As we move into a new year, it is easy to get nostalgic and remember all the fond memories of the past year. It is also a fun time to start thinking about the future, especially possible travel plans which has me dreaming about returning to Italy!
One of my favorite quotes from our Onward Travel guide Barbara from my time in Sicily back in October was “One does not grow old at the table!” That is the translation from the Italian proverb "A tavola non si invecchia" meaning that mealtimes spent enjoying good food, wine, and company with loved ones are such joyful, rejuvenating experiences that time seems to stop. Making life feel richer and less rushed, thus defying the aging process through pleasure, connection, and slowing down. It's a philosophy encouraging savoring life's simple pleasures and prioritizing meaningful connection over rushing through meals. That is how all meals and cooking classes were while we were there and how we grew up eating with my family. My Nonna would incessantly yell at us to Mangia, Mangia, which means: Eat, Eat! It seems like it was inevitable that I would become a chef and surround myself with food for the rest of my life. There is no place I would rather be than surrounded by friends and family around the table filled with delicious food.
Since I have been back from Sicily, I have recreated some of the dishes we learned in our cooking classes at home. I have been thinking of ways I can integrate the new skills I learned while I was there into The Chopping Block's classes. We have numerous Italian classes ranging from specific regions in Italy, to pizza and pasta classes. It was difficult, but I was successful in finding a place for this mini braciole recipe that I fell in love with on our last day. We had a wonderful final cooking class where we made pasta with ragu, winter squash agrodolce, individual cassata cakes and of course, these mini braciole.
Mini Braciole
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
1 pound thin sliced beef sirloin
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup currants, rough chopped
1/2 cup pistachios, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1/2 cup fresh herbs, I used sage and parsley, rough chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Panko for rolling
1. To make the filling, combine the panko, currants, pistachios, cheese, herbs with enough olive oil to generously coat the ingredients. The mixture should slightly hold together when squeezed in your hand. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cut down the beef into roughly 4 inches long by 1-2 inch wide sections. Pound out the sections so they are no more than an 1/8th of an inch thick. If you have sections that aren’t rectangular (see the 3rd/4th sections below), you can combine them to make 1 section. Season the interior with salt and pepper.
3. Take about 2 tablespoons of filling and place it on the edge nearest to you. Then roll the meat over the filling tightly like making a cinnamon roll.
4. Lightly brush the exterior of the rolls in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roll in the plain breadcrumbs.
5. Bake the mini breaded Braciole on a sheet tray at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. They should be golden brown around the outside and slightly firm when pressed. The internal temperature should be no higher than 130 degrees.
I had so much fun making this mini version of a classic that I had eaten so much growing up. I have always had this dish seared and braised in tomato sauce for Sunday dinner, never once did I think to make it as a small appetizer, let alone bread it without the standard breading procedure. I was shocked that it worked so nicely just coating in oil and breadcrumbs and baking!
If you haven’t decided on your travel plans for this year, and you are dreaming of Italy, definitely check out our Cook like a Tuscan tour. Also check out our class calendar to see what other awesome Italian dishes we are teaching in popular classes such as Winter in Toscana, Pasta and Gnocchi Workshop, and Valentine's Day: Moonstruck. We also have an Italian wine class to get you prepped for the trip to Tuscany: The Italian Renaissance of Wine.
