Farsumauro ~ Stuffed large Braciola

An earlier post, Rôti de bœuf braisé à la basquaise ~ Braised Beef Roast Basque-Style, described braising a whole bottom round beef roast. Here is another recipe for bottom round beef, but this time for bottom round steaks, pounded, stuffed and braised.

Farsumauro is a Sicilian dish. The name roughly translates as “false lean” (farsu = false, magru = lean), referring to a lean-looking slice that hides a rich filling. “Braciole” is the familiar, standardized term in Italian-American kitchens for stuffed beef rolls submerged and simmered in a dense tomato sauce. thefoodlessprocessed version is a braise leaning more in the Sicilian direction of braising in a wine-based liquid. Two bottom round steaks of a half-inch thickness, weighing a pound each, will serve up to 6 generously–but this is only an estimate based on personal experience.

The stuffing is a simple one that adheres well when the steaks are rolled. The sauce is an uncomplicated flavourful combination of the braising liquid and tomato.

Fresh Basil Pesto is a suggested Complimentary Combination.

The less processed ingredient options include: Ground Pork, Garlic, Parsley, Prosciutto di Parma PDO, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, Butter, Olive Oil, Flour, Preserved Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Dried Crushed Red Pepper or Chilli Flakes, and Homemade Vegetable Stock. Ordinarily the bottom round steak would be included here as a less processed option. Follow this link to see why it is not: Bottom Round Steak.

Equipment

a Large Heavy Pan with High Sides and a Lid. This recipe is made with a 12-inch (30.5 cm) Cast Iron Chicken Fryer with a 4.25 quart capacity (about 4 liters). A close European equivalent is a Sauteuse Haute, which has high sides and a long handle. It is deeper than a regular sauté pan.
a Deep, Heavy-Bottomed Pot of about 5-quart capacity. thefoodlessprocessed uses an Oval Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven of a 5.5 quart (about 6.25 liter) capacity.
a Flame Tamer (aka Heat Diffuser, Simmering Plate). The pan does not sit directly over the heat source. Some versions of flame tamers are compatible with a smooth-top burner.
Kitchen Twine
a Cutting Board
a Kitchen Mallet (aka Meat Tenderizer)
Plastic Wrap
a Bowl for mixing the stuffing
a Large Liquid Measuring Cup or Metal Container for chilling the braising liquid before making the sauce
a Sieve that will fit over a Bowl for straining the braising liquid before chilling it and making the sauce

Ingredients

2 Bottom Round Steaks, each about 1/2-inch (a little more than 1 cm) thick before flattening, weighing about 1 pound (around 454 g) each. The steaks in the photos are about 9 inches long (aboaut 23 cm) , with a tapered width of 4 to 3 inches (around 7.5 to 10 cm).
1/2 pound (226 g) of Organic Ground Pork
2 Organic Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
a small handful of Organic Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped
1 Egg, beaten
3 Slices of Imported Italian Prosciutto di Parma PDO, finely chopped
1 ounce or about 1/2 cup (30 g) of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Freshly ground Black Pepper
2 ounces (60 g) or 4 Tablespoons of Unsalted European-style Butter
2 Tablespoons of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
All-Purpose Unenriched White European Soft Wheat Flour or Organic All-Purpose Unenriched White Hard Wheat Flour (the American standard variety) for flouring the steaks
1 cup (240 ml) of Dry White Wine, plus a bit if the liquid requires an addition as the steaks braise or to the sieved braising liquid before making the sauce: 1/4 cup (60 ml) additional wine was added during cooking to the braise in the photos.
1 cup (240 ml) of Homemade Vegetable Stock, and perhaps a little more: The amount will depend upon the size of the pot used for braising.
1 and 1/2 (355 ml) cups of Imported Italian Boxed Strained Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon of Imported Italian Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes (aka Dried Crushed Red Pepper Flakes)

Making the Stuffing

In a bowl combine the ground pork, the beaten egg, the finely chopped garlic, parsley, prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano. Grind over some black pepper and combine everything well.

Stuffing and Braising the Steaks

Note: Braising the steaks in advance will allow time for chilling the braising liquid to remove the fat before making the sauce and reheating the steaks in it.

Trim any fat from around the edges of the steaks. Place plastic wrap over the steaks and pound them out on a cutting board with a kitchen mallet to a thickness of about 1/4 inch (just over half a centimeter). Bottom round requires considerable pounding and a butcher may be happy to do this step for you. In the photo below, the steak on your left has been pounded:

Spread stuffing evenly over both steaks:

Roll the steaks up into cylinders, like jelly rolls:

Wrap kitchen twine tightly around each cylinder this way and that from end to end. There is no need to tie the twine. Flouring will adhere it to the steaks. A little stuffing may show around the edges and an insignificant amount will come out during braising. The braising liquid is sieved before making the sauce.
Flour the two rolled steaks. If time permits, allow the flour 20 minutes or so to adhere to the meat. Grind some black pepper over them.

Heat the butter and olive oil in the heavy pan until the butter foams and then subsides. Add the steaks, placing the seam side down where the stuffing shows and brown them well on all sides. Transfer them to the pot for braising.
Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of white wine and pour it into the pot.
Add vegetable stock until the liquid comes about halfway up the stuffed rolls.
Place the pot on the flame tamer and braise the steaks over a low heat with the lid slightly ajar until the steaks are tender i.e., when a skewer meets no resistance. After braising for 1 hour, turn the steaks. Check the liquid level occasionally and add a little white wine to keep the level at about the halfway point on the meat. The total braising time for these steaks was about 2 hours.

Making the Sauce and Preparing the Farsumauro for Serving

Remove the two steaks from the braising liquid and wrap them in aluminum foil.
Sieve the braising liquid and place it in a metal container or large measuring cup. Refrigerate it until the fat congeals on the surface. (This may take an hour or a little longer.) Once congealed, it can be removed easily.) There should be about 1 cup of liquid. Add a little wine to make up the difference if there is less and return the braising liquid to the pot.
Add the tomato paste, the strained tomatoes and the chilli flakes and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Unwrap the two steaks, remove the string and cut them into slices.
Return the slices to the pot and heat them in the gently simmering sauce for serving.

thefoodlessprocessed