Ingredients

makes 6 servings

　　

For the Braciole

1 1/2 cups milk

　　2 cups cubed (1/2-inch) day-old Italian bread, crusts removed

　　2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　1/4 cup raisins

　　1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (see page 149)

　　1 clove garlic, chopped fine

　　2 pounds beef bottom round, cut into 12 slices, each about 1/2 inch thick, or slice yourself following illustration on page 212

　　12 slices imported Italian prosciutto (about 6 ounces)

　　1/4 pound imported provola or provolone cheese, cut into 1/4 × 1/4 × 2-inch sticks

　　Salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　

For the Sauce

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 small onions (about 8 ounces), chopped

　　2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

　　One 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)

　　1/2 cup dry red wine

　　3 tablespoons tomato paste

　　2 bay leaves

　　Water as needed

　　Salt

　　Crushed hot red pepper

　　

To make the stuffing

Step 1

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.

　　

Step 2

Following the illustrations on page 212, with the toothed side of a heavy meat mallet, 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. Place a stick of provolone over the stuffing. Fold the border over the provolone, then 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.

　　

Step 3

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.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, empty the tomatoes into a bowl and squeeze them with your hands until coarsely crushed, removing the cores as you do.

　　

Step 5

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 and bring to a boil. Add tomato paste and bay leaves and stir until the paste is dissolved. Season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper, adjust the heat to simmering, and cook, adding water as necessary to keep the braciole completely submerged, until the beef is tender, about 3 hours.

　　

Step 6

Remove the toothpicks before serving. The braciole can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, then reheated over low heat until heated through.

　　Cooks' Note

　　The slices of beef should measure about 4 to 5 inches on each side before pounding. To obtain pieces of the right size, you want to cut—or ask your butcher to do it—six 1/2-inch-thick slices from the widest part of a bottom round, then cut those slices crosswise into two pieces.

　　From Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright © 2001 by A La Carte Communications and Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Published by arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.