Skirt Steak Rotolo

Skirt Steak Rotolo. Damn this is good!

This recipe is my variation on Mario's Vitello Rotolo (prince of Napoli episode) I used pistachios instead of Pine Nuts and skirt steak instead veal, of course.


2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (of course, dummy...and chop em while you're at it)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh spinach
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro (weird, yes, but I had fresh and it sounded good and it turned out to be a nice bright flavor amongst some of the other muted flavors)
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pistachios
3/4 pound skirt Steak, in one piece, pounded thin by your butcher (or in this case, me!)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 medium celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound canned whole peeled plum tomatoes, crushed by hand, with their juices
Salt and freshly ground pepper Slice the hard-boiled eggs into rounds. In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg slices, spinach, parsley, cilantro, garlic, raisins and pistachios. Stir until well combined and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Lay the steak flat on a clean work surface and cover with some of the egg mixture. Starting from the horizontal end nearest you, begin rolling the veal breast over the filling, rolling fairly tightly much as you would a burrito. Using kitchen twine, secure the rotolo

In a 12 to 14-inch saucepan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame until hot but not smoking. Brown the meat and remove from the pan. (i did two smaller rotoli)

Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until the onion begins to soften and turn a light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and continue cooking until the wine evaporates. Add the tomatoes and the veal, then season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let simmer gently for 1 hour. If necessary to keep the pan moist, add some water during the simmering process.

Remove the cooked rotolo from the pan, remove the twine and cut into equally sized slices. Serve immediately, topped with a generous spoonful of the pan sauce

Mario would be proud of me. This thing was soooooo dang good, I can't even tell you. You could taste everything, the color was right, the contrast was right, the textures were phenomenal, the just long enough lasting peppery taste on your tongue.

Damn, this is good!