Italian Style Roast Food

ITALIAN PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place roast, fat side up, in a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven. In a small bowl stir together Italian seasoning, rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, black pepper, salt, and the crushed red pepper. Rub all over pork.
• Roast, covered, 3 1/2 hours. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, and onion. Whisk together wine and tomato paste. Pour over pork and tomato mixture. Roast, uncovered, 1 hour more or until tender and a thermometer inserted in meat registers at least 190°F.
• Remove and shred meat. Return meat to pot. Stir to coat. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 4 days or freezer up to 3 months. Makes 11 cups.

ITALIAN ROAST BEEF

Steps:

• Slice garlic into matchsticks. Make slits in roast with small knife and insert garlic.
• Rub oil all over roast. Grind pepper over roast and coat with Italian Seasoning.
• Place roast on rack in roasting pan and roast at 500°F for 20 minutes. Turn heat down to 300°F and roast an additional 18 minutes per pound for medium rare.
• Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

ITALIAN ROAST BEEF

Steps:

• Poke holes all over the roast. Slice 4 large cloves of garlic. Stick the garlic into the holes. Liberally season the meat all over with salt and black pepper, to taste. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. When the oil smokes, add the meat and brown on all sides. Remove the meat to a plate. Crush the remaining garlic and add it to the pot along with the onions, bay leaves, carrots, celery and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover the pot with a lid and sweat the vegetables for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste and wine, and let reduce for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the stock-in-a-box. Return the meat to the pot and cover with a lid. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
• When meat is about done, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat for the pasta.
• Remove the meat to a cutting board and cool 15 minutes. Slice the roast and arrange half of the meat on a platter.
• Cook the pasta to al dente while the meat is resting. Drain the pasta and add it to a serving bowl. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange them alongside the meat. Spoon a few juices over the top. Melt the butter in small pan over low heat and add the sage leaves. Add the sage butter to the bowl with the pasta and toss together. Season with salt. Ladle the remainder of the juices over the pasta. Serve the meat and veggies with pasta alongside. Cool and store the remainder of the meat in the refrigerator.

ITALIAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Cut roast in half. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, onion, wine, salt, basil, oregano, garlic and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. , Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve with meat.

ITALIAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
• Pat roast dry and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Once the oil is shimmering hot, sear the meat on both ends and all the way around the outside. Total time about 15 minutes to sear the whole roast.
• Remove the roast to a plate and add the carrots, celery and onions and cook for five minutes, stirring often.
• Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for two more minutes.
• Add wine to deglaze. Cook until the wine evaporates.
• Add the bay leaves, sundried tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, broth, thyme, oregano and basil and stir. Add the beef back in along with any liquid on the plate, cover and place in the oven for three hours, turning the beef over once about 1 ½ hours into the roasting time.
• After the full three hours, remove the meat, let it rest under a sheet of loose foil for 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs then slice the beef and serve with the sauce.
• The string should be left on while slicing to hold the roast together. OK to cut off after sliced and plated.

ITALIAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• With a sharp paring knife, cut 4 slits in beef roast; stuff slits with half the garlic. Generously season beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat, swirling to coat bottom of pan. Cook beef until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
• In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine beef, onion, potatoes, tomatoes (with puree), rosemary, and remaining garlic. Cover; cook on high setting until meat is fork-tender, about 6 hours (do not uncover while cooking).
• Transfer meat to a cutting board; thinly slice, and discard any gristle. Skim fat from top of sauce. To serve, divide beef and vegetables among bowls; generously spoon sauce over top.

ITALIAN-STYLE POT ROAST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Heat oil in ovenproof Dutch oven or large deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook 4 min. on each side or until browned on both sides. Remove meat from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Add onions and garlic to reserved drippings; cook and stir 5 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Remove from pan.
• Return meat to Dutch oven; top with onion mixture and 2 Tbsp. parsley. Add beans, tomatoes, carrots and olives to pan. Mix broth and steak sauce; pour over meat. Cover.
• Bake 2-1/2 hours or until meat is done (160ºF). Sprinkle with cheese and remaining parsley. Serve with polenta.

