Wednesday 30 November 2011

Roll Playing

Piccoli Involtini di Manzo Ripieni di Pepe, con Sansho, su di Orzo & Verdure alla Curcuma
Pepper-Filled Beef Rolls with Sansho on Turmeric Barley & Vegetables


As you can see from the photos, I was in a rather playful mood as soon as I got into the kitchen this evening- which would also suggest to you, if you knew me a little better, that my day had been a tough one. As are most of my days of late. As have been most of them this whole year- which is partly the reason that I am keeping this blog! It is my way of retaliating with something creative and colorful and fun. It's my way of saying "bring it on!" And of course it is my way of practicing and preparing for some time when I will have more opportunity and more expertise to produce more and better recipes for you all to enjoy!

The barley for this dish was mixed with carrots, celery and onion, a little diced pepper and flavored with turmeric, ginger and lime. I sautéed the above ingredients in a little clarified butter and then deglazed the saucepan with a splash of white wine and some boiling water- just enough to cover the surface. I reduced the heat to a slow simmer and stirred only occasionally- and whilst the barley finished cooking I put together the meat rolls...


The meat I used was a very thinly sliced scallopini cut, which I cut into strips of approximately 2" x 4". I seasoned them with salt and pepper, spread them with a very little cheese curd (but you can use any cream cheese you prefer), grated them with ginger, and laid 3 slices of slightly pre-cooked red bell pepper onto each strip of beef before rolling them up. This helps to keep the beef a little more juicy and succulent, as well as adding a nice texture and flavor. I had briefly sautéed the peppers for 2-3 minutes in advance, to give them a bit of a head-start inside the rolls. I tied them with garn and then flash-fried them in a little clarified butter for 1-2 minutes on either side. I didn't use a skewer or toothpick, as you can not get them browned off nicely all the way around that way. 


As soon as they were nice and brown, I removed the thread, added some white wine to deglaze the pan and a little water so that they could steam a little and popped on the lid. When the liquid was almost gone, I added a drizzle of honey, a little 5-spice powder, a good squeeze of lime juice and made sure that the rolls got a nice glaze all over. I let them cook and glaze for a further 2-3 minutes and prepared the barley on a nice dish in the meantime. I set the rolls on top and sprinkled them lightly with a little sansho pepper, just to give my taste buds a little kick! But remember- be careful with that stuff!

What a nice, easy and delicious little meal it was! Hope you decide to try this combination too- and hope you enjoy it as much as I did if you do!

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