Beef Braciole With Creamy Soft Polenta

Description

Source: TASTY PRIDE - TASTY

This recipe will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember walking home from my new job managing a shop in the West Village, totally overwhelmed by the responsibilities it required, and eager to see Elise for a quiet night at home. When I opened the door to the apartment, a waft of roasting garlic filled my nose and I spotted lit candles and a set table. As appreciative as I was of her efforts, I was in no state to be romantic and felt I would let her down. She handed me a glass of wine and asked about my first day—I began to cry almost immediately, sharing how difficult it had been. Instead of feeling frustrated that her plans for a romantic evening had been thrown off course, she listened, encouraged, and consoled me—reassuring me that the dinner she’d made and the night she’d had in mind could wait. It was then that I knew I loved her. Hours later, after she’d helped me shake off the day, we dug into the dinner, forks in the pot of tender meat with warm tomato sauce. As comforting as Elise was to me, the dish was also to my belly. This recipe will always remind us of that night—the night Anna fell in love with Elise. - Anna Hieronmus & Elise Kornack

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving
• ¼ cup chopped pine nuts
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon toasted and ground fennel seeds
• 1 (30-ounce) flank steak
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3½ cups tomato sauce
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Make the beef: In a medium bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, garlic, Pecorino Romano, pine nuts, raisins, parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and ground fennel.
3. Lay the flank steak flat on a clean surface and cover the steak evenly with the breadcrumb mixture.
4. Starting from a short end, roll up the steak into a cylinder.
5. Using kitchen twine, tie the steak roll in several places to secure.
6. Season the outside of the steak roll with more salt.
7. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
8. When the oil is shimmering, add the steak roll and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes total.
9. Add the wine and tomato sauce to the pot and bring to a rapid simmer.
10. Loosely cover the pot with foil and transfer to the oven.
11. Roast until the meat is nearly tender, about 1 hour, turning the roll and basting with the sauce every 15 minutes.
12. Remove the foil and cook for 15 minutes more, or until the beef is very tender.
13. While the braciole is cooking, make the polenta: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
14. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and continue whisking until there are no lumps, about 2 minutes.
15. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often to make sure the polenta isn’t sticking to the bottom.
16. Add the milk, Pecorino Romano, and butter to the polenta and stir until smooth.
17. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
18. Remove the pot from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
19. Remove the braciole from the pot and slice with a sharp serrated knife.
20. Serve over the polenta with the sauce spooned over, topped with basil and grated Pecorino Romano.

YIELD: SERVES 4