perc-o-prince
Well-known member
OK, we've done Polish. Now let's go to Italy!!! Give us your best Italian recipes.
ITALIAN... ongoing thread- ethnic cooking
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Here's one I was raised on. I'm Italian on both sides of my family and this recipe is largely unchanged for the last 80+ years. Well worth the time and effort..
Dad's Pasta Sauce
2 lbs ground round
2 lbs "meatloaf mix" (blend of ground beef/veal/pork)
1 lb sweet Italian sausages, whole
4 Tbsp veal gelatin, if available
5 large cans Italian-style plum tomatoes, peeled in heavy puree (e.g. Paradiso)
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced, divided into 3 cloves & 2 cloves
1/2 cup fresh onion, finely minced
6 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, minced, divided into 4 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp
2 1/2 Tbsp dried sweet basil, crushed, divided into 2 Tbsp & 1/2 Tbsp
1 Tbsp dried oregano, crushed
4 dried bay leaves, whole
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, moistened with water
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup romano cheese, grated
1 small can tomato paste (optional, if you prefer a sweeter & thicker sauce)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
PROCEDURE:
Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Add:
onion
3 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp parsley
2 Tbsp sweet basil
oregano
bay leaves
Cook covered for 10 minutes on a low flame, stirring often, until
onions are clear. Do not brown the mixture. If it browns, toss it
out and start over.
Empty mixture into large (12 qt. or bigger) non-aluminum saucepot.
Empty tomato cans with juice, one at a time, into a blender and
briefly puree. Add tomatoes to saucepot with salt and pepper.
Cover, increase heat to high and bring to a rapid boil, then
reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently for 1 1/2 hours,
stirring occasionally. Be sure to stir the bottom of the pot,
to prevent scorching.
Meanwhile, prepare meatballs. In a large bowl mix thoroughly:
ground round
meatloaf mixture
eggs
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp parsley
1/2 Tbsp sweet basil
bread crumbs
grated cheeses
Form mixture into 2" meatballs. Add vegetable oil to large cast
iron skillet and heat to medium-high. Add meatballs and sausage
and brown well on one side before turning. Do not cook completely.
Outsides should be well-browned, but centers should remain uncooked.
After tomatoes have been simmering for 1 1/2 hours, add partially
cooked meatballs and sausage, tomato paste and veal gelatin.
Simmer on medium-low heat 1 to 1 1/4 hours more, stirring and
skimming off excess fat occasionally.
To serve, remove meatballs and sausage to a separate platter.
Remove bay leaves from sauce and serve over your favorite pasta.
Sauce freezes well and will keep for a few weeks when stored in
airtight containers.
Dad's Pasta Sauce
2 lbs ground round
2 lbs "meatloaf mix" (blend of ground beef/veal/pork)
1 lb sweet Italian sausages, whole
4 Tbsp veal gelatin, if available
5 large cans Italian-style plum tomatoes, peeled in heavy puree (e.g. Paradiso)
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced, divided into 3 cloves & 2 cloves
1/2 cup fresh onion, finely minced
6 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, minced, divided into 4 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp
2 1/2 Tbsp dried sweet basil, crushed, divided into 2 Tbsp & 1/2 Tbsp
1 Tbsp dried oregano, crushed
4 dried bay leaves, whole
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, moistened with water
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup romano cheese, grated
1 small can tomato paste (optional, if you prefer a sweeter & thicker sauce)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
PROCEDURE:
Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Add:
onion
3 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp parsley
2 Tbsp sweet basil
oregano
bay leaves
Cook covered for 10 minutes on a low flame, stirring often, until
onions are clear. Do not brown the mixture. If it browns, toss it
out and start over.
Empty mixture into large (12 qt. or bigger) non-aluminum saucepot.
Empty tomato cans with juice, one at a time, into a blender and
briefly puree. Add tomatoes to saucepot with salt and pepper.
Cover, increase heat to high and bring to a rapid boil, then
reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently for 1 1/2 hours,
stirring occasionally. Be sure to stir the bottom of the pot,
to prevent scorching.
