Knuckles 904 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 You all really make me hungry reading and seeing all the pics in this forum It reminded me of a dish I had a long time ago and it was one of the most wondrous meals I ever had. It had a name something like Steak Brejoul. I'm assuming it's an Italian dish as my gf was pure Italian and it was her Mom's recipe. What I know of dish: There was some kind of filling wrapped inside a butterflied steak and tied with baker's string. It was put into a crock pot full of basically spaghetti sauce and slow cooked for either 24 or 48 hrs. I remember the smell driving me crazy lol. When you bit into steak it almost melted in your mouth. It was served with pasta. All I remember, but I would love to find recipe. Especially for the filling. The ones I've found on internet don't appear to even be close. So I might be remembering dish name wrong. Any help would be great Link to comment
Funkilicious 1 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 (edited) Hi Knuckles, the reciepe you are after is Braciole (in english Beef Olives), normally it is thin pieces of steak with a herby fresh breadcrumb with parmesan-reggiano cheese mix in the middle and rolled up and tied with bakers string (though I use toothpicks). Then they are braised in garlic, onion, tomato, bayleaf and wine and left to simmer away for hours (most Italian cooking will require hours to nurture the flavours) Don't forget the parsley in the breadcrumb mix. My bolognaise sauce has to be cooked for at least 4 hours until I am prepared to serve it to anyone. So google beef olives or Braciola (If you ever watched "Everyone loves Raymond", it was his Mother's favourite dish) I would give you my Nonna's reciepe but lol I am sworn to secrecy Edited April 16, 2008 by Funkilicious Link to comment
gogoblender 3,069 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 I've never read, heard or smelled anything like what you described in my life Knuckles. It sounds fantastic. The idea of something cooking for that long, and then melting in your mouth like butter... argh, I'm hungry. I do believe the resident food expert here on this would be Funki... she's got the Italian blood flowing and is a master of culinary art and loves. Hopefully she catches this thread and has some input on this. If not, I'll do some research myself, and see what I can come up with. I know Highlander comes from a great background with this kind of food, I'll send him a pm and see if he's got info as well. gogo Link to comment
Funkilicious 1 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Oh Gogo, you are so sweet Link to comment
gogoblender 3,069 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 Lol! Funki, didn't see you get onto the forum... Can't believe you got it too! And a very cool recipe that is... do people even actually put this much time into cooking anymore? Funki, why can't you live closer to Montreal! gogo Link to comment
Funkilicious 1 Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 (edited) Lol! Funki, didn't see you get onto the forum... Can't believe you got it too! And a very cool recipe that is... do people even actually put this much time into cooking anymore? Funki, why can't you live closer to Montreal! gogo I do especially if you want the flavours just right, I had/have very good teachers, actually great, because I used to be amazed and watch my Nonna make pasta by hand just fascinating and of course my Mum, so I can't go back on traditional cooking now can I:) Sydney has better weather, so start packing those suitcases Edited April 16, 2008 by Funkilicious Link to comment
gogoblender 3,069 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 When I hear of all the art and "craft" that has gone into great old style cooking...it makes me sad everytime I see stuff like "lean cusine" Funki, my family's like yours I guess (cept for me, I don't remember too much of anything that went on in the kitchen ) I do remember my parents spending an entire day together in the kitchen, chopping, bashing, grinding, stirring...and the smells... the smells were wonderful. That I do remember. Our good ole nonas huh? Mine ( We call her Ammamma) was a cullinary star, she cook make, bake and curry any thing. Even things that had never been curried before. I've always thought it was that bit of daring combined with technical artistry that produced the best chefs. gogo Link to comment
Silearth 6 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I've wanted to make this ever since I saw that episode of Everyone loves Raymond. Alton Brown made it on "Good Eats" once. Link to comment
gogoblender 3,069 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Silearth... you've given me a paradigm shift here... I've never heard of Alton Brown till your post. I youtubed him and...Bingo...wow! This guy's my new culinary star! Braciole! Love his tongue in cheek method of explaining, and the way he explains the science involved in all of this. I had forgotten about very complicated dishes like this...I remember reading a long time ago about what was purported to be the world's most expensive dish... some kind of egg, stuffed into a fish, stuffed into a chicken, stuffed into a... you get the picture... Well, after going through Youtube, I was actually able to track down just one more video on this dish...and the interesting thing is that...it uses eggs! Funki, is this approach to Braciole common? lol, notice the entire video is in Italian...but you can see what they're making... looks like it's being made with love ^^ gogo Link to comment
