Basic Risotto

I love risotto.  Different kinds, different flavors, different things added… but nothing beats a basic risotto, the foundation that all “fancier” risottos start with.  There are different ways to make basic risotto, depending on the recipe and the chef, so whichever one you choose depends on your taste and simply what you like best.  I like to try different ones just to satisfy my curiosity.

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Ingredients:

5 to 7 cups of tasty meat or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups (about 10 ounces) fairly fine chopped onion
I cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups short-grain Italian rice, Arborio or Canaroli
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
1½ cups freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for the table
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Pour the stock into a large pot, and bring it almost to a boil. Cover, and keep it hot over very low heat, on a burner close to the risotto pan.

Put the oil, onions, shallots, and half of the salt in a large pan, and set over medium heat. Cook the onions slowly, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, as they sweat, soften, and gradually take on a golden color, 8 to 10 minutes.

Ladle ½ cup of the hot stock into the onions, stir well, and continue to cook over low to medium heat for another 5 to 10 minutes, by which time the onions should be completely golden nd glistening and the stock will have evaporated.

When the onions are completely devoid of stock, add the rice all at once, raise the heat to medium, and stir constantly. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the rice grains have been toasted, but do not allow them to scorch or color.

Pour in the wine all at once, and cook with the rice for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Stir constantly all around the pan until the liquid has been absorbed. Have the hot stock close by, and be ready to add it with a ladle or measuring cup.

For the first addition, ladle in 1½ to 2 cups of the very hot stock, enough to barely cover the ride; stir it in continuously, all around the pan. Add remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and stir well. As the initial portion of stock absorbs, slowly add a ladle or two of the hot stock and stir continuously to make sure the rice cooks evenly. Repeat this process until you’ve added at least 5 cups of the very hot chicken stock. Lower the heat, if necessary, to maintain a very gentle perking.

After the addition of at least 5 cups of stock, you can taste and gauge the degree of doneness of the rice kernels and the fluidity of the creamy suspension. Whenever you find the rice grains pleasantly al dente and the risotto creamy, you can choose to stop cooking. Or you may incorporate more stock, up to about 7 cups total, if you want a softer, looser risotto. When you are satisfied, turn off the heat.

Stir frequently at first, and then constantly as the risotto thickens. Make sure the spoon is reaching into all the corners of the pan, so everything is constantly being stirred. When all the stock has been absorbed, the risotto is harder to stir (the bubbling sounds thicker, too), and the pan bottom is visible, ladle in another cup of stock. (If you are flavoring your risotto with a sauce, stir it in t this point.) Keep track of how much liquid you have added.

Remove from heat, and stir in the butter. Stir in grated cheese and freshly ground pepper to taste, whisking with a wooden spoon. When it’s nice and creamy, serve the risotto immediately in heated bowls, with more grated cheese at the table.

Pappardelle with Beef Guazzetto

Lidia’s Celebrate Like An Italian
Lidia Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali

Meat sauce is a favorite in this house.  Actually, meat sauce is a favorite with my daughter in this house.  And, I’ll admit, I like it too.  So I’m always willing to try new recipes that include meat as a condiment for pasta.  Again, how many ways can you make the same type of food?  Apparently as many as you want!  Which is why I get so excited when a new cookbook comes out.  Because while I like experimenting with new recipes, I’m not so creative that I can create them from scratch.  Well…  at least not all the time.  😊

This one is definitely worth making again.  And while it does take a couple of hours to cook, it’s not as long as some other recipes which can take up to 4 hours.  Not including prep time, of course…

As for modifications, as I referenced below that I used College Inn broth instead of preparing it from scratch.  And while the recipe calls for porcini mushrooms, most of us are not fans of the shrooms, so I left them out.  Next time I’ll try this with the shrooms. Just not this time.  Finally, the cheese I used was Parmigiano Reggiano instead of Grana Padano.  They’re very similar cheeses, I’m just hooked on the Parmigiano.

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Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock (the book references a recipe on page 148, I used College Inn)
½ cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
All-purpose flour, for dredging
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups coarsely grated carrots
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
3 fresh bay leaves
Pinch ground cloves
1 pound pappardelle
½ cup Grana Padano

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Bring the stock to a simmer in a small saucepan.  Put the porcini in a spouted measuring cup, and add 1 cup of the hot stock.  Season the beef all over with ½ teaspoon of the salt.  Spread some flour on a plate, and lightly dredge the beef in the flour, tapping off the excess.  Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the beef and brown all over, about 8 minutes.  Remove the beef cubes to a plate as they brown.

