Cook-at-Home with Insight – Braciole al Sugo di Pomodoro

by | 9 Sep 2020

When designing our trips, wherever that might be, our favorite thing is meeting and partnering with local chefs and discovering their local cuisine. Without the possibility of travel, it was only natural for us to bring you international flavors to your kitchens with our Cook-at-Home with Insight video series. You’ll find easy-to-make recipes along with videos from our favorite chefs from Spain, England, and Italy. 

This week,  The team from one of our all time favourite farm-to-table restaurant, Terra Madre, share with us a typical dish of Puglia in Southern Italy.

Braciole al sugo di pomodoro (Meat rolls with tomato sauce)

There are a few parts to this recipe and even added a bonus

Ingredients (for 4-5  people)

For the Orecchiette:

  • 500gr semolina flour
  • 200gr of warm water

 

For the Tomato sauce:

  • 1 liter of tomato sauce
  • 5 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Half an white or yellow onion, chopped
  • Basil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

 

For the meat rolls:

  • thinly sliced beef steak in roughly rectangular shape
  • toothpicks
  • grated parmesan
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Parsley

 

For the Polpette di pane Fritte (Fried Bread Balls) – optional

  • 1.5 kg of stale bread
  • 250ml of milk per 500gr of bread
  • 6 eggs
  • 5 or 6 tablespoons of grated parmesan
  • Chopped parsley
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

 

Start by making the Orecchiette:

On a clean surface, pile the flour and dig a well in the middle. Add the water gradually, mixing it with the flour continuously until it forms a dough. Then knead for about 10 minutes, or until you have a  firm and smooth dough. To make the pasta, dust the surface with flour, take a chunk of the dough and roll it into a long, thick sausage shape about 1cm in diameter. Cut them with a knife in 1cm thick slices . To shape it, take the slice of dough and roll it on the flat surface with a knife to curl the pasta. Then place it over your thumb and turn it inside out. For additional help, make sure to watch our video below

Once done, let the orecchiette rest to dry for about 1 hour. Once ready to cook it , boil the orecchiette in salt water for 5 minutes.

Next, prepare the meat rolls, lay the flattened steak on a plate, add salt and pepper, then sprinkle a good handful of grated parmesan, and finish with some parsley. Fold the meat on each side towards the center and roll the length, keep the shape with the help of 2 toothpicks. Set aside and get started on the tomato sauce.

Start by frying the onions in olive oil in a deep pan. Once softened and transparent, add the meat rolls and let them cook for a few minutes. Finally, add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste and add the basil, and let simmer on low to medium heat for an hour and a half.

In the meantime, if feeling particularly festive you can also include the Polpette di pane Fritte (fried Bread balls) or have them as a side dish. Either way they are delicious.

For the bread balls, mix all the ingredients together until you obtain a soft dough. Refer to the video below if you’re not sure about the consistency. Then, by using your hands or 2 tablespoons, spoon a small quantity of dough and roll it into a ball. Fry the bread balls into boiling oil until they are golden, brown and crispy on the outside.

To serve, pour the tomato sauce and 1 or 2 meat rolls and polpettte di pane onto a deep plate of orecchiette. and Enjoy!

 

 

 

We are curious about the world, and we know you are too. And it’s that curiosity and sense of adventure we aim to spark through our Insightful blog. Each month we bring you stories, interviews, awe-inspiring photography and videos from around the world – always threaded through with our expert insights and destination knowledge.

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