PRANZO DELLA DOMENICA (Sunday Dinner)

Il pranzo della Domenica:  Il momento in cui la famiglia si reuniva e si stava tutti insieme (television spenta e no smart phones) l’intrattenimento erano le chiacchiere. Mamma faceva i "piatti della domenica" lasagne, braciole, ravioli e arrosti.  Col tempo le cose sono un po’ cambiate, il pranzo domenicale si è ridimensionato. 

    Oggi niente e' piu come una volta!  Dove e' andato a finire il profumo del sugo con braciole?.  Dove sono le mamme che al mattino preparano la pasta fresca tirato con il matterello?

     Eppure, il dolce della domenica non dovrebbe mai mancare. Ritengo che sia un giorno libero da passare tra gli affetti piu’ cari e riscoprire l’importanza della famiglia spesso dimenticata nella quotidianità degli altri giorni.

    Percio', continuo a preparare lasagne, il pollo arrosto e cotolette per la mia famiglia perche' sono convinta di farli felici.

  Perche' in fondo, non dimentichiamolo che Domenica e' sempre Domenica!

Pork Skin Braciole - Braciole di Cotica di Maiale

I don't make a habit of cooking pork skins because of the caloric content, but once or twice a year, I make an exception as they make any kind of pasta taste great.  A definite family favorite.

Ingredients

6 pieces of pork skins
3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
1 fresh, chopped red or green peperoncino (optional)
6 small pieces of Parmigiano or Romano cheese
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can chopped tomatoes

Spread the mixture of parsley and garlic and one piece of cheese over the top of each pork skin. 

Grind black pepper over each skin. 

Roll skins like a log and tie from one end to the other with string. 

In a skillet, add the olive oil.  Place the tied pigskin braciole and sauté’ until golden.  Add a can of chopped tomatoes and let them simmer in the sauce for approximately an hour.  Once done, remove from sauce.  Cut off the string, slice and serve.

The Making of a Great Beef Braciole - Braciola di Manzo

In my opinion, there is only one meat for the real braciole, and it's a cutlet of beef chuck tenderized by a few smashes from a meat pounder.

Boneless chuck and chopped parsley, garlic, red and green peppers and few pieces of cheese

Salt and pepper meat, place chopped herbs and cheese over meat

The greatness of the braciole lies in its filling. You'll find people recommending pine nuts, raisins, etc.  I prefer an herbal filling.

Roll and tie meat with butcher's string

Brown the braciole in a very tiny bit of oil until it's golden to dark brown all around. At this point, you're ready to fully cover it in a pot of sauce that should simmer for at least 2 hours.

Put the browned, scrumptious beef roll into a marinara sauce. Once the sauce has simmered for several hours and taken on the flavour of the dark caramelized onions and braciole filling, you will be a Braciolista for life.

Images: ©2010 - picasaweb