Baked Meat Rolls

Baked meat rolls are a tasty and versatile dish that can be prepared with different types of meat and fillings. Here’s how to prepare baked rolls with an Italian twist:

Ingredients

• 8 thin slices of meat (beef, veal, or pork), pounded thin
• 8 slices of Parma ham or cooked ham
• 8 slices of cheese (such as scamorza, fontina or caciocavallo)
• Fresh sage (or rosemary or basil for variations)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dry white wine, about 1/2 glass
• 1 clove of garlic
• Meat or vegetable broth, as needed

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Lay out the meat slices and gently pound them with a meat mallet to make them even thinner.
3. Season the meat slices with salt and pepper to taste.
4. On each slice of meat, place a slice of ham and on top of it, a slice of cheese. Add a sage leaf on each roll.
5. Roll the meat around the filling to form the rolls, and secure them with a toothpick or kitchen twine to maintain their shape.
6. In a baking dish, create a bed with the crushed garlic. Arrange the rolls on the dish and lightly drizzle them with olive oil.
7. Pour the white wine and a bit of broth into the dish to cover the bottom without submerging the rolls.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes, occasionally basting the rolls with the cooking juices.
9. Check that they are nicely browned and the meat is cooked in the center before removing them from the oven.

Baked meat rolls can be served hot, accompanied by a side of vegetables or mashed potatoes.

Curiosity

The rolls, known in many regions of Italy as “braciole” when prepared with pork, are a dish that offers endless variations. For example, in Sicily they are enriched with breadcrumbs, pine nuts, and raisins for a very distinctive sweet and sour taste.