Meanwhile, prepare meatballs. In a large bowl mix thoroughly:
ground round
meatloaf mixture
eggs
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp parsley
1/2 Tbsp sweet basil
bread crumbs
grated cheeses
Form mixture into 2" meatballs. Add vegetable oil to large cast
iron skillet and heat to medium-high. Add meatballs and sausage
and brown well on one side before turning. Do not cook completely.
Outsides should be well-browned, but centers should remain uncooked.
After tomatoes have been simmering for 1 1/2 hours, add partially
cooked meatballs and sausage, tomato paste and veal gelatin.
Simmer on medium-low heat 1 to 1 1/4 hours more, stirring and
skimming off excess fat occasionally.
To serve, remove meatballs and sausage to a separate platter.
Remove bay leaves from sauce and serve over your favorite pasta.
Sauce freezes well and will keep for a few weeks when stored in
airtight containers.
xraytech
Well-known member
I make a great gnocchi but I will have to go through my drawers of recipe cards to find it, I usually make them for Christmas and maybe once through the year.
Will post recipe later.
Sam
Will post recipe later.
Sam
dj-gabriele
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2007
- Messages
- 1,685
A couple of REALLY Italian recipes 
Hi guys! I can't help but write something ACTUALLY Italian from real Italy eheh
FIRST RECIPE: Tagliatelle al ragù (tagliatelle pasta with ragu sauce)
Ingredients for the ragù
4 People:
- 250g minced pork (or Italian sausage, containing only salt, pepper and pork)
- 250g minced beef
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove
- salt & black pepper
- one glass of white wine (200ml)
- 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil (no other oils allowed) or half butter and half oil to taste
- 120g of tomato concentrate (salted tomato paste) (YUP, THERE's NO TOMATO SAUCE IN THE REAL BOLOGNESE RAGU!)
How to prepare it:
put the meat and oil in an iron or non stick pan (aluminum is to be avoided because of the long cooking time)
peel the carrots and break them in half, do the same with the washed celery; add the onion (whole) with the clove stuck in it (so you won't have trouble finding it later), add salt and pepper (not much as you'll have to adjust later)
Start cooking on medium heat till the meat becomes all done on the outside and then start to simmer, when the fluid that seeps naturally from the meat has dried add the wine and turn the flame high till the wine has almost dried.
Now cover the cocoction with water and add the tomato concentrate, mix often and let cook for 90 minutes on low fire, keep on eye on the onion as you will want to remove it before it melts on the sauce! The ragù is ready when most of the water will have evaporated and the meat is tender.
Tagliatelle:
350g of OO flour
3 jumbo eggs (around 73g)
mix the pasta till it has become one solid and malleable mass, without lumps; Prepare a thin (around 1 mm) foil of pasta and roll it on two separate spirals with lots of flour in between and cut in strips of around 5mm, quickly separe the strips and unroll them (or use a pasta machine if you have one!).
The tagliatelle are ready as soon as the pasta start floating on the boiling water (salted!) and has almost doubled size (usually no more than a couple minutes).
As a rule to have a good result you have to consider 1 L of boiling water for each serving of pasta (any pasta) if under 5 people, more than that 750 ml each is fine.
Of course, tagliatelle al ragù have to be served with proper parmigiano regiano or grana padano grated cheese!
SECOND RECIPE
Spaghetti alla carbonara (spaghetti with carbonara sauce)
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 270 g of spaghetti
- 300g of salted bacon cubes (better would be guanciale but is hard to find even in Italy!)
- 5 normal eggs
- salt & black pepper
- 100g of grated pecorino cheese (I find this to be quite strong so I use parmigiano regiano istead)
- 30 ml olive oil
Preparation:
Put the water (put salt in it!) to boil and in a frying pan put the bacon and oil, cook the bacon till it's done.
When the water boils put the spaghetti to cook (leave them a little tough)
When the spaghetti are ready put them in the sauce pan whith the bacon and add the salt, pepper, eggs and cheese.
