Adventures with Two-Cheese Braciola
#5
  Re: (...)
I finally got around to making this, and it’s now in the freezer awaiting MIL’s birthday dinner at the end of next week.

This was not my Mom’s braciola. Hers is stuffed with a bread-based mixture but, most noticeably, hers are small, individual rolls. I was quite unprepared for the hugeness of these logs o’ beef!

Flattening the beef, well that was interesting. Much more difficult than doing this with chicken, but DH’s rubber mallet worked well. I needed about 300 whacks per piece to get the meat to 1/2" thickness. I switched arms often to prevent becoming lopsided with my buff bicep muscles!

The best part of this recipe, though was the sauce. OMG, it was so wonderful! Must have been the flavors of the beef, proscuitto, and provolone melted into the tomato sauce. I could have eaten the stuff with a spoon! It is for this reason that I placed pasta back on the menu-- there must be something other than bread to sop this stuff up with!

I've never bought, prepared, or eaten proscuitto before so I called my Mom to ask how much fat to trim off of it before layering it on the flank steak-- she laughed! Oops.

Okay, one menu item down (actually, two since I made the herbed breadsticks as well), and many more to go. It'll be a long 9 days...

Oh, and I forgot to ask---

The braciola and the sauce have been frozen separately. I removed the string from the braciola, but should I replace it before rewarming the meat in the sauce? I don't want it to fall apart.

Also, I cooked the braciola (3 pieces in a large crockpot) for 4 hours (the directions said to cook for 4-5 hours). I was going to reheat the (thawed) braciloa and sauce on high for 2 hours -- does that sound like enough time? Or should it be 3? This is the first time I've cooked anything in a crockpot.
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#6
  Re: Adventures with Two-Cheese Braciola by foodfiend (I finally got around...)
"The best part of this recipe, though was the sauce. OMG, it was so wonderful! Must have been the flavors of the beef, proscuitto, and provolone melted into the tomato sauce. I could have eaten the stuff with a spoon! It is for this reason that I placed pasta back on the menu-- there must be something other than bread to sop this stuff up with!" Toldja!!!! The meat is just an afterthought in my opinion. It's the sauce that makes the dish.
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#7
  Re: Re: Adventures with Two-Cheese Braciola by Gourmet_Mom ("The best part of th...)
"but should I replace it before rewarming the meat in the sauce?" - wouldn't be a bad idea.

2 hours to heat? will it be thawed? If so, yes sounds like that would do it - also, don't forget to take an instant thermometer probe with you. When you cater for others, please protect yourself. Heat everything to 140° (Sorry Vicci, if you know all this already)
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#8
  Re: Re: Adventures with Two-Cheese Braciola by cjs ("but should I replac...)
Okay, retie the braciola...

Jean, thanks for the reminder to use the meat thermometer (and, yes, the meat and sauce will be thawed). I'm going to finish cooking it and slice it here at the house, then arrange it on a platter, cover with foil, and hope for the best on the way to the party.

There's going to be so much to finish and take up there, I'm thinking that I should ask if I can set the table the day before...
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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