Funkilicious 1 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) The thing about Italian cooking is the simple ingredients, and I guess the region you are from, my family originate from the Lipari Islands so I am guessing the variations of Braciole are regional. The only stuffing we use is fresh breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan-reggiano cheese, herbs, garlic, s & p, egg to bind the ingredients. Rolled in thin slices of steak and braised in a oil, garlic, tomato, bayleaf and slowly simmered in red wine. Edited April 17, 2008 by Funkilicious Link to comment
Knuckles 904 Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 Funki that is it! getting hunger pains now This may be beyond my culinary talents....I wonder if the old gf is still around lol...I could pay her to make it Link to comment
Funkilicious 1 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I am glad that I was able to help out, seriously it isn't that hard, just need to prepare earlier in the day for dinner that night. Knuckles, this receipe is the closest to my Nonna's Link to comment
gogoblender 3,069 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 And now I finally see what the finished product looks like: It really does look like a special dish. Knuckles, seems like you were very lucky to have been served it. gogo Link to comment
Funkilicious 1 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) Actually Gogo, mine would look more like this, because I make small individual rolls, much more tenderer. Edited April 17, 2008 by Funkilicious Link to comment
gogoblender 3,069 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I like yours better. Funki, do you think a restaurant would actually serve old style food like this? Would it be very expensive? gogo Link to comment
Funkilicious 1 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Its more a simple food, not sure if it is restaurant fare, but maybe a good small Italian family restaurant may have it on its menu or if you know the owners well enough maybe you can ring and request it and would not even hazard to guess the pricing. Link to comment
gogoblender 3,069 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Do you think that it would be very expensive because of all the work involved? This doesn't look as easy to make as a pot of sauce gogo Link to comment
Funkilicious 1 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Do you think that it would be very expensive because of all the work involved? This doesn't look as easy to make as a pot of sauce gogo Seriously it is hardly any work, you blitz all the stuffing ingredients, roll and toothpick or tie then braise to seal in all the goodness. So max is what 15 to 20 mins. It is all in the slow cooking which you dont stand over and watch that is what makes the difference. Can you imagine in an Italian restaurant how many pots would be on the stove or oven slow cooking:) Link to comment
Schot 407 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Oh yum! This looks like a great meal. Big hunger pangs here. Oh gosh. Can't stop looking at that pic of Braciole Funki. Link to comment
Silearth 6 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Oh man, that really does look good! Funki's version I mean. Do you remember what frank said(Everybody Loves Raymond) after tasting Deb's? "Anyone who can make food this good should be surrounded by heavenly marigolds" Now I see why. @ Gogo. Alton Brown is silly and quirky but if you want to know more than just how, he is the man. He is also the roving reporter for Iron Chef America. Now if you want another thing stuffed in a thing idea. Emeril--Essence of Emeril--once made something that knocked my socks off. It was a Turduckin. A whole chicken with the bones removed, stuffed with dressing and then shoved into a duck which was then shoved into a Turkey. Never have I been so enthusiastic about making a dish since I was 15 and I saw something called the "Lions Dish" in a cooking mag. Lol....yes I was reading cooking mags at 15; many people in the family thought I would have entered the CIA(The cooking school). Link to comment
myles 2 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 It looks promising... The time factor is problematic indeed, but definitely added onto my try list. Link to comment
Silearth 6 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 My bolognaise sauce has to be cooked for at least 4 hours until I am prepared to serve it to anyone. I have made my own spaghetti sauce--once. I started out with fresh tomatoes, onions--the works. I felt that while prego is fine for everyday use, I had to do it myself at least once--I believe I was 15 or 16 at the time. It was quite a chore, but it was worth it. Would I do it again? Perhaps. It still takes two about 18 hours to make gumbo and 10 hours to cook a pot of chili. Link to comment
Funkilicious 1 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) Sil, what is prego? NVM just looked it up, its a prepared sauce. Edited April 17, 2008 by Funkilicious Link to comment
Highlander 0 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Wow!! Steak Braciole! I haven't thought about this dish in years. There was a super Italian restaurant in my hometown whose specialty was Steak Braciole. The chef made the small finger-sized variety stuff with a filling of creamy (pureed) and spiced olives laced with some wonderful Italian sausage. The steak itself was melt in your mouth. It was served with a mild marinara sauce over the top. Too bad that old restaurant is out of business now. Such wonderful memories! Enjoy that recipe Funk! Link to comment
gogoblender 3,069 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Ahh, Highlander, you found the thread! I remember reading one of your other threads here about the classic Italian elements in your youth... and you even knew this dish ^^ Okay you guys, I am so now sold on having to try this... I'll make a few calls this weekend to see if I can catch a resto that makes this... I'll even ask the owner, if I can get to one, if he'll let us take pics of the dish. ^^ gogo Link to comment
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