Mix together on high heat till the egg renders and serve quickly. Make sure that there is black pepper on the table
Hi guys! I can't help but write something ACTUALLY Italian from real Italy eheh
FIRST RECIPE: Tagliatelle al ragù (tagliatelle pasta with ragu sauce)
Ingredients for the ragù
4 People:
- 250g minced pork (or Italian sausage, containing only salt, pepper and pork)
- 250g minced beef
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove
- salt & black pepper
- one glass of white wine (200ml)
- 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil (no other oils allowed) or half butter and half oil to taste
- 120g of tomato concentrate (salted tomato paste) (YUP, THERE's NO TOMATO SAUCE IN THE REAL BOLOGNESE RAGU!)
How to prepare it:
put the meat and oil in an iron or non stick pan (aluminum is to be avoided because of the long cooking time)
peel the carrots and break them in half, do the same with the washed celery; add the onion (whole) with the clove stuck in it (so you won't have trouble finding it later), add salt and pepper (not much as you'll have to adjust later)
Start cooking on medium heat till the meat becomes all done on the outside and then start to simmer, when the fluid that seeps naturally from the meat has dried add the wine and turn the flame high till the wine has almost dried.
Now cover the cocoction with water and add the tomato concentrate, mix often and let cook for 90 minutes on low fire, keep on eye on the onion as you will want to remove it before it melts on the sauce! The ragù is ready when most of the water will have evaporated and the meat is tender.
Tagliatelle:
350g of OO flour
3 jumbo eggs (around 73g)
mix the pasta till it has become one solid and malleable mass, without lumps; Prepare a thin (around 1 mm) foil of pasta and roll it on two separate spirals with lots of flour in between and cut in strips of around 5mm, quickly separe the strips and unroll them (or use a pasta machine if you have one!).
The tagliatelle are ready as soon as the pasta start floating on the boiling water (salted!) and has almost doubled size (usually no more than a couple minutes).
As a rule to have a good result you have to consider 1 L of boiling water for each serving of pasta (any pasta) if under 5 people, more than that 750 ml each is fine.
Of course, tagliatelle al ragù have to be served with proper parmigiano regiano or grana padano grated cheese!
SECOND RECIPE
Spaghetti alla carbonara (spaghetti with carbonara sauce)
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 270 g of spaghetti
- 300g of salted bacon cubes (better would be guanciale but is hard to find even in Italy!)
- 5 normal eggs
- salt & black pepper
- 100g of grated pecorino cheese (I find this to be quite strong so I use parmigiano regiano istead)
- 30 ml olive oil
Preparation:
Put the water (put salt in it!) to boil and in a frying pan put the bacon and oil, cook the bacon till it's done.
When the water boils put the spaghetti to cook (leave them a little tough)
When the spaghetti are ready put them in the sauce pan whith the bacon and add the salt, pepper, eggs and cheese.
Mix together on high heat till the egg renders and serve quickly. Make sure that there is black pepper on the table
dj-gabriele
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2007
- Messages
- 1,685
PS
Spaghetti is the only kind of pasta that the averange Italian would never ever prepare with ragù as that kind of sauce doesn't stick to it. And besides ragù is a northern recipe while spaghetti are a southern pasta so it has never been custom to mix the two together!
But, still, everytime I'm aboard this seems the most widely known "pseudo" Italian dish
Spaghetti is the only kind of pasta that the averange Italian would never ever prepare with ragù as that kind of sauce doesn't stick to it. And besides ragù is a northern recipe while spaghetti are a southern pasta so it has never been custom to mix the two together!
But, still, everytime I'm aboard this seems the most widely known "pseudo" Italian dish
Vincent Price's Bolognese
Gabriele, thanks for the recipes! Your carbonara looks great and a local Italian Cheese company here in Connecticut has guanciale!
Not a lot of folks know that Vincent Price was an early Gourmet and published a great cookbook in the 1960's called "A treasury of great recipes" that was a collection of all of the menus he and his then wife Mary sampled in their travels. Here is a Ragu from the book that I've been using for over 30 years. And yes, again, there's barely a little tomato paste in the sauce, most of the richness comes from the variety of meats(Bologna the fat!) and "batutto" the base of vegetables:
Gabriele, thanks for the recipes! Your carbonara looks great and a local Italian Cheese company here in Connecticut has guanciale!
