Braciole is used to describe a piece of meat without any bones, and this invariably involves the meat being stuffed, rolled and then tied with string before long, slow cooking. Here, beef is rolled up with prosciutto, then cooked in a rich tomato, red wine and mushroom sauce.
preparation time 25 minutes, plus 2 hours’ soaking time for the mushrooms
cooking time about 21⁄2 hours
serves 4
Ingredients
350 g (12 oz) topside of beef
125 g (4 oz) prosciutto, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh fennel herb
2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
125 g (4 oz) onions, finely chopped
50 g (2 oz) dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 2 hours, then drained
225 g (8 oz) tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced
150 ml (5 fl oz) heavy red wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C, 375°F, gas mark 5.
2 Slice the beef into 8 steaks. Place between 2 sheets of cling film and flatten gently with a rolling pin or meat mallet until they are very thin.
3 Cover each piece with the prosciutto and top with the fennel and basil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Roll up each piece carefully and secure with string or cocktail sticks.
4 Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based casserole. Add the beef rolls and cook until browned on all sides. Remove from the casserole and leave to one side.
5 Add the garlic and onions to the casserole and cook gently until soft but not browned. Then add the porcini and tomatoes. Mix together and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the wine. Season with salt and pepper.
6 Immerse the beef rolls in the sauce. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
7 Remove the string or cocktail sticks from the beef and serve with the sauce.
You can experiment with the filling for these beef rolls. Try using different herbs, or adding thin slices of fontina cheese.