In this warm and cozy Italian beef dish, which is rolled with wine-soaked raisins, pecorino, pine nuts, and parsley, Sunday dinner is combined with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. A real “sauce is boss” moment may be achieved by tossing any leftover sauce made from tomatoes with pasta (we like rigatoni because of its toothsome texture and grooves that collect the sauce).
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. raisins, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 c. dry red wine
- 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, pureed with immersion blender
- 2 sprigs basil, plus more for serving
- 1 21/4-pound flank steak, trimmed
- 2 c. flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, divided
- 1/2 c. panko, toasted
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 10 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, chopped
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped and divided
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 oz. Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (3/4 cup)
- 1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
Directions
Step 1
Put the raisins in a small bowl, pour in the wine, and stay there until you are ready to use them.
Step 2
Meanwhile, place the flank steak on the cutting board in a lengthwise position, with one of the shorter sides facing you. In order to guarantee that the steak is solid and rests flat, place the hand that is not your dominant hand on top of it.
Beginning at the top corner, using a boning knife that is sharp and keeping the knife level with the cutting board, gently cut toward the other side of the steak (without cutting all the way through). The steak has to be sliced in such a way that it can be opened up like a book.
Step 3
After opening the butterflied steak, put it out on a level surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Through a sliding motion, from the center outward, pound the steak until it reaches a thickness of 1/8 inch. You may use the flat side of a meat mallet, a rolling pin, or the bottom of a small, heavy saucepan. Refrigerate the steak until it is ready to be rolled.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. On medium heat, heat three tablespoons of oil in a large oval Dutch oven. Add the onion and a half teaspoon of salt, cover the pot, and simmer it for eight to ten minutes, tossing it regularly, until it is soft and becoming golden brown around the edges.
Add half of the garlic and continue to simmer for two minutes, stirring it regularly. After adding the tomato paste, continue to mix it continually for two minutes, or until the color becomes more intense. While the flank steak is being prepared, add the pureed tomatoes, one and a half cups of water, and basil. Simmer the mixture, stirring it regularly, for thirty to forty minutes.
Step 5
During this time, drain the raisins and set the wine aside. The raisins, pecorino, pine nuts, remaining garlic, all of the parsley except for three tablespoons, four tablespoons of oil, and half a teaspoon of pepper should be carefully transferred to a medium bowl.
Step 6
First, season the steak with one teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper. Next, evenly distribute the raisin mixture over the top of the steak, leaving a border of half an inch all around. Making a spiral out of the steak, beginning with one of the short sides, and tying it with kitchen twine every two inches in a transverse direction.
Step 7
In a large skillet, bring 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil to a medium heat. The rolled steak should be added and cooked for a total of eight to twelve minutes, flipping it regularly, until it is browned on both sides. Place in the sauce, then flip it over to coat it. Remove any residual oil from the pan, add the wine that was set aside, and allow it to simmer for one and a half minutes in the sauce.
Step 8
Apply sauce over the steak, cover the Dutch oven, and bake for one and a half hours, flipping the steak and basting it with sauce every thirty minutes. After removing the cover, continue baking the steak for a further hour to one and a half hours, flipping it and basting it every thirty minutes at regular intervals. The steak should be placed on a cutting board and let to rest for at least half an hour before the twine is removed and it is sliced.
Step 9
Put the remaining three tablespoons of parsley and two tablespoons of oil into a small dish and mix them together with the panko, lemon zest, and one eighth of a teaspoon of salt.
Step 10
Place about one and a half cups of sauce on the tray, and then place the sliced steak on top of the sauce. More sauce should be spooned on top, and then panko is sprinkled with lemon. You may sprinkle some extra basil on top if you want.
Nutrition Value ( Per Serving )
About 637 calories, 41 g fat (10.5 g saturated), 82 mg cholesterol, 1,141 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 13 g sugar (0.5 g added sugar), 37 g protein