Not a lot of folks know that Vincent Price was an early Gourmet and published a great cookbook in the 1960's called "A treasury of great recipes" that was a collection of all of the menus he and his then wife Mary sampled in their travels. Here is a Ragu from the book that I've been using for over 30 years. And yes, again, there's barely a little tomato paste in the sauce, most of the richness comes from the variety of meats(Bologna the fat!) and "batutto" the base of vegetables:
dj-gabriele
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2007
- Messages
- 1,685
@ken
Well, that recipe you posted really marks the spot
If this guy (that gives a very good recipe for a "classic" style ragu, not current one) was Italian, would have proposed a tagliatelle al ragù istead of spaghetti!
I'm happy you can find the guanciale! If you're going to prepare the carbonara tell me how did you like it!
Well, that recipe you posted really marks the spot
If this guy (that gives a very good recipe for a "classic" style ragu, not current one) was Italian, would have proposed a tagliatelle al ragù istead of spaghetti!
I'm happy you can find the guanciale! If you're going to prepare the carbonara tell me how did you like it!
dj-gabriele,
American "Italian" cooking is wonderfully good and great to eat. It is not, however, even remotely related to Italian cooking in Italy. It is an artform in and of itself. Meatball and garlic everything and "Italian" sausage included.
Now before anybody jumps dirty here, read my first sentence again.
American "Italian" cooking is wonderfully good and great to eat. It is not, however, even remotely related to Italian cooking in Italy. It is an artform in and of itself. Meatball and garlic everything and "Italian" sausage included.
Now before anybody jumps dirty here, read my first sentence again.
perc-o-prince
Well-known member
dj-g
Would pancetta make an acceptable substitute for the guanciale?
Keep 'em coming, guys and gals!
Chuck
Would pancetta make an acceptable substitute for the guanciale?
Keep 'em coming, guys and gals!
Chuck
toploader55
Well-known member
Bolognese from La Cipollina
1/4 lb of Butter(Unsalted)
3 med. Onions
3 stalks of Celery
3 Carrots
1/4 lb of Smoked Ham
2 cups of White Wine
4 Cloves of Garlic
melt the butter in a Large Sauce Pot (I use Stainless)
In the Cuisinart I chop the Onion,Celery, Carrot and Garlic pretty fine and add it to the butter. Then I chop the Smoked Ham the same and add that to the Vegetables. Cook on a medium heat stirring frequently. When the moisture has cooked out of the Vegetables and Ham and it's seems dry,this mixture is then put into a Stainless bowl for later. (Marietta called this the Soffrito)
Next Step is 2.5 lbs of Ground Veal and 2.5 lbs of Ground Pork. In the same pot you cooked the Soffrito,add 1/4 cup of Good Olive Oil, the Ground Meat and 2 cups of White Wine.On Medium Heat constantly stirring, cook the Pork and Veal until almost all the liquid is gone. The constant stirring is to assure there are no "Clumps" of meat. It should be nice and fine.
Then add the Soffrito back to the pot with the meat. I then add about 6-8 cups of Veal Stock and 2 small cans of tomato Paste. Blend all this well and simmer for about 45 minutes stirring ocasionally.
While that is simmering, Saute 3 lbs of Chicken Livers in some unsalted Butter. Cook them Medium not well done. Set aside to cool. When the Livers are Warm, chop them fine with a knife on the cutting board. After the sauce has simmered 45 minutes, add the Chopped livers to the sauce and stir them in well. (They kind of act like a thickening agent as well.)
Season at the end with 1/4 cup of chopped fresh Basil,Salt and Pepper to Taste, and about a less than a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Yes Nutmeg. Stir the sauce for another 5 minutes and it should be pretty darn good. This is a fairly good amount of Sauce. Before Serving, add about 3/4 cup of Heavy Cream. Blend it into the Sauce. And Wow. it's heaven.
I like to Serve this with Fussili or Rotelli because they really hold the sauce well.
Make a nice Arugula Salad with a dressing made with fresh Orange Juice,Shallots, a touch of Balsamic and a touch of Walnut Oil and You got alot of Nice Flavors going on there.
Just my 2 cents on Bolognese
Before you add the Heavy Cream, Set some aside as it is a great filling for a Lasagna.