Once all of the beef is out, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven.  When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrot, and cook until the onion softens, about 6 minutes.  Clear a space in the pan and add the tomato paste.  Cook and stir the tomato paste in that spot until it toasts and darkens a shade or two, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste into the vegetables, and add the wine.  Bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.  Add the bay leaves, cloves, and the remaining teaspoon of salt.  Remove the porcini from the soaking liquid and chop; add them to the pot, leaving the grit behind in the bottom of the cup.  Add the beef back to the pot, and ladle in enough of the hot stock just to cover the beef.  Cover, simmer until the beef is very tender and falling apart, about 1½ to 2 hours adding more stock as you go to maintain the level of liquid (if you run out of stock, add a little water).  Remove the bay leaves.

When the beed is almost ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.  Add the pasta.  Bring the beef and sauce to a boil, and cook minute or two to thicken the sauce to your liking.  When the pasta is al dente, remove with a spider directly to the sauce.  Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce, adding a little pasta water if it seems dry.  Remove the pot from the heat.  Sprinkle with the grated cheese, toss, and serve.

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Chicken and Sausage Bites with Apple Cider Vinegar Sauce

Lidia’s Celebrate Like An Italian
Lidia Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali

When I first came across this recipe, I immediate compared it to Chicken Scarpariello.  And while the main ingredients are the same, the preparation and accompanying ingredients are different, which makes for a very different taste.  So it’s definitely not the same as Chicken Scarpariello.  But, again, a new twist on an old favorite.  I love chicken, I love sausage, so anything containing those two ingredients is definitely something worth trying.

As for the recipe itself, I made some minor customizations.  While the recipe calls for red pepper flakes, I left them off because we don’t do spicy a lot around here.  Although we all love it…  the first time around, I tend to take a milder path.  As for the parsley, I left that out as well because it’s used as a garnish and no one in the house is crazy about it so I’m thinking there’s no point in including it.  Lastly, I also added a bit of a twist and mixed plain sausage with hot sausage.  While I’m not a fan of hot sausage, John is…  so I added it to make him happy since he’s not a huge fan of new things.  So I thought that including some hot sausage would be a solid “selling point” in getting him to eat it.  LOL. How I wound up with a simple “meat and potatoes” man will always remain a mystery!

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Ingredients:

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch wedges left attached at the root
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch wedges left attached at the root
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 sprig fresh rosemary
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

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Slice the chicken breasts into  ¾-inch strips on the bias, and season with ½ teaspoon of the salt.   Add the butter and olive oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  When the butter is melted, add the chicken and brown all over, about 2 to 3 minutes, remove it to a plate.

When all of the chicken is out of the skillet, add the sausage and garlic.  Cook, turning the sausage, until it is browned all over, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the onions, and cook, turning the wedges, until they’re cartelized on the edges, about 8 minutes.  Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and crushed red pepper.

Add back the chicken, tuck in the rosemary sprig, and pour in the vinegar and honey.  Cover the skillet, and summer until the onions have wilted and the chicken and sausage are cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Uncover, increase the heat, and boil until the sauce is reduced to a glaze, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the parsley, season with salt if necessary, and serve.

 

Oven-Braised Pork Chops with Apples, Onions, and Dried Cherries

Lidia’s – Celebrate Like An Italian
Lidia Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali

Let’s face it…  there’s only so many things a person can cook and only so many ways to cook them.  And if we cook them the same old way all the time, meals can get pretty boring.  By now, you all know I’m always looking for new ways to change things up and keep things interesting.  So when I come across a new recipe to make the same old thing in a new way, I was totally on board!  

I love getting new cookbooks.  And as I was perusing through the latest Lidia book, I came across this recipe and it looked really interesting.  I thought of it as a new twist of an old favorite.  I’m sure everyone has heard of pork chops with apple sauce.  Especially if you’ve ever watched The Brady Bunch.  So anything having to do with pork chops and apples piques my interest.  

Let me tell you, this one did not disappoint.  We really enjoyed it.  Except next time I might add a little more onions and apples to have more of that accompany the pork chops.  Everyone enjoyed this recipe, even my daughter, who’s not a fan of pork, in general.

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Ingredients:

½ cup dried cherries
½ cup dry white wine
4 center-cut bone-in pork chops, about 1¼ inches thick (about 3 pounds total)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 medium onions, each cut into 6 wedges through the root end
2 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 6 wedges
8 large fresh sage leaves
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

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Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Put the cherries and wine in a bowl, and let the cherries soak 10 minutes to soften.

