How to avoid tough meat and get a perfect sauce
Roman-style beef rolls, meltingly tender in tomato sauce: grandma’s recipe for a succulent meat main course
I often found myself making rolled meat in sauce and, despite putting in all the care and love possible, I kept getting the cooking wrong and the slices turned out tough and overly dry.
I didn’t understand what I was doing wrong until I asked advice from a Roman friend.
I was making small mistakes that nevertheless compromised the final result, such as choosing the wrong cut of meat or the cooking temperature.
Today, with this recipe we’ll solve those issues together: the secret is slow, “gentle” cooking covered with a lid, which allows the beef fibers to relax and absorb the juices from the prosciutto and tomato.
We’ll see how to prevent the rolls from losing their filling during cooking, how to get an even browning and a flavorful, properly textured cooking base.
By following these small tips, you’ll bring to the table a classic of Roman cuisine capable of solving the Sunday lunch dilemma: a substantial one-dish meal so tender it can almost be cut with a fork.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients — Roman-style Beef Rolls
- 8 beef slices (or veal)
- 3 oz prosciutto (cured ham) (thin slices)
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 onion
- 2 cups tomato passata
- 3/4 cup water
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- A few almonds (optional)
Tools
- Tagliere
- Stecchino
- Tritatutto
- Pentola
- Pinza
How to cook perfect Roman-style beef rolls
Take one slice of meat and lay it on a work surface. Place a slice of prosciutto on top, then a thin strip of carrot and a thin strip of celery. Carefully roll the meat and secure the roll with one or two toothpicks. If you like, you can also add some peeled almonds crushed into crumbs to the filling. Repeat this process for all 8 slices.
In a large pan, pour a generous glug of olive oil. Finely chop the onion and the remaining pieces of celery and carrot left from the filling. Sauté the vegetables with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, stirring often until they have softened.
Place the rolls in the pan trying not to overlap them. Brown them over high heat for about 5 minutes, turning gently as soon as they start to take on a nice golden color on all sides.
Pour in the tomato passata and the water. Season with salt, stir, and cover with a lid. Cook over very low heat for about 40–45 minutes, turning the meat occasionally. At the end of cooking, remove the toothpicks and serve the rolls very hot, drizzled with their reduced sauce.
Notes on ingredients and substitutions
Meat: Choose thin slices of rump (scamone) or knuckle (noce) for superior tenderness.
Prosciutto: If you prefer a less salty flavor, you can replace prosciutto crudo with cooked ham or lean pancetta.
Vegetables: Make sure the carrot and celery strips are thin so they cook evenly inside the roll.
Storage
The rolls can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days in an airtight container. They are even better the next day because the flavors meld perfectly.
Variations
For a richer version, you can add a small piece of melting cheese inside the roll or deglaze the meat with half a glass of white wine before adding the tomato.
My tips
If the meat slices are too thick, gently pound them with a meat mallet between two sheets of parchment paper before filling: this will help break the fibers and make them extremely tender.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Can I cook the rolls without tomato (in white)?
Yes, follow the same procedure but deglaze generously with white wine and add a little vegetable broth instead of the tomato sauce, cooking until you obtain a creamy sauce.
How do I prevent the filling from coming out?
Make sure to fold the edges of the meat slightly inward before rolling, then secure well with a toothpick lengthwise.
What side dish pairs well?
Mashed potatoes or stewed peas are ideal companions to soak up all the delicious tomato sauce.