1/4 lb of Butter(Unsalted)
3 med. Onions
3 stalks of Celery
3 Carrots
1/4 lb of Smoked Ham
2 cups of White Wine
4 Cloves of Garlic
melt the butter in a Large Sauce Pot (I use Stainless)
In the Cuisinart I chop the Onion,Celery, Carrot and Garlic pretty fine and add it to the butter. Then I chop the Smoked Ham the same and add that to the Vegetables. Cook on a medium heat stirring frequently. When the moisture has cooked out of the Vegetables and Ham and it's seems dry,this mixture is then put into a Stainless bowl for later. (Marietta called this the Soffrito)
Next Step is 2.5 lbs of Ground Veal and 2.5 lbs of Ground Pork. In the same pot you cooked the Soffrito,add 1/4 cup of Good Olive Oil, the Ground Meat and 2 cups of White Wine.On Medium Heat constantly stirring, cook the Pork and Veal until almost all the liquid is gone. The constant stirring is to assure there are no "Clumps" of meat. It should be nice and fine.
Then add the Soffrito back to the pot with the meat. I then add about 6-8 cups of Veal Stock and 2 small cans of tomato Paste. Blend all this well and simmer for about 45 minutes stirring ocasionally.
While that is simmering, Saute 3 lbs of Chicken Livers in some unsalted Butter. Cook them Medium not well done. Set aside to cool. When the Livers are Warm, chop them fine with a knife on the cutting board. After the sauce has simmered 45 minutes, add the Chopped livers to the sauce and stir them in well. (They kind of act like a thickening agent as well.)
Season at the end with 1/4 cup of chopped fresh Basil,Salt and Pepper to Taste, and about a less than a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Yes Nutmeg. Stir the sauce for another 5 minutes and it should be pretty darn good. This is a fairly good amount of Sauce. Before Serving, add about 3/4 cup of Heavy Cream. Blend it into the Sauce. And Wow. it's heaven.
I like to Serve this with Fussili or Rotelli because they really hold the sauce well.
Make a nice Arugula Salad with a dressing made with fresh Orange Juice,Shallots, a touch of Balsamic and a touch of Walnut Oil and You got alot of Nice Flavors going on there.
Just my 2 cents on Bolognese
Before you add the Heavy Cream, Set some aside as it is a great filling for a Lasagna.
Some info on tomatoes
My dad tells me Paradiso isn't around any more. He recommends these brands:
Italbrand San Marzano DOP
LaValle San Marzano DOP
LaBella
Bella Terra
Cento
Vanitia
Sclafani
Alta Cucina
If you can't find any of those, Redpack and Pomi brands are more widely available.
As with most tomato sauce recipes, what makes it great or terrible is the quality of tomatoes you use. By far the best are San Marzanos, a plum tomato which has a very thin skin, thick meat, few seeds and an intense, bittersweet tomato flavor.
"Real" San Marzanos are grown near Naples Italy, but by the year 2000, 90% of these vines had been destroyed by CMV (cucumber mosaic virus). Most of these vines were replaced with a genetically modified tomato strain that's resistent to CMV, but tastes very bland compared to the original. This is when companies started adding citric acid, calcium chloride and other ingredients to their canned tomatoes, to try and replace the bittersweet quality of real San Marzanos. Some are even adding basil to disguise the lack of tomato flavor. BTW this is also why virtually all prepared tomato sauces now taste like salt and sugar instead of tomatoes.
Real San Marzanos are low in both acid and sugar, and have tons of fresh tomato flavor. Seeds are still sold, and many people have resorted to growing their own. As always it's the best option, if you live in a warm enough climate.
My dad tells me Paradiso isn't around any more. He recommends these brands:
Italbrand San Marzano DOP
LaValle San Marzano DOP
LaBella
Bella Terra
Cento
Vanitia
Sclafani
Alta Cucina
If you can't find any of those, Redpack and Pomi brands are more widely available.
As with most tomato sauce recipes, what makes it great or terrible is the quality of tomatoes you use. By far the best are San Marzanos, a plum tomato which has a very thin skin, thick meat, few seeds and an intense, bittersweet tomato flavor.