Season the pork chops with ½ teaspoon of the salt.  Heat a largo ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chops and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.

Add the garlic. Once it is sizzling, tuck the onions and apples into the spaces around the chops, and cook, moving them around as needed, until holden, about 5 minutes.  Scatter the sage leaves in the spaces in the pan, and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.

Stir the vinegar and honey into the cherries and wine, and pour this into the pan.  Bring to a simmer, and put the skillet on the bottom rack of the oven.  Bake, turning the chops, apples, and onions twice during baking, until the pork is cooked through and the juices have reduced to a glaze, about 20 minutes.

To serve, remove the chops to a platter or plates.  If the juices are still too thin, reduce them on the stove a bit.  Spoon the glazed apples and onions of the chops, and serve.

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Meat Sauce Bolognese

Lidia’s Favorite Recipes
Lidia Bastianich

This has to be one of the best recipes for bolognese that I’ve ever made.  The only one that beats it, in my opinion, is the one that originated from my grandmother.  But since I don’t have exact measurements for that one because it was passed down to me by me watching how it was made, this one will have to do for now.  And eventually, one day, I’ll take the time to measure out my own sauce and share it with you all.  In the meantime, this one will not disappoint.

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Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely shredded (about ½ cup)
½ cup minced celery with leaves
Salt
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
½ cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), crushed
3 fresh bay leaves, or 4 dried
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups hot water, or as needed

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Heat the olive oil in a wide 3-to-4-quart pan or Dutch oven her medium heat.  Stir in the onion, carrot, and celery, season them lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent.  Crumble in the ground beef and pork, and continue cooking, stirring to break up the meat, until all the liquid  the meat has even off has evaporated and the meat is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Pour in the wine, and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the wine is evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste, and cook a few minutes; then pour in the tomatoes, toss in the bay leaves, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is bubbling.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is dense but juicy and a rich dark red color.  This will take about 2 to 3 hours — the longer you cook it, the better it will become.  While the sauce is cooking, add hot water as necessary to keep the meats and vegetables covered.

Octopus and Potato Salad

Lidia’s Favorite Recipes
Lidia Bastianich

I love octopus.  Sometimes I eat it plain, just boiled with a little salt and pepper and fresh lemon juice.  Other times, I make it in a salad and add other ingredients to shake things up a little.  But any way I decide to make it, I always enjoy it.  I haven’t made this particular salad in quite some time simply because I forgot about it.  But it was very good and I had every intention of making it again.  So I guess I will at some point.  When I remember to buy some octopus, that is…  

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Ingredients:
2-3 pound octopus, cleaned
1 wine cork
2 fresh bay leaves, or 3 dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium Idaho potatoes, whole
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Lemon wedges for garnish

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Place the octopus, wine cork, bay leaves, and salt and pepper in a large pot.  Cover generously with water, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, and cook the octopus at a vigorous simmer until tender but slightly al dente, about 25 minutes.  (Test periodically by inserting the tines of a fork into the thickest part of the octopus.  It is done when the form penetrates easily and can be removed with only a little resistance.)

Meanwhile, cover the potatoes with cold water in a second pot, and bring to a boil.  Cook about 25 minutes, until just tender, then cool, peel and cut them into 1-inch cubes.

Drain the octopus, discarding the bay leaves and cork.  Cut the tentacles away where they join the head.  Clean the octopus head, which looks like a pouch the size of your fist, by squeezing out the core with your fingers, and cut the meat into thin slices.  Cut the tentacles into inch-long pieces, and toss the octopus pieces with the warm potatoes.  Toss with the olive oil, red-wine vinegar, onion, and parsley.  Place on a plate, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve.

Rigatoni in Vodka Sauce

Lidia’s Italy in America
Lidia Bastianich

Like many others out there, I have learned to appreciate a good vodka sauce.  I don’t make it often, but when the mood hits me, I have to give in to the urge.  On Saturday, I was at a bridal shower and the pasta course was a rigatoni in vodka sauce.  And the sauce was nothing less than a-mazing.  If there’s one recipe I’d love to get my hands on, it’s that one.  But in the meantime, I’m up for the challenge of trying different vodka sauce recipes to see if any of them come close to the one I had at the shower.  So tonight came from one of my Lidia cookbooks.  It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what I had hoped either.  But…  since it was rather good, I decide to post it anyway.  So here it is.

A quick note, the original recipe called for penne, but I decided to go with rigatoni for no other reason other than I was in a rigatoni mood.  So there you have it.

