Sous-Vide Braciola/Roulade

This food takes me back to my childhood. I grew in the melting pot of Brooklyn, NY, and throughout my childhood and a wee bit into young adulthood, food was an integral part of life. When I moved out of NYC, I quickly noticed that was not the case. Food was a fundamental necessity that memorialized good times, bad times, family parties, and religious holidays. Food is an essential component of life. 

My paternal Grandparents' family was from Palermo, Sicily, and Poland/Russian (Jewish). It's prevalent in NYC for Italians and Jewish people to marry. My mom's side were Eastern European Jews. My maternal Grandfather was born on a train on their way to Germany trying to escape the pogroms. He was 16 when he arrived in the states. The vast majority of them remained in Germany and Eastern Europe. But that's for another story.

As stated earlier, my paternal Grandfather's (first-generation) family was from Palermo, Sicily, and the whole family were unbelievable cooks. He married my Grandmother, a Russian-Polish-Jewish, and she too was first Generation and a fantastic cook. The entire family was phenomenal cooks. 

After that introduction, let's discuss the Braciole/Roulade. Why the two different names? Well, they are both rolled meats, but the final cooking is what distinguishes them. The Braciole (top pic) is rolled, tied, seared, and braised in a sauce for hours to make tender. However, I skipped the long braising in place of the Sous-Vide-Processing. The Roulade received traditional breading and was deep-fried. My Grandfather made a plethora of Bracioles and traditional Italian food. 

I've never made this the same way twice. That being said, I always start out with Olive oil, Onions (or Shallots), garlic. I added some Sweet Peppers, Sundried Tomatoes, Seasonings, Parsley. Deglaze with a port and cook off some of the alcohol. To this, add some Italian-Breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano, and more olive oil. Keep tasting until and adjust seasonings. I always kick mine up with a Cayenne or Crushed Redpepper too. If I add it, I always add it in the beginning. After you are satisfied, take off the burner and transfer to a bowl to cool. Note: the cheese and tomatoes give the stuffing an Umami boost because of the glutamates. 

Now on to the meat... In this case, I used Petite Sirloin, aka Flat-meat (because it was available, but I have used Veal, Top, and bottom Round too. 

To pound out, I always use a one-gallon glad freezer bag. It's a heavy-duty plastic bag and can withstand the flattening process. Cut off the front and sides of the bag, so it opens up like a flap. To prevent the tearing of the protein, make sure to add a little water. Adding water to the surface (I will use a squirt bottle sometimes) allows meat to slip around in the plastic, allowing the meat to stretch out without tearing.

Layout the protein on more plastic wrap and season it a little. Using a grater, add some Asiago-Cheese, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Layer with your favorite meat. In this case, I used my homemade Veal Mortadella. To this top with Provolone cheese. I don't think you can substitute this cheese. Without this cheese, it would not be the same. To this, add some Sundried Tomatoes (packed in Olive oil) and more cheese. 

Roll them up nice and tight, tucking in the sides a little. Make to season the outside too. I use commercial plastic (18-Inches) for its strength and size. Place beef roulade on the plastic wrap and fold the plastic over. Roll it up, all the while pushing on the plastic wrap to stretch a little, giving it a tension to ensure it's tightly wrapped. Twisting the ends in the opposite direction and securing with butchers is twine is the final step. Vacuum Seal and place in refrigerator for 12-24-Hs. The refrigeration step will help with flavor (Dry-Brining) and help with the roulade holding its shape before and after the cook. 

These Bundles of joy were processed using Delta-T, 133f until an internal temp of 131f was reached. It took 03:20:00-Hrs, then it was held at 131f for an additional 02:40:00 for a total time of 6 Hrs. If not using Delta-T, please consult Dr. Baldwin's tables. 

After processing, they were shocked and refrigerated until I was ready for the next step. 

I rethermed the Roulades at 130f for about 60-Minutes to get the chill off them. At this point, you can either turn them into Bracioles or a Roulade. Again a Braciole is tied and braised in a sauce. Since these were already SV-Processed, the braising will only take maybe 10-Minutes.

This is the Braciole. Tied and fried. Dumped in a marinara sauce for about 10-Minutes. Remove and plate with some extra sauce and cheese. 

For the roulade, set up a breading station and bread. Make sure to kick up the bread crumb with extra spices and herbs. Deep-fried at 350f until golden brown. Remember, you are not concerned about the interior cooking through. After frying, drain and place in a pan coated with sauce, lots of cheese, etc....bake until cheese is melted.