Christina Currie of Christina Currie Events coordinates countless party details each year for clients who turn to her for expert event planning advice. When it comes to entertaining her own relatives, Christina says family traditions often take the spotlight.
One Currie family tradition celebrates Christina’s Italian roots and her Grandma Ann, well loved and always remembered for her delicious Beef Braciole. Christina is sharing Grandma Ann’s Beef Braciole recipe for this week’s Heinen’s Sunday Supper, prepared with the freshest ingredients found at Barrington’s own Heinen’s Grocery.
Grandma Ann’s Braciole Feast
by Christina Currie, Owner of Christina Currie Events
The weekend after Thanksgiving has always been so important to me because I still have my family in town and nobody has a hectic schedule. I create a warm holiday dinner party that gets everyone in involved.
I love helpers in the kitchen with preparing the charcuterie platter, salad and the bubbly bar. Getting your guests and family in the kitchen creates more conversation and laughter.
I am able to gather all my ingredients from Heinen’s. Everything from the meat, cheese, olives, and beverages are purchased underneath their roof. It makes my life so much easier!
Today I am sharing a very special family recipe for Beef Braciole that was passed down to me from my mother’s mother, my Grandma Ann. This recipe originated from her mother, Grandma Providence Sansone, and it has stood the test of time for years.
To make the Beef Braciole (pronounced bra’zhul which means ‘slices of beef’), a tender flank steak is pounded or butterflied to an even thickness and then rolled with a flavorful fillings; endless possibilities of fillings.
Heinen’s butcher always assist with preparing the flank steak, so you can just do the fun part of adding the fillings!
My Grandma Ann’s secret:
Brown all sides of the braciole
Wine
Slow cook for 2-3 hours
This family holiday traditional Italian meal brings back some very happy family memories for me. The braciole is usually served with pasta, roasted vegetables, cranberry & cherry relish, leafy green salad, and garlic bread.
My hope with cooking in the kitchen with my guests and family is that they will learn to appreciate the fabulous foods and dining, instead of just eating for the sake of eating. Eating the meal is just the small part of enjoyment for me. Learning which ingredients complement other ingredients and cooking with my family is what I enjoy the most.
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Grandma Ann’s Braciole
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
2 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/3 cup grated Provolone
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/4 cups store-bought marinara sauce
Directions:
Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface.
Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly.
Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher’s twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 325F
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce.
Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes.
After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer.
The total cooking time should be about 2 1/2 hours.
Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.
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Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients:
Green beans
Butternut squash (already cut into cubes in Heinen’s fresh produce section)
Red onion
Red and yellow peppers
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Grape tomatoes
Directions:
Cut all fresh vegetables into small squares.
Toss them in Two Brother’s Italian olive oil
Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper
Roast at 450F for 30 minutes
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Cranberry and Cherry Relish
Ingredients:
1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 bag of frozen cherries
1 cup of sugar
1 teas fresh ginger
½ cup fresh orange zest
Grand Marnier to taste
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a small stockpot over medium heat. Cook until cranberries and cooked down.
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Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
Heinen’s Artisan bread
1 clove of fresh garlic
1/3 Heinen’s Italian olive oil
½ cup Heinen’s grated Pecorino Romano
Directions
Score the bread
Mince the garlic clove into the 1/3 cup olive oil
Add cheeses in between the scores of the bread
Bake for 10 minutes at 375F
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Charcuterie Platter
This is always so much fun to put together with my daughters. We gather soft, mild, and hard cheeses from the amazing cheese department at Heinen’s. We like to pair our cheeses with olives, jams, and crackers. You really can do anything you wish with a Charcuterie platter, there are rules to follow.
Here’s our favorite platter pairings:
Brie
Sharp cheddar cheese
Manchego
Sweet cherry peppers
A variety of olives
Salami
Sea salt crackers
Bread sticks
Pull out your wood carving board and a couple of wine glasses to hold all of your fun foods.
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Bubble Bar
Ingredients:
1 bottle of Prosecco
Cranberry Juice
Pomegranate Juice
Amaretto
Green sugar
Simple syrup
Directions:
Dip rim of flute into syrup
Dip rim of flute into green sugar
Pour juice of choice into flute
Pour Prosecco until the level is ½” below the sugar rim
Simple syrup recipe
1 part sugar to 1 part water
In a medium saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.
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Heinen’s Grocery is located at 500 N. Hough Street, between E. Main Street and Route 14 (next to Meathead’s) in Barrington, Illinois. They’re open 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit Heinens.com.