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Ingredients:
 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste, plus more for pasta pot
1 pound rigatoni
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup finely diced onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
¼ teaspoon peperoncino flakes
28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand
½ cup half and half
1/3 cup vodka
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano
¼ cup shredded basil leaves

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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.  When the sauce is almost done, slip the pasta into the pasta pot, stir around, and cook until al dente.

Melt the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Toss in the diced onion and crushed garlic, and let them sweat for a few minutes, without coloring.  Clear a “hot spot” and roast the pepperoncino for a minute.  Then ladle in about a ½ cup pasta water, stir, and let simmer to break down the onion, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Once the onion has softened, pour in the crushed tomatoes.  Slosh out the can with about a cup of pasta water, and add it to the sauce.  Season with salt, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes.

When the sauce has thickened, remove the garlic cloves, then add the half-and-half and vodka.  Bring to a boil, an cook until the sauce comes together and thickens again.  When the pasta is al dente, scoop out of the pot with a strainer or spider, and drop it directly into the same.  Cook and toss the pasta in the sauce until coated all over.  Remove from heat, and toss with the grated cheese and basil.  Serve immediately.

Breast of Chicken in a Light Lemon-Herb Sauce

Lidia’s Italian American Kitchen
Lidia Bastianich

Once again, a recipe with chicken and lemon.  And I’m all in.  Some people may be wondering how many different ways I’m going to attempt to try different recipes with lemon and chicken…  Probably as many as I can find!  Why?  Because it’s chicken and lemon!  That’s why.  Besides…  it’s my blog and I’ll make my lemony chicken as many different way as I like.  But one thing’s for sure…  if it didn’t sound good, I wouldn’t try it.  And if it wasn’t good, I wouldn’t post it.

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Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 5 ounces each)
½ cup fine, dry bread crumbs
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 
1½ teaspoons dry oregano, preferably the Sicilian or Greek type 
   (dried on the branch, crumbled)
Salt
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
4 cloves garlic, peeled

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Cut each chicken breast half in half crosswise on a diagonal, to yield two pieces of roughly equal size.   Place two pieces at a time between two sheets of plastic wrap.  Pound gently with the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a small, heavy saucepan to flatten them slightly, to about ½-inch thick.

Toss the bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon of the oregano, and salt to taste together in a bowl until blended.  Spread 1 teaspoon of bread-crumb mixture over each piece of chicken, receiving the remaining crumbs.  Rolle act chicken piece into a compact shape with the breadcrumbs running in a spiral through the center and fasten securely with a toothpick.

Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Arrange the rolled chicken breasts side by side in a 13×9-inch, preferably flameproof baking dish.  (There should be some space between the pieces of chicken.) Stir the wine, stock, lemon juice, hot pepper, the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and salt to taste together in a small bowl.  Pour into the baking dish.  Whack the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife, and scatter them among the chicken pieces.  Bake 10 minutes.

Top the chicken with the remaining bread-crumb mixture.  Return to the oven and bake until the bread-crumb topping is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

If the roasting pan is flameproof, place it directly over medium-high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and bring the pan juices to a boil.  Boil until lightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.  (If the roasting pan is not flameproof, transfer the chicken rolls to a warm platter and pour the juices into a skillet before bringing them to a boil.)  Remove the garlic cloves, or leave them in if you like.  Gently transfer the chicken pieces to plates with a slotted spoon.  Pull the toothpicks from the chicken without loosening the bread-crumb topping.  Pour the sauce around, not over, the chicken pieces, and serve immediately.

Chicken Scarpariello

Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen
Lidia Bastianich

I’ve made this dish a few times and it never disappoints.  I mean, come on…  it’s chicken.  And sausage!  Who wouldn’t want some of that???  It’s fairly simple to make and very flavorful and hearty and just a really good meal.  I will admit, though, that even though the recipe calls for pickled cherry peppers, I’m not a fan so I have a tendency to leave them out.  Although one of these days I will probably include them just to see how it changes the overall taste of the dish.  If, for no other reason, then to satisfy my curiosity.  And yes, the next time I make it, I’ll be sure to add photos to this entry.

