Free Recipe

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ pound (225 g) chard leaves, de-stemmed and chopped
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup dice red bell pepper
• ½ cup toasted pine nuts
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• 1 cup store-bought seasoned breadcrumbs or Mamma’s Breadcrumbs (see recipe)
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 2½ pounds (1.2 kg) round steak, tenderized and flattened to ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
• Olive oil for cooking meat
• 1 cup medium-bodied red wine
• 1 to 2 cups hot store-bought or homemade beef stock for the sauce

Method

In a sauté pan, melt the butter on medium high-heat. Cook the chard for 4-5 minutes, until soft. Add the salt, black pepper, red bell pepper, pine nuts and raisins, and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, then add the breadcrumbs, egg and Gorgonzola cheese. Mix well.

Meanwhile, roll out the tenderized meat (this can be done by your butcher and then flattened further with a mallet at home) and brush with the olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper and spread the filling on the meat evenly. Leave a 1 inch (2.5 cm) margin around the entire edge of steak. Roll up like a jelly roll and tie each end with a string to secure.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). In a large cast iron or ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil to just cover the bottom of the pan over medium heat. Add the Braciolone and brown on all sides. Add the wine and enough hot beef stock to come up about ½ inch (1.5 cm) in the skillet. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil and place in the oven for 2½ hours, basting every 30 minutes. When it’s done, remove meat from the skillet and rest for 15 minutes.

Strain the pan juices; degrease and add back to the pan. Reduce the volume of juices by 1/3. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Remove the strings from the Braciolone and cut into slices ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick. Arrange on a platter and serve with the reduced pan juices.

Tip: Round steak can be run through the meat tenderizer at the butcher shop.

MAMMA’S PANE GRATTUGIATO CONDITO
Mamma’s Breadcrumbs

Makes about 7 cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups fine, stale, breadcrumbs
• 2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 6 green onions, finely chopped
• ½ cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• ½ tablespoon kosher salt
• ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150° C). Spread the stale breadcrumbs evenly on a large sheet pan. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the breadcrumbs are dry and lightly brown. Let cool.

Transfer to a bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container or re-sealable plastic bag.