BRACIOLE
This is my family’s signature dish reserved for special occasions. We had a weathered old index card with my grandmothers hand-written recipe on it in a drawer near the stovetop.
The origins of Braciole in Italy weave through history, with written records resembling our dish dating back to the 13th century. However it is with the Sicilian dialect word ‘Farsumagru’, this would coincide with the French rule of that island. The French term for filling for meat is ‘Farcie’, the Sicilian word ‘Magru’ means ‘lean’ so it seems that the Sicilian description was referring to a lean cut of meat filled with a stuffing.
However, the term 'Braciole' remains enigmatic, adopting different meanings in various regions. I once saw a chalkboard menu outside a restaurant in Umbria with the days special of “Braciola”, what they brought me was a grilled pork chop. I since learned that the word “Braciola/Braciole” (the ‘a’ and the ‘e’ just signify singular or plural) can mean any cut of meat that has been pounded or flattened. It also might mean grilled which our family recipe certainly is not! The closest food I found myself in Sicily were under the title ‘Involtini’.
Our rendition involves butterflied and pounded flank steak I always read of others using top round so I wanted to try that variation today. The filling is mainly breadcrumbs mixed with tomato sauce and cheese until thick, also a layer of prosciutto and herbs. My grandparents recipe included hard boiled eggs as well, but my mom and I never liked that part so we omit them. The concoction is skillfully rolled, tied, browned, and then lovingly braised for hours in a tomato sauce enriched with a generous amount of red wine.
