Braciole →

Braciole is an Italian American dish that traces its roots to southern Italy and the culinary tradition of “involtini” or thinly sliced, stuffed, rolled meat. Braciole is a bit labor intensive (a labor of love) and as such is often served on special occasions or for traditional Sunday family dinner. Like tomato sauce or “gravy”, every family has their own version of this dish that is a family tradition handed down from the “nonne” (grandmothers). Here’s my version for my family and friends. Mangiare e buona salute!

Braciole
Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS
Tomato Sauce

• 10 medium garlic cloves, peeled

• ¾ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus small basil leaves for garnish

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

• ½ cup unsalted butter (a 4 ounce stick)

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved lengthwise with root end intact

• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, hand-crushed

• ½ cup dry red wine

• 1 cup water

• 1 (3-inch) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind (optional if available)

• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Braciole

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 cup panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

• 1 tablespoon of sea salt (or 1 ¼ tablespoons kosher salt)

• 2 (1 ½ pound each) flank (or top round) steaks, butterflied and pounded ¼ inch thick

• 2 teaspoons black pepper, divided

• 6-8 slices of thinly sliced prosciutto

• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

• ¼ cup basil leaves

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

• ½ cup each of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Pecorino Romano, mixed.

• Montreal Dry Rub (optional, but recommended)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Prepare the Tomato Sauce:

1. Over medium-low heat, saute the garlic, basil, oil, and crushed red pepper until the basil wilts but remains green, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside, and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes.

2. Transfer the garlic-basil mixture to a blender, Magic Bullet, or mini-food processor and process until smooth. (add a tablespoon of olive oil if the mixture is too dry.) Set aside.

3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cut side down; cook until the onion starts to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water (add about ½ cup water to rinse each crushed tomato can), and wine; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add the cheese rind, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and slightly reduced. Remove and discard the cheese rind and onion. Add reserved garlic-basil mixture and salt to the tomato sauce, stirring to combine. While you prepare the braciole, continue to simmer the sauce over low heat.

Prepare the Braciole:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

1. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium. Add the panko and toast, stirring often, until golden brown. (about 3 minutes) Transfer to a bowl and stir in the thyme; set aside.

2. Make a paste of the garlic, parsley, basil, oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Lay the butterflied steaks flat on a clean work surface or parchment paper. Spread the garlic-herb paste evenly over the meat. Next, place a single layer of prosciutto atop the steaks. Sprinkle the panko mixture evenly over steaks; sprinkle evenly with pine nuts and ½ – ¾ cup of the Parmigiano-Pecorino Romano mixture.

4. Rolling against the grain of the steak, tightly roll up the prepared slices of meat. Tie the rolled steaks with butcher’s twine at 2-inch intervals. Sprinkle each steak with Montreal Dry Rub. (optional) If not using the dry rub, sprinkle each roll generously with salt and pepper.

5. Heat oil in a large high-sided, heatproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the steaks and brown on all sides. (about 2 minutes per side) Transfer the steaks from the skillet to the simmering tomato sauce, nestling the steaks into the sauce and spooning sauce over the steaks.

6. Cover and braise in the preheated oven until the braciole is very tender, about 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a large cutting board, and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing the braciole into one or two-inch thick medallions. Clip off any twine used to secure the rolled steaks.

7. Spoon some of the sauce onto a platter and arrange the medallions of braciole over the sauce. Spoon additional sauce over the meat and garnish with basil and parsley.

8. Serve immediately with a side bowl of sauce and grated cheese at the table.

9. Serve with your pasta of choice. I enjoy fresh fettuccini or pappardelle with this dish (orecchiette is also fun) accompanied by steamed broccolini or zucchini lightly sauteed in olive oil and garlic.

Wine pairing: dry red wines like Nebbiolo, Chianti, Sangiovese, Rioja, or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Adapted from multiple sources including:
https://www.foodandwine.com/braciole-7090819
Beef Braciole Tutorial ( 4 recipes, 3 cuts of beef, 2 sauces): Live, Laugh, and Cook Italian

Chile Braised Beef Short Ribs →

Here’s a riff on the many versions of braised beef dishes found around the world. Wine, onion, garlic, Ancho chiles, coffee, and Mexican chile powder combine to create a rich, slightly spicy version of more traditional braised beef dishes like Pot Roast, Beef Bourguignon, Italian Ragu, or Flemish Carbonnade. Making a batch of Mexican Chile Powder and the Coffee-Chile Dry Rub ahead is well worth the effort. Both are exceptional spice mixes to add to your spice cabinet.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ -2 pounds boneless beef short ribs cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

• 6-8 ounces bacon ¼ inch chop

• 1 large or 2 medium onions chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic minced

• 1-2 large dried Ancho chiles (1= less spicy)

• 2 tablespoons coffee-chile dry rub (See Note)

• 4 ounces Cremini mushrooms sliced

• 1-2 Bay leaves

• 1 cup dry red wine

• 1 cup beef stock or chicken stock with a teaspoon of beef bullion

• ½ cup crushed tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• salt and pepper

Note: Coffee-Chile Dry Rub

• 2 tablespoons Mexican Chile Powder (highly recommended) or chile powder of your choice)

• 2 tablespoons finely ground coffee beans

• 5 teaspoons dark brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon hot smoked Spanish paprika

• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in a tightly closed glass jar in a cool dark place.

PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 300F.

1. Soak the dried Ancho in the hot beef stock.

2. In a dutch oven over medium heat, fry the chopped bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon bits and set aside. Pour off all but a tablespoon of bacon fat.

3. While the bacon is cooking, coat the beef pieces with the coffee-chile dry rub. Brown the beef in batches until browned and crusty on both sides. Set aside in a covered dish.

4. Add the mushrooms to the pot and sauté for a minute or two. If the pot is too dry, add another tablespoon of reserved bacon fat.

5. Add the garlic and chopped onion to the pot and sauté until fragrant and translucent.

6. Add the tomato paste and stir around with the onions and garlic in the pot for a minute or two.

7. Add the cup of dry red wine and deglaze the pan; allow to reduce by ½.

8. While the wine is reducing, remove the Ancho from the beef stock and cut crosswise into 1-inch strips. Remove the seeds and using a mini-food processor, buzz the chile strips with a ¼ cup of stock until creamy.

9. Once the wine has reduced, add the beef and stir to coat. Add the bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, reserved stock, and chile mixture and stir. Cover and place the Dutch oven in the middle of the preheated oven for 2 ½ hours until the beef is very tender. Be careful when you open the Dutch oven, it will be very hot!

10. Optional: if you want the sauce to have a thicker consistency, mix two tablespoons of reserved bacon fat, melted butter, or olive oil with 2 teaspoons of flour until smooth. Add a small amount at a time to the simmering sauce while whisking until the sauce has thickened to your taste.

Serve with egg noodles, raspberry-glazed carrots, and peas, or yellow rice and black beans or your veggie of choice.

Wine choice: this rich, slightly spicy dish calls for a full-bodied red wine with some fruit to compliment the spice. Zinfandel is a good choice as is Malbec; Merlot, Carmenere, Shiraz, Tempranillo, and full-bodied Garnacha would also work.

Barbacoa Tacos →

When I lived in Mexico I fell in love with barbacoa, a traditional Mexican street food. Slow-cooked with herbs and spices until tender and almost falling-apart, barbacoa most commonly uses cheap cuts of beef or lamb with plenty of connective tissue that adds flavor and tenderness. Not just a favorite street food, barbacoa is a favorite at many family tables. This recipe is a great alternative to the ubiquitous tacos we most often encounter here in the States. Give it a try. I think you’ll be impressed. It may become your go-to recipe for tacos! Avocado and Tomato Salad is the perfect side dish and a perfect compliment to this delicious recipe. The recipe is adapted from a recipe by Marisol Chancellor’s grandmother in Monterrey, Mexico. Mil gracias a Marisol y su abuela!

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Barbacoa Tacos
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chuck roast

• 1 tablespoon of oil

• 2 onions sliced

• 6 garlic cloves smashed

• 1/2 tablespoon oregano

• 1/2 tablespoon cumin

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2/3 cup broth or water

• Taco shells or corn tortillas, salsa, onions, cilantro, and Cotija cheese for serving.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. degrees.

2. Cut the chuck roast into 2-3 inch pieces and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. In a dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot, add the oil and brown the meat on all sides over medium-high heat.

4. While the meat is browning, slice the onions and smash the garlic cloves, and set aside.

5. Remove the meat from the pot and add 1/3 cup broth/water to the dutch oven. Scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pot.

6. Arrange half of the onions and garlic on the bottom of the pot and place the meat on top. Cover the meat with the rest of the onions and garlic and sprinkle with the oregano and cumin.

7. Add the apple cider vinegar, cover, and cook for 3 hours or until fork-tender.

8. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside in a covered container.

9. Optional but recommended: remove the caramelized onions and garlic and any juices left in the pot. Add 1/3-1/2 cup of water to the pot and deglaze the pot over medium heat. Add the liquid to the caramelized onions and garlic and puree in a food processor until smooth.

10. Shred the meat with two forks and add the pureed sauce to add delicious flavor and keep the shredded meat moist.

11. Serve with warm tortillas or taco shells, salsa, cilantro, crumbled Cotija cheese, and onions.

Wine pairing: while a chilled beer is traditional, red wines like Merlot, Malbec, Carménère, Rioja, and Garnacha are good choices. Bill Seibert at Shellburne Falls Cork recommends a 2015 Mas du Soleiller Saint-Chinian “Terasse de Schiste”.

