Spiedini di Carne alla Siciliana
Spiedini di Carne al Sugo·(spee-eh-DEE-nee dee CAR-neh ahl SOO-go)
The Sunday Simmer: Sicilian-American Meatball Rituals
There is no fake Hollywood nostalgia here, just a brilliant bit of working-class kitchen alchemy. Sicilian grandmothers knew exactly how to stretch cheap beef with a rich breadcrumb stuffing studded with raisins and pine nuts—the enduring fingerprints of Arab Sicily. Skewered tight with bay leaves and left to braise in the Sunday pot, these rolls transform into meltingly tender bundles that completely perfume the tomato sauce. It gives you a rich gravy for your pasta and a flawless main course in one pot, exactly as it was meant to be.
Before you start
Soak the dried ingredients.
Submerge the chopped raisins, dried bay leaves, and wooden skewers in warm water for at least 10 minutes before starting.
Pound the beef.
If your butcher didn't slice the beef carpaccio-thin, place the slices between plastic wrap and gently pound them to a quarter-inch thickness.
Ingredients
- plain Panko breadcrumbs1 1/2 cup
- raisins1/4 cup
- pine nuts3 tbsp
- sharp Provolone cheese1/4 cup
- Pecorino Romano cheese1/4 cup
- yellow onion1 small
- tomato paste1 tbsp
- extra-virgin olive oil6 tbsp
- fresh parsley2 tbsp
- beef top round1 1/2 lb
- red onion1 large
- dried bay leaves14 med
- garlic3 clove
- crushed tomatoes28 oz
- water1/2 cup
- wooden skewers6 med
Method
- 01
Sauté the aromatics.
In a small skillet, cook the minced yellow onion in a splash of olive oil until soft, then stir in the tomato paste for one minute to darken.
- 02
Mix the filling.
In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, soaked raisins, pine nuts, cheeses, parsley, and sautéed onion. Drizzle in a quarter cup of the olive oil and mix until it holds together like wet sand.
- 03
Stuff and roll the beef.
Season the beef lightly with salt. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each slice, fold the long edges inward, and roll tightly from the bottom like a small burrito.
- 04
Assemble the skewers.
Thread a red onion square, a soaked bay leaf, and a meat roll—pierced through the seam to hold it shut—onto the skewers. Repeat to fit three rolls per skewer, capping the end with a final bay leaf and onion.
- 05
Sear the meat.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the skewers on all sides to build a savory crust and toast the bay leaves, then remove to a plate.
- 06
Build the sauce.
Lower the heat to medium and fry the smashed garlic in the residual beef fat for one minute. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and water, and season lightly with salt.
- 07
Start the Sunday simmer.
Submerge the browned skewers in the sauce. Cover and gently simmer on low for 45 to 60 minutes, until the beef yields and the gravy is richly perfumed.
Notes
Manage the filling moisture.
If the breadcrumb mixture feels like dry dust, add a teaspoon of warm water until it binds. It shouldn't steal moisture from the meat as it cooks.
Dress the pasta.
The resulting tomato sauce is meant to dress a platter of rigatoni or spaghetti as your first course, with the tender skewers served immediately after.