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Bife a RolêStuffed Beef Rolls

A nostalgic grandmother's Sunday lunch.

Bife a Rolê (Stuffed Beef Rolls) — Brazilian home cooking
Bife a Rolê (Stuffed Beef Rolls) — Brazilian home cooking

Bife à Rolê consists of thin beef cutlets rolled around strips of bacon, carrot, and bell pepper, secured with toothpicks, and slow-braised in a rich tomato-beef gravy.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Pound beef cutletsPound beef cutlets thin (4 mm) and season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic
  2. Lay one stripLay one strip of bacon, a carrot baton, and a bell pepper strip across one end of each cutlet
  3. Roll up tightlyRoll up tightly and secure each roll with two wooden toothpicks
  4. Heat oil inHeat oil in a heavy Dutch oven over high heat
  5. Sear beef rollsSear beef rolls for 6 minutes, turning until browned on all sides; transfer to a plate
  6. Add onions andAdd onions and garlic to the pot, sautéing until translucent
  7. Stir in tomatoStir in tomato passata and beef stock, then return beef rolls to the pot
  8. Cover and simmerCover and simmer on low (90°C) for 45 minutes until the beef is tender
  9. Remove toothpicks beforeRemove toothpicks before serving with the tomato gravy over rice

Questions

How long does Bife a Rolê take?

6 minutes of cooking — yielding several servings.

What is inside a bife à rolê?

Thin steak spread with a smear of mustard, rolled around bacon, carrot stick and sometimes a pickle, secured with toothpick, floured, browned, and braised in tomato.

Why the toothpick discipline?

A roll that opens in the pan sheds its filling and its shape. Skewer it closed, brown it seam-down, and remove picks only at the plate.