Once it is rolled and sliced, the fibers are pretty short, making it tender. I ordered braciole out at a local place and it was made with round. I prefer the flavor and texture of the flank. For the filling, I also use the bread crumbs and cheeses, moistened with melted butter or olive oil.

[Foodie-Girl]

Appreciate all the suggestions.

I think I'll stick with flank steak....we'll see how it works out!

[handmc]

I did slices of top round pounded out with a stuffing of spinach, oysters, bread crumbs cheese and fresh squeezed lemon. Cooked in a red gravy sauce. It was yummy but really rich. I’m still going to make it again though ½ per person this time!

Edited December 13, 2004 by handmc (log)

[Librarian_chef]

I did slices of top round pounded out with a stuffing of spinach, oysters, bread crumbs cheese and fresh squeezed lemon. Cooked in a red gravy sauce. It was yummy but really rich. I’m still going to make it again though ½ per person this time! 

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I also use Flank. You just have to pound it as flat as possible. The roll is not as thin as you might get from other cuts, but the flavour is unbeatable. I will have to try the butterflying suggestion next time. Flank is still pretty cheap too. I have tried AB's recipe and it actually came out rather well, but he pounded it out too. You have to love roulades.

Mark

Edited December 14, 2004 by Librarian_chef (log)

[DRColby]

I was planning a similar dish for Christmas and experimented last week on myself; I always do this before the guests.

I had some Costco flank steak (bigger than I can get from my butcher), butterflied it, pounded it and marinated it in red wine. They I rolled it with chopped arugula, gorgonzola, pine nuts and raisins, seared, it and put it in 350 oven covered for an hour.

I wasn't impressed. It was very dry and with the sauce reduction very ritch. To me it seemed not to be the best use of flank. In fact, I have backed off and decided to just grill the flank and serve with 4 different sauces.

If someone else tries this and is greatly pleased with it, I'd like to hear more; what to add what to eliminate.

dave

[Daniel]

I have only seen braciole that has come from little slice of flank steak.. So you would get many on a plate.. These were always held together with toothpicks.. This would probably cut down on the dryness.

[woodburner]

The top round worked out very good. Sans the typical red tomato sauce, since lasagne was also served.

8 slices beef top round

Coarse salt and black pepper

8 slices prosciutto di Parma

1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs, eyeball it

1/2 cup milk, eyeball it

2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, 3 handfuls

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, a couple of handfuls, chopped

1 cup chopped arugula

Plain round toothpicks

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

2 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin

2 tablespoons butter

12 crimini mushrooms, finely chopped

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup beef broth

1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste

woodburner