"Real" San Marzanos are grown near Naples Italy, but by the year 2000, 90% of these vines had been destroyed by CMV (cucumber mosaic virus). Most of these vines were replaced with a genetically modified tomato strain that's resistent to CMV, but tastes very bland compared to the original. This is when companies started adding citric acid, calcium chloride and other ingredients to their canned tomatoes, to try and replace the bittersweet quality of real San Marzanos. Some are even adding basil to disguise the lack of tomato flavor. BTW this is also why virtually all prepared tomato sauces now taste like salt and sugar instead of tomatoes.
Real San Marzanos are low in both acid and sugar, and have tons of fresh tomato flavor. Seeds are still sold, and many people have resorted to growing their own. As always it's the best option, if you live in a warm enough climate.
perc-o-prince
Well-known member
Sausage
15# ground pork
3t ground black pepper
6T salt
3T fennel seed
1c grated parmesan
1T red pepper flakes
2T granulated garlic
2T Italian seasoning
3C water
Mix it all together WELL and stuff into casings, form into patties, or freeze in bulk to use as ground sausage for, say, lasagna.
You can also vary ingredients to your taste. Omit Italian seasoning and add chopped basil for a nice basil sausage. Add more red pepper flakes if you like hot sausage. Be careful with salty additions, though, like using romano instead of parmesan. Cut the salt in half if you do this.
Chuck
15# ground pork
3t ground black pepper
6T salt
3T fennel seed
1c grated parmesan
1T red pepper flakes
2T granulated garlic
2T Italian seasoning
3C water
Mix it all together WELL and stuff into casings, form into patties, or freeze in bulk to use as ground sausage for, say, lasagna.
You can also vary ingredients to your taste. Omit Italian seasoning and add chopped basil for a nice basil sausage. Add more red pepper flakes if you like hot sausage. Be careful with salty additions, though, like using romano instead of parmesan. Cut the salt in half if you do this.
Chuck
perc-o-prince
Well-known member
Bracciole
I know I wrote this down last time I made it, and I think I posted it in a thread a while back with pix, but I can't find it. I always make it from memory and add a little of this or that different, depending on my mood.
FILLING:
2c bread crumbs
1.5c grated Parmesan
1c grated Romano
1t granulated garlic
1t basil flakes
1t parsley flakes
1/4t ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
Mix everything together well. If you need to, add a little water until the mixture holds together when pinched.
For the beef, I use thin-cut eye round that some supermarkets sell as sandwich steak. Some like to make larger bracciole and cut them for serving. I like these individual servings!
Put one steak between sheets of plastic wrap and pound until very thin, trying not to break the meat. Repeat until all steaks are pounded. They'll probably each be about 6" in diameter when you're done.
Place one steak on your work surface. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling on the half near you. Flatten it a bit so it's about 1/2" from each side. You may need to add a little more filling. Ideally, you want it about 3/8-1/2" thick and covering about 2/3 of the meat nearest you except for about 1/2" on the left and right.
Lift the edge nearest you and roll about 1/3 of the way over. Fold in the sides and roll the rest of the way. Tie near each end with cotton string or secure w/ toothpicks. Continue until all are rolled. Depending on the size of your steaks, this should make about 8 bracciole.
Heat a pan with a few tbsp of olive oil until shimering. Brown the bracciole, in batches, without crowding, on all sides. Remove bracciole to a plate. Deglaze the pan with red wine or stock, making sure to scrape up all the fond.
Choose a baking dish that will hold the bracciole comfortably, but not tightly. You want the sauce to be able to bubble between them a little. Spray or oil the dish, then put a thin layer of your favorite marinara in the bottom. Add the bracciole to the dish. Stir any accumulated juices from the plate and the deglazed pan sauce into the rest of the marinara, then add more marinara to the baking dish until the bracciole are just covered.
Cover the baking dish and bake the bracciole for about 2 hrs at 300f, adding a little broth as needed if the sauce gets too thick while baking. Snip off the strings or remove toothpicks before serving. Rich likes his with gnocci, which was always his birthday meal when he was growing up!
Chuck
I know I wrote this down last time I made it, and I think I posted it in a thread a while back with pix, but I can't find it. I always make it from memory and add a little of this or that different, depending on my mood.