Adapted from: https://marisolcooks.com/2020/10/21/dutch-oven-barbacoa/

Steakhouse Pan Seared Steak →

You don’t need to spend upwards of $20. for a restaurant-quality steak dinner when you can make it at home the way professional chefs do for well less than $10. per steak. Here’s a simple, quick, and deliciously flavorful way to pan sear the steak of your choice. Patting the steak dry, seasoning, and refrigerating it uncovered in the fridge will dry the surface and create a professional crust when you sear it on the hot pan. Give it a try and you may never order steak off a restaurant menu again.

Allow 6-7 ounces of steak per person
Ingredients:

• 1 -1 1/2 inch thick Tenderloin, Sirloin, N.Y. Strip, Rib Eye steak or other steak of your preference

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 2 cloves of garlic crushed

• salt and pepper (or Montreal Dry Rub)

• a few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary

Preparation:

1. Dry the surface of the steak with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper or Montreal Dry Rub. Place the steak on a rack uncovered in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

2. Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

3. Heat a heavy bottom skillet like a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Heat the oil until it just begins to smoke. You want the skillet hot to give a good sear.

4. Add the steak(s) to the skillet and sear for 30 seconds on each side.

5. Add butter, the crushed garlic, and the sprigs of herbs to the pan and mix around.

6. Turn the steak and cook each side for one minute at a time spoon-basting the steak with the herb-garlic-butter sauce on each side.

7. Cook the steak until the internal temperature is 115-125 degrees for rare or until you press on the steak and it gives like the fleshy part of your palm just below the thumb. (2-3 minutes total after the initial sear depending on the thickness of your steak) For medium-rare, the internal temp should be 125-130 F.

8. Remove the steak from the pan to a plate and tent for 3-4 minutes.

Serve with a salad or vegetable of your choice and starch of your choice like Mango and Tomato Salad and Mushroom Risotto

Wine pair: full-bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Chianti, Super-Tuscans, and Zinfandel are all good choices to pair with beef.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmC9SmCBUj4 Thanks to Gordon Ramsay.

Beef Pot Roast →

Slow cooked, braised Yankee Pot Roast with a rich sauce or gravy is a tradition in New England and a comfort food from my childhood. My adult sons still refer to “Grandma’s pot roast” as one of their favorite foods when they were kids. So this recipe aims to keep the Pot Roast tradition alive in my family and to share an up-dated version of this regional braised dish that came to this country with immigrants from England, Ireland, France and other European countries (pot roast, carbonnade, daube, fricassee, brisket, or stew). In addition to the traditional ingredients of onion, garlic, celery and herbs (typically thyme and/or marjoram), I like to add red wine and re-hydrated dried mushrooms for extra flavor. Both are optional and can be replaced by an equal amount of water or broth. Like most braised dishes Pot Roast uses an inexpensive, tough cut of meat with plenty of connective tissue (collagen) that turns gelatinous and allows the meat fibers to separate and transform into fall-apart tender flavorful meat during the slow, low-temperature braising process. This is a dish worth waiting for.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

*Special equipment: a dutch oven or other cast-iron pot with a cover that can go in the oven.

• 3 pounds chuck roast cut into 4 chunks

• 3-4 tablespoons flour

• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 medium onion chopped

• 3 tablespoons celery chopped (about 1 medium stalk)

• 2 large cloves of garlic (or 3-4 medium)

• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (2 teaspoons dried thyme)

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1/8 cup dried mushrooms like porcini or shitake

• 1 cup water, plus extra water or broth as needed for the braise

• ½ cup dry red wine

• salt and pepper

Preparation:

*preheat the oven to 300 degrees

1. Place the dried mushrooms in a cup of boiling water to re-hydrate. Set aside.

2. Salt and pepper all sides of the chunks of beef generously and dredge the beef chunks in the flour shaking off excess flour.

3. Working in batches brown all sides or the beef in the dutch oven over medium high heat. Place the browned beef on a platter and tent to keep warm.

4. Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the same pan you browned your beef in, adding a little oil if necessary.

5. Once the onion is translucent and the celery is tender, add the tablespoon of tomato paste to the pot and stir it around with the vegetables for a couple of minutes.

6. Strain the mushroom water (discard any sediment accumulated in the bottom of the cup) into the pot and add the wine.

7. Chop the re-hydrated mushrooms and add to the pot along with the chunks of beef and any juices left on the plate. Add ½-1 teaspoon of salt and half as much black pepper (to taste).

8. Add enough water or chicken or beef broth to the pot to just cover the meat and bring to a boil.

9. Put the pot or dutch oven in the preheated oven and cook for 1 ½ hours. Carefully take the pot out of the oven (it will be very hot!), take the lid off and turn over the pieces of beef. Carefully replace the pot in the oven and cook for an additional 1 ½ hours.

