Falsomagro in tomato sauce, my grandmother’s recipe, or rather my grandmother’s version, cooked in a pot and as good as the traditional baked meatloaf. The Catanese falsomagro in tomato sauce is a Sunday main course and a dish for festive days, consisting of a large rolled roast stuffed with ground meat, cheese, eggs and cured meats, and usually cooked in tomato sauce. A rich, sumptuous and tasty main course that every family prepares in its own unique way. It seems the Sicilian falsomagro originated in Palermo after the Angevin domination from which it would derive, and then spread and transformed throughout the region. The name itself, according to some interpretations, appears to have French origins, where “farsumauro” would mean lean meat with stuffing (farce in French). For others, the name simply refers to the deceptive appearance of a dish that looks lean on the outside but contains a rich and delicious filling. The most well-known version has the Sicilian falsomagro made from a single large slice of meat that wraps a filling made with the same mixture used for meatballs, lard, mortadella, caciocavallo and hard-boiled eggs. As I mentioned, however, each family makes changes as they see fit, creating unique and delicious versions. The falsomagro in tomato sauce that my grandmother used to make was stuffed slightly differently from the traditional one: she did not use mortadella, caciocavallo or lard, and instead substituted those ingredients with sweet provola and cooked ham. She cooked it slowly over very low heat in the tomato sauce and its aroma would fill the house from the early hours of the morning. Today I share the recipe with you, giving you a delicious dish, and if you are looking for other tasty ideas for a festive day you can check out the soft baked meatloaf with potatoes and the baked meatloaf in pastry with speck and pistachio.

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Difficulty: Medium
Cost: Medium
Rest time: 30 Minutes
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 6-8
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

10.6 oz veal (ground (about 2/3 lb))
3 eggs
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 oz pecorino (grated or Parmesan)
(All the prepared ground meat)
1 slice veal (weighing about 2.2 lb (1 kg))
4 hard-boiled eggs
5.3 oz provola (or caciocavallo)
5.3 oz cooked ham (prosciutto cotto) (or mortadella)
1 medium onion (white or red)
3.5 oz carrots
2 stalks celery
6.5 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups tomato purée (passata)
to taste extra virgin olive oil
1 glass white wine
to taste salt

Tools

Kitchen twine
Pot
Bowl

Steps

In a bowl gather the ground veal, the eggs, the grated cheese, the breadcrumbs and mix very well. Let rest for ten minutes so the breadcrumbs absorb the excess moisture.
Place the meat on a work surface and pound it lightly; you can choose the top rump, eye round, rump or brisket tip — ask your butcher for the best cut. If you can’t get a single large slice, take two smaller ones and overlap them slightly on one side.
Spread the ground mixture over the slice of meat forming a rectangle, leaving about 1–1.5 inches free on each side.
Lay the slices of ham and cheese and place the eggs at the base along the long side of the rectangle.
Fold the short edges inward and roll tightly to seal the filling, forming a large roulade.
Tie the roll with kitchen twine.
Prepare a sofrito of celery, carrots and onions, sauté it in a large pot with plenty of olive oil, place the falsomagro in the pot and brown it well on all sides.
Deglaze with the white wine and let it evaporate.
Add the tomato purée, the tomato paste and a little water — just enough to rinse the passata bottle.
Let cook over very low heat with the lid on for 90 minutes, then remove the lid, raise the heat slightly and let the sauce reduce for 20–30 minutes (you can also use the sauce to dress pasta).
The falsomagro is ready. Let it rest for 30 minutes, remove it from the pot and slice with a sharp, straight-edged knife.
The falsomagro is ready — just bring it to the table and serve.
If you liked this recipe, also check out:
– Catanese-style meat in sauce;
– Sicilian-style sausage in sauce;
– Catanese Carnival meat sauce.