My Mom used to make an Italian dish that was awesome. Not sure what the actual name was but we used to call it "tied meat." She would pound flat a butterflied flan steak then role it up with salami, peccioli, bacon, provolone, pepperoni and hardboiled eggs in the center. Then tie it up with string (hence the given name) and let it cook in a pot of red gravy for hours. Sliced and served with pasta, mushrooms and Italian bread. Too bad Mom's 1500 miles away
Gosh, where do I start. I think mom's sweet potatoe casserole was absolutely terrific. Thankfully that was one of the few receipies she left. She rarely used receipies. Her meatloaf with her terrific gravy was also a crowd pleaser.
Here you go. I had her email it to me. Apparently it's called Braciola. Rolled Flank Steak - Braciola - Tied Meat 2 large flank steaks (1 1/2 to 2 lbs. each) 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 10 strips of beacon 8 slices (about 10 oz) of provolone cheese 8 thin slices salami 6 thin slices of peccioli 6 hard-boiled eggs 2 tablespoons olive oil Prepare Neapolitan Gravy: In a large bowl, combine 2 large cans (1lb. 13 oz. each) tomato puree, 2 cloves garlic (minced or pressed), 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 pound mushrooms (sliced), 3/4 cup dry read wine, 2 tablespoons dry basil, 1 teaspoon oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 1/2 cups water. Trim excess fat from flank steaks. Butterfly each steak by splitting it horizontally through the center, leaving one edge attached. Open and place between pieces of plastic wrap; pound each with flat side of mallet until evenly flattened, especially at center ridge. Discard top piece of wrap. Evenly sprinkle meat with Parmesan cheese. In a wide frying pan over medium heat, partially cook bacon to render excess fat; bacon should be limp. Arrange 5 bacon strips on each steak, crossing center ridge. Cover each with 4 slices provolone 3 sliced of peccioli and 4 slices salami; arrange 3 hard-cooked eggs on salami, crossing ridge. Using the plastic wrap to help you lift, roll up meat as tightly as possible to enclose filling. With cord, tie each roll lengthwise, tucking in ends, then tie around each roll in 6 to 8 places. Heat oil in a 6 to 8-quart kettle over medium heat; add meat rolls, one at a time, and brown well on all sides. Return both rolls to pan. Pour in Neapolitan Gravy, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 3 hours or until meat is very tender when pierced. Lift out meat; skim and discard fat from cooking liquid.
Pharpe, I can't wait to try that! Here is the recipe for Bridgette Stew that my dad e-mailed me. It's really simple, but really good. 5 lbs. lamb or beef (chuck or round) cut in 1 1/2 inch squares 1 tbsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/2 cup butter or 2 medium onions 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups of carrots, scrapped and finely chopped 3 cups dry red wine 1 cup water 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup finely copped parsley 1 tsp dried leaf thyme 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 3 tbsp flour Sprinkle beef with monosodium glutamate, salt and pepper. Heat butter in a kettle or ovenproof casserole. Add beef, a few pieces at a time; brown on all sides and remove. Add onion and cook until tender but not brown. Return beef to kettle; add garlic, carrots, wine, water, bay leaf, parsley and thyme. Cover and simmer (or bake in 350 degree oven) 3 hours or until meat is tender. Add additional wine if necessary. Add mushrooms last 15 minutes cooking time. To thicken sauce, blend flour with a little water to make a smooth paste. Stir into hot mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Serve over hot buttered egg noodles. Serves 12
That's a lot like the Belgian Beef Stew that a former girlfriend of mine makes. I'm going to put it over rice, of course! :yelwink2:
Camp Stew, the instructions aren't explicit, but this is how my Mom does it. She knows I don't like the texture of onions in my food, so she uses a blender on them when I am at home. Yeah, I am spoiled. Put this over white bread in a bowl or eat with Saltine crackers. 1/2 cup of vinegar 1 lb. of potatoes 1 lb. of onions 2 cans of no.2 tomatoes 2 cans no.2 of cream corn 1 lb pork (I use a 3 or 4 lb pork shoulder) 1/2 of a lemon juice per gal. of stew Small amount of garlic (I use garlic Powder) 1 stick of butter salt to your taste Black pepper to your taste Tabasco sauce to your taste one small bottle of ketch up one small chicken or three chicken breast two teaspoon of Worcestershire HINTS: I usually cook my meats in a crock-pot the night before I fix everything the next morning. While I'm cooking (boiling) my potatoes and onions (since you don’t like onions half them so you can remove them after cooking). If you put the onions in a blender you will get the taste but won't know you have onions in the stew. While cooking the potatoes and onions, chop the chicken and pork up real fine or to your liking. Mash the potatoes up like mash potatoes. I put the tomatoes in a blender and blend them to the size you like. Mix everything up except the corn. Add enough of the chicken and pork broth to make it to the thickness you like. Cook and stir often at low temp. until it is to the thickness you like. Add corn 30 minutes before you cut the heat off and stir often for the corn will stick. This is the recipe but I usually put more potatoes and onions in mine. I don't have any idea of how much more. Do like you usually do and use your own judgment.
Outstanding thread! Number 1 is probably Mom's beef stew with dumplings (nothing fancy on the dumplings, just some Bisquick and other stuff.) I think my personal record was four large bowls in one sitting. I was pretty sure that I ruptured my stomach lining. So true on the cornbread -- nice and crusty, with some turnip greens and "liquor" poured over it. Or crumbled into red beans and rice. Or by itself with a glass of milk.