ITALIAN-STYLE ROAST PORK WITH CRISPY CRACKLING

Steps:

• Pound the garlic, bay, pepper, 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tbsp of the fennel seeds using a pestle and mortar, then stir in 1 tbsp oil. Place the pork, skin-side up, in a clean sink and pour over a kettleful of boiling water (this tightens the skin - the first step towards great crackling). Drain, pat dry and place, skin-side down, on a chopping board. Rub the garlicky paste all over it, then roll up the loin and tie it at intervals with kitchen string. Arrange the onion and lemon in the centre of a roasting tin and sit the pork on top, skin-side up. Rub the rind with the remaining salt and leave at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hr.
• Heat oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Rub the skin of the pork with the remaining oil. Lightly crush the remaining fennel seeds and scatter over the meat. Roast for 30 mins, then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast for 1 hr 20 mins. Remove the pork, cover loosely and leave to rest for 30 mins. If your crackling isn't crisp, pop the joint under a hot grill for a few mins, but watch it as it will burn very easily.
• Meanwhile, make the gravy. Tip away all but 1 tbsp of fat from the tin and put on the hob. Add the flour and mix with the onion and lemon, scraping any bits from the bottom. Pour in the Marsala and let it bubble, then gradually add the stock and any of the resting juices, and simmer gently for 8-10 mins. Season, if needed, and strain through a sieve before serving.

ITALIAN POT ROAST (STRACOTTO)

Steps:

• Cut the garlic into thin slivers. Pierce the meat in many places with the point of a knife and insert the garlic slivers into the holes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy 3- to 4-quart heatproof casserole. Add the meat and brown it well over medium heat. Remove it from the casserole. Add the remaining oil and the onions, carrots and celery. Saute them until moderately brown.
• Stir in the wine and cook for a few minutes, scraping the casserole. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and basil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and return the meat to the casserole.
• Cover tightly and cook over very low heat for at least three hours, until the meat is very tender. Turn the meat a few times during cooking.
• Remove the meat from the casserole. To serve immediately, skim the fat from the surface of the sauce, then puree the sauce in a food processor and reheat. Otherwise, refrigerate the meat and sauce overnight. Remove any congealed fat from the sauce and puree the sauce in a food processor. Reheat the meat in the sauce before serving.

BRAISED ITALIAN-STYLE POT ROAST

Steps:

• To prepare the sacchétto di spezie:
• Combine all the ingredients in the center of a piece of cheesecloth that is large enough to hold the herb sprigs, and tie in a bundle with butcher's string.
• To prepare the pot roast:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then lightly dust with flour. Melt the butter in a large (6-quart) flameproof casserole set over medium-high heat. When it is foaming, add the beef and brown it on all sides, 5 minutes. Add the celery, onions, carrot, and sacchétto di spezie. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the bottle of wine. Cook until the wine begins to boil, about 2 more minutes, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface.
• 3. Strain the porcini mushrooms through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the liquid. Rinse the mushrooms under cold running water to remove any grit, and add them to the casserole along with the strained mushroom liquid, tomato paste, and tomatoes. The liquid should just cover the meat. If it does not, add chicken broth or water. Cover the casserole and bake it in the oven until the meat is cooked through and tender, about 2 hours. Remove the meat from the casserole to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside.
• 4. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the vegetables and herb bag. Pour the broth back into the casserole and set it over high heat. Bring to a boil and add the arrowroot and the 1/4 cup wine. Cook to reduce and thicken the liquid, about 5 minutes. Carve the meat into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Serve immediately, spooning some of the broth over each portion.

ITALIAN POT ROAST (STRACOTTO ALLA FIORENTINA)

Steps:

• Trim some of the fat from the meat. Using a sharp knife, make cuts all over the meat and insert the garlic slices inside. Season generously with salt and pepper. If you like, you can tie the beef with kitchen strin, to help it keep it shape during cooking.
• In a large dutch oven pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides until a nice brown crust develops, about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and reserve.
• Lower the heat to medium low. Add the veggies and cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Then, add the wine and cook until it reduces slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Add the marinara sauce and stir to combine. Then, add back the chuck roast and the basil leaves. Cover, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours, turning the roast at least once, until fork tender. If you think the sauce is drying out, you can add some water of beef broth.
• When done, remove the basil leaves and discard. Transfer the meat to a chopping board, remove the kitchen string (if used) and cut into smaller pieces. The sauce should be thick enough, but if it's not, you can continue boiling over medium-high heat, uncovered, until it reaches the desired thickness. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
• Serve the roast over creamy polenta (or mashed potatoes), garnished with chopped parsley.

