Pin-Wheel Style Beef Brasciole

By: The Food Hunter
Italian braciole is pieces of rolled and tied beef which are filled with various ingredients. Braciole is often cooked in "gravy" (Italian red pasta sauce) but can also be grilled like Mario Batali's recipe below.

The filling ingredients vary depending on who you ask. Though most include the basic mix of cheese, meat and herbs.


 

Pin-Wheel Style Beef Brasciole

(adapted from Mario Batali)

2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 ounces thinly sliced salami, cut into 1/4-inch-wide matchsticks
8 ounces Italian Fontina, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Cheese
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One 10-inch-long beef tenderloin roast cut from the
tenderloin (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), butterflied

salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, add the garlic, parsley, salami, fontina, Parmigiano, breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup of olive oil, and mix well to combine. Set aside. 

Cut six 15-inch-long pieces of kitchen twine. Open out the beef, season on both sides with salt and pepper, and place it on a work so a long side is toward you. Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the beef, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the side farthest from you; press and gently pack the stuffing mixture onto the beef to keep it in place. 

 

Starting from the side nearest you, roll up the meat like a jelly roll, pressing any stuffing that falls out of the ends back into the roll, and tie tightly with the twine, spacing the ties evenly. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to make a compact roll, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight. 

Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Carefully unwrap the beef roll and, using a very sharp knife, cut it between the ties into six thick pinwheels. Brush gently on both sides with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Gently lay the pinwheels on the hottest part of the grill and cook, unmoved, for 5 to 7 minutes. Using a thick spatula, carefully turn each pinwheel over and cook for about 4 minutes longer for medium-rare.