FILLING:
2c bread crumbs
1.5c grated Parmesan
1c grated Romano
1t granulated garlic
1t basil flakes
1t parsley flakes
1/4t ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
Mix everything together well. If you need to, add a little water until the mixture holds together when pinched.
For the beef, I use thin-cut eye round that some supermarkets sell as sandwich steak. Some like to make larger bracciole and cut them for serving. I like these individual servings!
Put one steak between sheets of plastic wrap and pound until very thin, trying not to break the meat. Repeat until all steaks are pounded. They'll probably each be about 6" in diameter when you're done.
Place one steak on your work surface. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling on the half near you. Flatten it a bit so it's about 1/2" from each side. You may need to add a little more filling. Ideally, you want it about 3/8-1/2" thick and covering about 2/3 of the meat nearest you except for about 1/2" on the left and right.
Lift the edge nearest you and roll about 1/3 of the way over. Fold in the sides and roll the rest of the way. Tie near each end with cotton string or secure w/ toothpicks. Continue until all are rolled. Depending on the size of your steaks, this should make about 8 bracciole.
Heat a pan with a few tbsp of olive oil until shimering. Brown the bracciole, in batches, without crowding, on all sides. Remove bracciole to a plate. Deglaze the pan with red wine or stock, making sure to scrape up all the fond.
Choose a baking dish that will hold the bracciole comfortably, but not tightly. You want the sauce to be able to bubble between them a little. Spray or oil the dish, then put a thin layer of your favorite marinara in the bottom. Add the bracciole to the dish. Stir any accumulated juices from the plate and the deglazed pan sauce into the rest of the marinara, then add more marinara to the baking dish until the bracciole are just covered.
Cover the baking dish and bake the bracciole for about 2 hrs at 300f, adding a little broth as needed if the sauce gets too thick while baking. Snip off the strings or remove toothpicks before serving. Rich likes his with gnocci, which was always his birthday meal when he was growing up!
Chuck
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
- Messages
- 5,000
Rich and Chuck:
I heard your Braccoles are legendary!
I heard your Braccoles are legendary!
dj-gabriele
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2007
- Messages
- 1,685
@Keven/Panthera
Hey, sorry if I did make you upset, causing offence was the last thing on my mind when I posted my recipes.
As for me I won't ever eat in an Italian restaurant outside the borders of my country
I love to eat local food when I travel, I didn't even had dinner at my uncle's restaurant in Lyme Regis, UK! ...That's how I discovered lovely stuff like Kidney pies and fish&chips in the UK, or all those strange names wursts in Germany, or again beef bourguignon in France.
@rich/perc-o-prince: if by pancetta you mean the rolled salted stuff, no, it's not right to use it. It would be too salted (but believe me it's great on pizza with a lot of mozzarella!). You need the cubed one or if you can't find it simply get some ordinary salted bacon slices and cut small strips and do the same as the recipe (you might want, to taste, to put less salt this way)
Hey, sorry if I did make you upset, causing offence was the last thing on my mind when I posted my recipes.
As for me I won't ever eat in an Italian restaurant outside the borders of my country
I love to eat local food when I travel, I didn't even had dinner at my uncle's restaurant in Lyme Regis, UK! ...That's how I discovered lovely stuff like Kidney pies and fish&chips in the UK, or all those strange names wursts in Germany, or again beef bourguignon in France.
@rich/perc-o-prince: if by pancetta you mean the rolled salted stuff, no, it's not right to use it. It would be too salted (but believe me it's great on pizza with a lot of mozzarella!). You need the cubed one or if you can't find it simply get some ordinary salted bacon slices and cut small strips and do the same as the recipe (you might want, to taste, to put less salt this way)
> As for me I won't ever eat in an Italian restaurant outside the borders of my country
Gabriele, if you ever come to the San Francisco area, we can change your mind about that rule.. I rag a lot on the Bay Area, but restaurants really are one of the main reasons to live here.
Gabriele, if you ever come to the San Francisco area, we can change your mind about that rule.. I rag a lot on the Bay Area, but restaurants really are one of the main reasons to live here.
no, not at all
Gabriele,
I am not offended - not at all. I am not an American, but I did have one genuinely Italian grandmother who cooked real Italian food.