ITALIAN ROAST BEEF I

Steps:

• Pour water into a large kettle, and add bouillon cubes.
• Mix together the salt, garlic, Italian seasoning, black pepper, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes on a large plate. Rub roast with 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Roll roast in seasoning mixture until well coated. Place the roast in the kettle along with any left over seasoning mixture and oil.
• Bring water to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer approximately 3 1/2 hours. Meat should be tender and well done.

ITALIAN-STYLE ROAST CABBAGE WEDGES WITH TOMATO LENTILS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and blanch the potatoes for 10-12 mins until tender, then drain and leave to cool.
• For the cabbage, mix together the oil and garlic, rub all over the wedges, season, then spread out on a large baking tray. Roast on the top shelf for 15 mins.
• While the cabbage is cooking, put the new potatoes onto a large baking tray and gently crush with the back of a spoon or a masher, so they split open slightly. Drizzle over the oil and some seasoning, then stir in the lemon zest. Once the cabbage has had 15 mins, put the potatoes on the top shelf of the oven and move the cabbage to the bottom. Cook for 45 mins, turning everything halfway through.
• For the lentils, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and fry the onions and celery until soft and translucent, about 10-15 mins. Tip in the lentils, tomatoes, 450ml water, stock cubes, tomato purée and vinegar, bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 30-35 mins, stirring occasionally until the lentils are soft and cooked through. If the mixture gets a little dry, add a splash of water to stop it sticking. Stir in the basil and an extra 50ml boiling water to loosen the mixture. Season well.
• While the lentils are cooking, make the pangrattato. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, fry the garlic and chilli for 30 seconds, then add the breadcrumbs. Toast until golden and crunchy, then tip in the lemon zest and olives and fry for a further 3 mins. Set aside to cool.
• To serve, spoon lentils onto each plate, put a cabbage wedge on top and sprinkle over the pangrattato. Garnish with the extra basil and serve the potatoes on the side.

ITALIAN STYLE POT ROAST

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and brown meat on all sides in hot oil.
• In large bowl combine tomatoes, pizza sauce, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper. Pour over meat. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 2 hours, turning meat each half hour.
• Remove meat from pan, and cool slightly. Skim fat from pan juices. Measure juices, and add enough water to make 6 cups liquid. Return liquid to Dutch oven. Blend cornstarch and 3 tablespoons cold water; stir into pan juices. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.
• Slice meat thinly against the grain. Return meat to pot, and add mushrooms. Simmer for 30 minutes longer.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until done. Drain. To serve, place meat slices over hot noodles, and pour some sauce over. Pass remaining sauce.

ITALIAN ROAST BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a medium jar.
• Trim all the fat from beef round. (I grind the trimmings), but you can cut them up into bite-size pieces and place on the bottom of a roasting pan. Sprinkle the trimmings with some of the seasoning mix. Place the roast beef on top of the trimmings and coat the beef well with more of the seasoning mix. Drizzle olive oil on top of the roast and pat the oil over the seasonings. Place into the preheated oven on lowest rack and roast approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours, uncovered, until the internal temperature registers *130 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and let stand about 20 to 30 minutes before carving. This roast can be used for sandwiches, thinly cut or thickly cut and served with beef gravy, if desired.

ITALIAN STYLE ROAST

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, combine the tomato paste through pepper.
• Rub mixture over the chuck roast and place roast in crockpot.
• Add the remaining ingredients and any leftover rub; cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours on low.
• Serve over cooked pasta.
• Please note: If you have an older crockpot, it may be necessary to cook roast 8 to 10 hours. My new crockpot cooks in much less time.