A Festive Braciole Roast

By Shifra Klein, editor in chief of Joy of Kosher Magazine

Braciole

Serves: 6

Braciole is a traditional Italian stuffed meat. The challenge for kosher cooks is how to substitute the cheese that is customarily added to the stuffing. To add earthiness and flavor, we used mushrooms and thyme in the stuffing for an irresistible, tender roast. Serve braciole with papperdelle pasta, a wider version of fettuccine. Pappardelle soaks up the sauce and adds a dramatic look to the dish.

2 pounds top of rib beef (butterflied: slice in half but leave end attached, to form one large flat piece of meat)

¼ cup fresh parsley

¼ cup panko bread crumbs

2 garlic cloves

3 sprigs thyme

8 ounces/1 cup of baby bella/crimini mushrooms, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup wine (any good quality wine works)

1 24 ounce jar basic marinara sauce

Place butterflied meat on cutting board.

Fill with chopped parsley, panko crumbs, garlic, thyme, and chopped mushrooms.

Drizzle with oil.

Starting at a short end, roll up the meat jelly-roll style to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher’s twine, tie the steak roll to secure.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat large sauté pan on medium/high heat, add a tablespoon of oil.

Sear meat on all sides.

Pour wine in pan to deglaze. Deglazing the pan picks up all the flavor and bits of meat that may have gotten stuck to the pan.

Add marinara sauce to pan.

Bring sauce to a boil; simmer for ten minutes so flavors combine.

Transfer meat and sauce to oven.

Cook, covered, in oven for 1 ½ hours.

Allow roast to cool, slice and re-heat when ready to serve.

TIP: make the braciole with chicken breast or turkey or veal breast; simply lessen cooking time in the oven to 25 minutes.

Visit www.joyofkosher.com/magazine to subscribe and view thousands of kosher recipes.