Mario Batali's Braciolona
skill level Moderate
time Over 120min
servings 8
Braciolona Recipe: Special order a piece of pork from your butcher that will be big enough to stuff and roll.
ingredients
- 3 pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder or Leg (butterflied and pounded to yield 1 large piece 1/2-inch thick and 12 inches square)
- Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Italian Parsley plus 2 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup Pine Nuts (baked for 8 minutes in a 400F oven) plus more to garnish
- 1/2 cup Dried Currants plus more to garnish
- 3/4 cup freshly grated young Pecorino Cheese
- 16 slices Prosciutto di Parma (about 1/2 pound)
- 4 Hard Boiled Eggs (peeled and quartered lengthwise)
- several gratings of Nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons dried Oregano
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Red Onions (cut into 1/4th-inch dice)
- 4 Garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- 2 cups Dry White Wine
- 2 28-ounce cans Plum Tomatoes (crushed by hand
- juices included)
- 2 teaspoons Hot Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 pounds Ziti (cook until al dente; optional)
Ingredients:
3 pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder or Leg (butterflied and pounded to yield 1 large piece 1/2-inch thick and 12 inches square)
Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian Parsley plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup Pine Nuts (baked for 8 minutes in a 400F oven) plus more to garnish
1/2 cup Dried Currants plus more to garnish
3/4 cup freshly grated young Pecorino Cheese
16 slices Prosciutto di Parma (about 1/2 pound)
4 Hard Boiled Eggs (peeled and quartered lengthwise)
several gratings of Nutmeg
4 tablespoons dried Oregano
Instructions:
Step 1
Lay the pork on a cutting board and season with salt and pepper. Over the pork, sprinkle 1/2 cup of the parsley, the pine nuts, currants, and 1/2 cup of the pecorino and season with salt and pepper. Lay the prosciutto slices over the pork. Arrange the eggs in two rows across the meat. Grate nutmeg over the entire piece and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the oregano rubbing it between your fingers to release the essential oils. Carefully roll the piece up like a jellyroll and tie firmly with butcher twine in several places. Season the roll with salt and pepper. (The tied roll can be refrigerated for a day or two.)
Step 2
Ingredients
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil until smoking. Carefully brown the pork roll on all sides, taking your time to get a deep golden brown; this should take 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the meat and set aside.
Step 3
Ingredients
2 Red Onions (cut into 1/4th-inch dice)
4 Garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
2 cups Dry White Wine
2 28-ounce cans Plum Tomatoes (crushed by hand, juices included)
2 teaspoons Hot Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
Add the onions, remaining 2 tablespoons of oregano, and the garlic to the pan and cook until light golden brown and soft, 9 to 11 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, and pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Return the pork to the pan and simmer partially covered for 1 hour 20 minutes, moving occasionally to avoid sticking.
Step 4
Ingredients
2 pounds Ziti (cook until al dente; optional)
Instructions
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and remove the butcher twine carefully. Slice the braciolona 3/4-inch thick with a very sharp knife. Arrange like shingles on a warm platter and sprinkle with the remaining parsley, pine nuts, currants, and cheese. Cover and keep warm if serving after the pasta course.
Helpful Tips:
1. You can substitute any of the fillings you want – nuts, currants, etc.
2. When spreading the oregano, make sure to pinch hard to release the essential oils.
3. When braising, make sure not to cover the meat in liquid.