After three hours the meat should be almost fall apart tender and there should be a thick rich sauce in the pan. If the sauce is too thin, you can remove the meat to a platter and tent and reduce the sauce in the pan over medium high heat, stirring occasionally so the sauce doesn’t burn.

Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles and a vegetable or salad of your choice. I like roasted carrots and parsnips flavored with anise inflected tarragon: toss your cut-up inch thick pieces with olive oil, salt and pepper and a teaspoon of dried tarragon and cook in the oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender. Our friend Liz O’Shea from Ireland likes to boil and mash parsnips and carrots together with butter, salt, and pepper. You could add a little tarragon to that version as well.

A full-bodied dry red wine from grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, or Malbec from the U.S. or South America; a Super-Tuscan blend from Italy; or any of the big red wines from France, Spain or Portugal. Lots of choices, but you want something balanced and full-bodied with good tannins to complement the richness of the beef.

Braised Beef Short Ribs →

Winter in New England is the time for braising: slow-cooking inexpensive cuts of meat with herbs and wine until the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender and you have a rich flavorful sauce. This recipe is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook and uses Chinese Five Spice Powder in the sauce. The warm spices that comprise Five Spice Powder (star anise, clove, cinnamon, and fennel) contribute an extra dimension to the richness of the flavorful tomato, mushroom, and wine-based sauce. Adding a small amount of tomato puree at the end of the braise brightens the final product and tempers the pungency of the Five Spice Powder. Serve over your favorite starch: rice, pasta, potatoes, or polenta accompanied by green beans or sugar snap peas, or a green salad with a tangy vinaigrette. If you want a more traditional ragu consistency, shred the tender chunks of braised beef with two forks or a knife and fork. Either way, I hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups beef broth + ½ cup of chicken or beef broth (see Note)

• ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms (or dried shiitake if you can’t find porcini)

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 3 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry (or 1 ½ teaspoons anchovy paste)

• ½ teaspoon five-spice powder

• ½ cup dry red wine

• 14.5 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes in puree drained and crushed or well-chopped; puree reserved (5 or 6 tomatoes)

• 1 1/2- 2 pounds of boneless beef short ribs or chuck roast, fat trimmed

• 1 cup tomato puree (reserved)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 with the rack positioned in the middle position.

1. Microwave ½ cup of beef broth with the mushrooms in a covered microwave-safe container until steaming hot. Let mushrooms sit and soften in the broth for at least 5 minutes. (Alternatively, heat the broth on the stove until hot, add the mushrooms, cover and allow the mushrooms to soften for at least 5 minutes.)

2. Drain the mushrooms in a fine-mesh strainer lined with a paper coffee filter. Press the mushrooms to release all the liquid; reserve the liquid and finely chop the softened mushrooms.

3. Trim the beef and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces. Sprinkle the beef chunks with salt and pepper.

4. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven over med-high heat and brown the beef. (working in two batches will allow the beef to brown better.) Tent the beef and set aside.

5. Add another tablespoon of oil in the same pot and add the chopped onions; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until translucent and tender (about 5 minutes); add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. (don’t burn the garlic!)

6. Add the tomato paste, anchovies, and five-spice powder and cook stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes until a dark crusty fond forms on the bottom of the pot.

7. Add the wine, increase the heat to med-high and bring to a simmer, stirring up any browned bits of fond; cook until almost all the wine is evaporated and the pot is almost dry (3-5 minutes).

8. Add the chopped, crushed tomatoes, a cup of beef broth, the ½ cup of mushroom/beef soaking liquid and chopped mushrooms and bring to a simmer.

9. Add the beef chunks, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours until the beef is very tender.

10. Remove the pot from the oven and let it cool down for a few minutes (it’s hot!). You should have a thick sauce with tender pieces of beef. Taste it. You can serve it like this, or if you want a bit more fresh tomato flavor and a slightly thinner sauce add 1/2- 1 cup of reserved tomato puree and a half cup of chicken or beef broth. Simmer gently over low heat for an additional ½ hour to integrate the fresh tomato puree flavor into the sauce.

Serve over egg noodles or farfalle, or Creamy Parmesan Polenta. The sauce can be refrigerated in a covered container for 3 days or frozen for two months.

Braised Beef and Creamy Polenta

*Note: if you don’t want to make your own beef broth, use prepared beef broth from the soup section of the supermarket. Alternatively, you can add 1 ½ teaspoons of beef base concentrate like “Better than Bouillon” added to 1 ½ cups of chicken broth or water.

Pairing wine with 5 Spice powder can be challenging. Try balanced, medium full-bodied red wines with some fruit-forward like a Syrah from the Rhone Valley, Garnacha/Grenache, or fruit-forward Pinot Noir. Avoid high tannin wines.

Adapted from: America’s Test Kitchen Twentieth Anniversary T.V. Cookbook,