ROMAN-STYLE MEAT ROLLS

Easy to make and suitable even for the most demanding guests, these rolls are common – with minor variations – across central Italy. The recipe calls for the use of tomatoes, but of course you can also use fresh tomatoes, ripe, to boil shortly, peel and reduce to a sauce. Meat can be veal, but beef is preferable.
SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 slices of lean beef, 60-70 g each
• 8 prosciutto slices, weighing about 20 g each
• 1 glass of dry wine
• 600 g of peeled tomatoes
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 large carrot
• Onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• Parsley
• Basil
• Extra virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Beat done properly the meat slices and arrange them on each a slice of the ham from which you remove the fat , without throwing it away
2. Add a piece of finely chopped celery and carrot, almost as long as the meat, two leaves of basil, a quarter of a clove of garlic and a small pinch of salt
3. Roll up the slices to make 8 rolls, fixing them with two sticks, which must be removed before serving
4. Pour four tablespoons of oil into a saucepan and make a sauce with chopped onion, carrot, celery, all the fat that you have removed from the ham and a clove of garlic
5. Fry the rolls, pour the glass of white wine (about 120 cl) and let it evaporate
6. Add the tomatoes, bring to a light boil, cover the pot and cook over low heat for an hour
7. Immediately before turning off, add a tablespoon of parsley