So when I am in America, I enjoy American Italian food, which has nothing in common with Italian food in Italy.
And when I am in Italy, I enjoy Italian food.
That simple.
Most Americans of Italian descent try hard to learn to cook well, and the food they cook is really good. It is very different to the food cooked in Italy, but very good.
Most Italian food, in case any American Italians here are wondering what on earth we are talking about, is not based on meat, does not have oregano in it and does not use a lot of garlic. "Italian Sausage" as we know it in the USA does not exist in Italy, Kraft Parmesan cheese could not be sold in Italy because it isn't (although it tastes just fine) and no Italian in Italy would ever use something called 'light' non-extra virgin olive oil. Or make those delicious things we call "Italian" meatballs in the US.
Two different cuisines, two different cultures, two excellent groups of cooks.
Now, when it comes to Italian cooking in Germany or Austria, well, best to order Chinese.
Gabriele,
I am not offended - not at all. I am not an American, but I did have one genuinely Italian grandmother who cooked real Italian food.
So when I am in America, I enjoy American Italian food, which has nothing in common with Italian food in Italy.
And when I am in Italy, I enjoy Italian food.
That simple.
Most Americans of Italian descent try hard to learn to cook well, and the food they cook is really good. It is very different to the food cooked in Italy, but very good.
Most Italian food, in case any American Italians here are wondering what on earth we are talking about, is not based on meat, does not have oregano in it and does not use a lot of garlic. "Italian Sausage" as we know it in the USA does not exist in Italy, Kraft Parmesan cheese could not be sold in Italy because it isn't (although it tastes just fine) and no Italian in Italy would ever use something called 'light' non-extra virgin olive oil. Or make those delicious things we call "Italian" meatballs in the US.
Two different cuisines, two different cultures, two excellent groups of cooks.
Now, when it comes to Italian cooking in Germany or Austria, well, best to order Chinese.
Keven, I think you're projecting too much of your own experience here, and have a knack for making categorical claims that have no basis in reality.
Millions of Italians live in America. No, not Americans of Italian descent. Real Italians. And there are several restaurants within an hour of me where the food is absolutely indistinguishable from that prepared by my grandparents in Italy. These recipes are prepared the exact same way, using the exact same ingredients. The problem is, for every one of these authentic restaurants we have hundreds of Dominos Pizzas and Sbarros.
Millions of Italians live in America. No, not Americans of Italian descent. Real Italians. And there are several restaurants within an hour of me where the food is absolutely indistinguishable from that prepared by my grandparents in Italy. These recipes are prepared the exact same way, using the exact same ingredients. The problem is, for every one of these authentic restaurants we have hundreds of Dominos Pizzas and Sbarros.
Jeff,
I did not say that Americans Italians do not cook great food they do. But privileged to live, as I am, just a few quick hours from Tuscany, growing up eating Italian food in Italy and also having lived a good part of my life in the USA I can truly state, there are differences.
Sure, you can find genuine Italian food in some very limited places in the US. But those are exceptions.
To name a few places where I have eaten Italian food as in Italy, let's see. Chicago. San Francisco. New York City. Boston.
That was it. Sure I missed a few, and I grant you your exceptions, but all in all, no, Italian American food is rooted in the Italy of the 19th century, not the Italy of today.
Now, please, don't be offended...I am NOT in any way comparing the wonderful Italian American recipes here to Olive Garden, which must be the greatest insult to Italian cuisine since Chef-Boy-ar-DE.
I did not say that Americans Italians do not cook great food they do. But privileged to live, as I am, just a few quick hours from Tuscany, growing up eating Italian food in Italy and also having lived a good part of my life in the USA I can truly state, there are differences.
Sure, you can find genuine Italian food in some very limited places in the US. But those are exceptions.
To name a few places where I have eaten Italian food as in Italy, let's see. Chicago. San Francisco. New York City. Boston.
That was it. Sure I missed a few, and I grant you your exceptions, but all in all, no, Italian American food is rooted in the Italy of the 19th century, not the Italy of today.
Now, please, don't be offended...I am NOT in any way comparing the wonderful Italian American recipes here to Olive Garden, which must be the greatest insult to Italian cuisine since Chef-Boy-ar-DE.
