Sicilian Braciole

Ciao a tutti!! If you're Italian, odds are..you know what Sunday Gravy is. Sunday Gravy is a rich tomato sauce that the meat simmers in…braciole, sausage, meatballs. There has long been a debate if it's called gravy or sauce...in my family we call it gravy! I know a lot of people who refer to it as both, but for me, it will always be gravy.  This is my Nonna Nettie’s Recipe for braciole, it is a classic Sicilian style made with a stuffing that has pine nuts and raisins…mmmmmm. Enjoy!!

Braciole

2 pounds of flank steak

¼ cup of raisins

2 tbsp. of red wine

8 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

2 tbsp. onion powder

1 cup of bread crumbs

½ cup parmigiana

½ pignoli

4 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 egg, beaten

Sunday Gravy

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. sliced garlic

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

2 28 ounce cans of San Marzano tomatoes

2 tbsp. onion powder

2 tbsp. garlic powder

6 tbsp. of fresh basil, torn

Meat juice- Yes, meat juice!! From the pans that you cook the braciole, meatballs and sausage in first, add all of that golden liquid to the gravy!!!!

Start off by pounding that flank steak to death with a mallet, no seriously. You want it thin, but not paper thin. If the piece of steak you have is thick enough, you can also butterfly it. I also use a meat tenderizer (which will really break up the meat) and then pounded it. Now you can start making your stuffing. Soak your raisins in the red wine and just let it sit until you are ready for them. Prepare a medium size pan over medium heat with 4 tbsp. of your olive oil. Add your minced garlic and allow it to get soft, but you do not want it to roast or burn. Add salt, pepper and onion powder. Add your bread crumbs and let them toast a little; you will want to see them get slightly golden. Add your parmigiana and continue to mix it all together. Add the pignoli so they toast slightly, again, you don’t want to burn them though and then add the parsley. Take the stuffing off of the heat and allow to cool for ten minutes. Add the beaten egg and thoroughly combine.

Prepare another medium size pan over medium high heat with 4 tbsp. of olive oil. My piece of flank steak with very big, so I cut it into two. However many pieces you have, you will want to start evenly spreading the stuffing on the meat, then concentrate more on the center and be a little more generous. Start rolling the meat like a jellyroll. Once you’re done rolling, either using kitchen string or tooth picks, close the meat. Add it to the pan to fry and slightly cook. In the meantime…prepare your Sunday Gravy….

Prepare a large pot over low heat. Add your olive oil and garlic; allow the garlic to get soft. Add salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and the tomatoes. Stir. Add onion powder, garlic powder, fresh basil and the meat juice. Stir again and allow to simmer.

Once the braciole has cooked for around 20 minutes, you can now add the braciole to your Sunday Gravy pot. By now, the pot should be on low heat, so you will want the braciole to cook in there for hours….anywhere from 2-6 hours. Seriously, it’s on low so you won’t overcook the meat. What you end up with will be the most tender, braciole ever!! Melt in your mouth good. When it’s done, served a slice with a ton of gravy and some pasta. Buon Appetito!!

Mushroom Ragu

Ciao a tutti!! I love a really hearty ragu. Something rich, intense and meaty. But sometimes, I don’t actually feel like eating meat. I know, shocking right? It’s true. The fact is, I used to be a vegetarian and even though I do eat meat now (and I absolutely love it!) I don’t eat it that often. I probably have it a couple of times a week. This Mushroom Ragu is so amazing; you will not even miss the meat. I promise. In fact, I first made this sauce for my family and my brother (a big meat fan) said he couldn’t believe how incredible the sauce was. He didn’t need the meat! The mushrooms get nice and tender and all of the herbs add a wonderful depth of flavor, trust me. You will fall in love with this ragu. I served it over fresh tortellini, but of course you can serve it over whatever pasta you want, you could also serve it over polenta for something a little different.

Mushroom Ragu

2 ½ pounds fresh mixed mushrooms

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 sprig fresh sage

¼ cup olive oil

4 tbsp. butter

2 cups of shallots, finely chopped

½ tsp. salt

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 cup dry Marsala

Black pepper

4 cups vegetable broth

Put the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the shallots and ¼ tsp. salt, stir well. Cook until they’re shiny and wilted, but don’t let them brown!

Pour all of the mushrooms into the pan and toss them. Sprinkle another ¼ tsp. salt, drop in all of the herbs, raise the heat a little and cover the pan. Cook covered for about 3 minutes. 

Uncover and continue to cook over faily high heat, stirring for around 5 minutes. When the pan is dry and the mushrooms begin to brown, drop in the tomato paste and mix it in with the mushrooms.

When everythign is sizzling, pour the Marsala all over. Stir as the wine thickens and evaporates. Pour in 4 cups of vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook for about 20 minutes, occassionally stirring and adding stock to keep the mushrooms covered in liquid.

Uncover the pan and cook for another 20 minutes and adding stock as needed. When the mushrooms and tender and sauce is relatively thick, take the herbs out. Serve over some nice fresh pasta. Buon Appetito!!