Tag: meat bundles

Spinach and Ricotta Beef Rolls

I’m a little obsessed with bundled meat recipes!  I love making Bracciole, a family favorite that takes me back to my mother’s kitchen.  A few weeks ago I made these Italian Skirt Steak Rolls and wow, they were a hit!  For today’s entrée, thin slices of beef are rolled and stuffed with a spinach ricotta filling.  The rolls are then wrapped in prosciutto and baked.  The meat was so tender, this meal would be a wonderful choice for date night or a small dinner party.

Ingredients:

  • 5 oz. bag baby spinach
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 lb. prosciutto, thin sliced
  • 1 lb. top round cut into 1/4″ thin slices.
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet with a lid.  Cut the garlic clove in half and add to the oil, cut side down.  Cook for 2 minutes over low heat to infuse the oil with garlic flavor.

Add all of the spinach to the skillet.  It looks like a lot but it will cook down.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes total, stirring after 5 minutes.

What did I tell you? 😉

Cool the spinach slightly then stir it into the ricotta (discard the garlic).  Season with fresh ground pepper.

Cover your work surface with wax paper or plastic wrap.  Lay out the beef slices and spread the spinach ricotta mixture over each one.

Starting at the short end, roll the slices up into a bundle.

Next wrap up each meat bundle in 1-2 slices of prosciutto.

Place the bundles in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Preheat the oven to 400º.

Bake the meat rolls for 30 minutes, or to when the internal temperature reaches 145º for medium.  Check the internal temperature with a thermometer.

Brush the tops with honey during the last 5 minutes of baking.  Cover and cool slightly before slicing.

Of course, you can just dig right in 🙂

But if you can wait for the bundles to set for 10 minutes you will really see the beautiful spirals of meat when you slice it.  Leftovers were even better the next day!

Notes ♪♫  I hope you loved this recipe as much as we did!  Check out some of my other bundled meat recipes, not only for beef, but chicken and fish too!  Bracciole, Italian Skirt Steak Rolls, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Crab Stuffed Sole.

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Italian Skirt Steak Rolls

This is another bucket list recipe that I have had on the back burner.  It’s one of those dishes that is so easy to prepare but looks like you fussed for hours.  The little bundles of steak, prosciutto and cheese are amazing!

The Lazy Gastronome

 

Skirt Steak Rolls may remind you of another bundled meat dish, Bracciole.  But while Bracciole is simmered in tomato sauce for hours on low heat, these Skirt Steak Rolls are cooked very quickly over high heat.

Was it difficult to make this recipe gluten free?  NO, because the ingredients have always been gluten free! 

When starting the gluten free diet, you may be tempted to throw away all your old cookbooks- don’t!  There are so many recipes that you have eaten all your life that were always gluten free, or just need a change of one or two ingredients.  In time you will realize there are so many meals you can enjoy that are gluten free with no crazy ingredients to purchase!

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For this recipe I used an oven safe grill pan, to sear the steak rolls on the stove top and finish them in the oven.  One pan for easy cleanup!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. skirt steak
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 oz. prosciutto
  • 2 oz. sliced provolone cheese cut into strips
  • ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

First gather your ingredients.  Mince the garlic and parsley and combine with 2 tbsp. olive oil.  Leave a few sprigs of parsley for garnish.

Lay the steak out on a cutting board covered with plastic wrap and trim away any white membrane or visible fat.

Cover the meat with another sheet of plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/4″ thickness.

Cut the steak into strips, 6-8″ long.

Spread the garlic mixture evenly over the steak.

Layer the steak with prosciutto slices and top with cheese.

Now roll each piece into a bundle and secure with toothpicks.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350º and season the meat bundles with fresh ground pepper.  I don’t add salt, because the cheese and prosciutto have plenty of sodium.

Coat an oven safe grill pan with olive oil spray and heat to medium (you can also do this step on an outdoor grill).  Begin cooking the steak rolls in the hot pan, about 1 minute per side.

When you have some good color on the outside, transfer the pan into the oven to finish cooking.

Remove them when the internal temperature reaches 135º for medium (use a thermometer).  Tent with foil and rest 5 minutes before serving (temperature should reach 140º after resting 5 minutes).  The key to this recipe is not to overcook the meat.  A quick sear in a hot pan then finish it off in the oven, done.

Garnish with fresh parsley, and dinner is served.  I made a side of peas and a simple risotto.

Notes ♪♫  When choosing cold cuts, I look for gluten free brands like Boar’s Head or Primo Taglio.  When just a small amount of prosciutto is called for in a recipe like this one, it can be convenient (and safer) to purchase in a sealed 3 oz. package rather than having it sliced at the deli.

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