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Ingredients:
2 small fryer chickens (about 2½ pounds, preferably free range)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil, or as needed
½ pound sweet Italian sausage (preferably without fennel seeds), cut into 1-inch pieces
10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
4 pickled cherry peppers, cut in half and stemmed
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

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Cut each chicken into twelve pieces.  With a sturdy knife or kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting along both sides.  Remove the wingtips.  Reserve the backbone, wing tips, and giblets — except for the liver — to make chicken stock.  Or, if you like, cut the backbone in half crosswise and add it to the dish.  Place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board and cut the chicken into halves by cutting through the breastbone lengthwise.  Cut off the wing at the joint that connects it to the breast, then cut each wing in half at the joint.  Separate the leg from the breast.  Cut the leg in half at the joint.  Cut the breast in half crosswise, giving the knife a good whack when you get the bone to separate the breast cleanly into halves.  Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Wash and pat the chicken pieces dry, then season them generously with salt and pepper.  Preheat the oven to 475°F.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add to the skillet as many pieces of chicken –skin side down, and starting with the leg, thigh, and wing pieces–  as fit without touching.  Cook the chicken, turning as necessary, until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.  Remove the chicken pieces as they brown, and drain them briefly on paper towels.  Place the drained chicken pieces in a roasting pan large enough to hold all of them in a single layer.  Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil to the pan as necessary and adjusting the heat to prevent he bits that stick to the pan from over-browning.  As room becomes available in the skillet after all the chicken has been added, tuck in pieces of sausage and cook, turning until browned on all sides.

Remove all the chicken and sausage from the pan, add the garlic, and cook until golden, being careful not to burn it.  Scatter the cherry peppers in the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and stir for a minute.  Pour in the vinegar and bring to a boil, scraping into the liquid the brown bits that stick to the skillet, and cook until the vinegar is reduced by half. Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring to a boil.  Pour the sauce over the chicken in the roasting pan and stir to coat.  Place the chicken in the oven and roast, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and sticky, like molasses, about 10 minutes.  If the sauce is still too thin, place the roasting pan directly over medium-high heat on the stovetop and cook, stirring, until it is reduced, about a minute or two.  Once the sauce is thickened, toss in parsley and serve.

Braised Beef Rolls

Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

You can call them braised beef rolls, or you can call them what the rest of the world does… braciole.  They’re usually made in a sauce to add more flavor and they can either be served with the sauce, or as a second (meat) course.

I made these quite some time ago, as in years, so I don’t remember a lot about the taste or the texture or what was involved in the making of them.  And while I don’t remember the details, I do remember that they were good.  And since I’ve cooked them, I’m including the recipe.

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Ingredients:

For the Braciole
1½ cups milk
2 cups cubed (½-inch) day-old Italian bread, crusts removed
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 pounds beef bottom round, cut into 12 slices, each about ½-inch thick, or slice yourself
12 slices imported Italian prosciutto
¼ pound imported provoke or provolone cheese cut into ¼ x ¼ x 2-inch sticks
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions (about 8 ounces), chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
One 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
½ cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
Water, as needed
Salt
Crushed hot red pepper

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To make the stuffing:  Pour the milk into a medium bowl, add the bread cubes, and let soak until the bread is very soft, 20 to 30 minutes.  Drain the bread, squeeze out the excess milk from the cubes with your hands, and return it to the bowl.  Stir in the chopped eggs, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, raisins, opine nuts, and garlic.  Mix well and set aside.

With the toothed side of a heavy meat mallet, pound each slice of beef round to a thickness of about ¼ inch.  Arrange one of the pounded meat slices in front of you with one of the short sides closest to you.  Top with a slice of prosciutto, and tap the prosciutto with the back side of a knife so it adheres to the beef.  Spread 2 tablespoons of the stuffing along the edge of the meat closest to you, leaving a ½ inch border.  Place a stick of provolone over the stuffing.  Fold the border over the provolone, then fold the side borders in to overlap the edges of the stuffing.  Roll into a compact roll about 4 inches long.  Secure the end flap with a toothpick.  Repeat with the remaining beef and stuffing, then season the rolls with salt and pepper.

To brown the braciole and start the sauce:  Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy casserole over medium heat.  Stir in the onions and garlic and cook until the onion is wilted, about 5 minutes.  Add as many of the braciole as will fit in a single layer and cook, turning the braciole as necessary, until golden on all sides, about 7 minutes.  If necessary, repeat with any remaining braciole.  Adjust the heat under the pan as necessary to prevent the beef from scorching.

Meanwhile, empty the tomatoes into a bowl and squeeze them with your hands until coarsely crushed, removing the cores as you do.

If necessary, return all the braciole to the casserole.  Pour the wine into the casserole, bring to a boil, and cook until most of the wine has evaporated.  Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Add tomato paste and the bay leaves and stir until the paste is dissolved.  Season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper, adjust the heat to simmering,  and cook, adding water as necessary to keep the braciole completely submerged, until the beefs tender, about 3 hours.

Remove the toothpicks before serving.  The braciole can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, then reheated over low heat until cooked through.