Monday, October 26, 2009

Panfried Skirt Steaks with Red Wine Béarnaise Sauce

From Tips Cooks Love: Over 500 Tips, Techniques, and Shortcuts That Will Make You a Better Cook!, by Sur La Table, and Rick Rodgers

Serves 4

Skirt steak is one of the most flavorful cuts and can be quickly panfried in a skillet on the stove top. The sophisticated and easy béarnaise sauce—it’s made in a blender—gives the steak a nice touch of class. When you cook the steak, be sure to turn on the range hood to avoid smoking up the kitchen.

• 4 (7-ounce) skirt steaks
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

RED WINE BÉARNAISE SAUCE
• ¼ cup hearty red wine, such as Cabernet-Shiraz blend
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
• Kosher salt

Trim a few pieces of fat from the steaks and reserve. Mix together the salt and pepper, and season the steaks all over with the mixture. Let the steaks stand at room temperature while you make the sauce.

To make the béarnaise sauce, combine the wine, vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and coarsely ground pepper in a small, nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible. Reserve the solids in the sieve.

Put the egg yolks and strained wine mixture in a blender. In a saucepan, bring the butter to a boil over medium heat. Pour the hot butter into a heatproof glass measuring cup. Skim the foam off the surface of the butter. With the blender running, slowly add the hot butter through the hole in the lid, leaving the milk solids in the measuring cup. It should take about 1 minute to add the butter. Then uncover the blender, add the reserved solids in the sieve, re-cover, and pulse just to combine. Season with salt. Transfer to the top part of a double boiler and keep warm for up to 30 minutes. (Or transfer the sauce to a warmed widemouthed Thermos and keep warm for up to 2 hours.)

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the reserved beef fat and use tongs to wipe a thin coating of fat over the entire bottom of the skillet. Remove and discard the fat. Add the steaks and cook, turning once, for about 5 minutes total for medium-rare, or until they are nicely browned on both sides and feel somewhat resilient when pressed in the center.

Transfer each steak to a dinner plate. Spoon the sauce into a serving bowl. Serve the steaks hot, and pass the sauce at the table.

Tips for Skirt Steak with Béarnaise Sauce

• A cast-iron skillet creates a beautiful crust on steaks.
• Grease the skillet with some of the beef fat.
• Keep béarnaise sauce warm in a double boiler or in a widemouthed Thermos.
• Use a nonreactive saucepan to cook the acidic ingredients for the sauce.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Lamb Tagine with Artichoke Hearts, Dried Apricots, and Preserved Lemon

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

Prep 30 min | Cook time 2 hr | Serves 6

Lamb, artichokes, and dried fruit are a classic combination for a Moroccan tagine, but it is the bouquet of spices—saffron, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon—that make this dish memorable. To savor the wonderful flavors in the sauce, spoon the tagine onto mounds of fluffy couscous (page 317). This recipe calls for browning the lamb, which you can do in a tagine if it is has a stainless steel–clad or castiron base. If your tagine is all earthenware, simply toss the meat with the ingredients and simmer in the tagine over low heat. Alternatively, brown the meat in a skillet and transfer it to the tagine for simmering, or prepare the entire dish in a Dutch oven or braiser.

Implements
Tagine, Cutting Board, Chef’s Knife, Paring Knife

Ingredients
2 to 2½ pounds trimmed, boneless lamb shoulder or lamb shank, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons coarse salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups ¼-inch-thick yellow onion wedges
10 saffron threads
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup peeled, sliced (¼ inch) carrot
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water, plus more as needed
1 cup drained canned Italian plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 stems Italian parsley, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
2 stems cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
4 artichokes, preferably with stems, or 1 (10-ounce box) frozen artichoke hearts
1 lemon, halved
4 ounces (about 1 cup) dried apricot halves
2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon rind (page 328)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

1. Place the lamb in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
2. Heat a stainless steel–clad or cast-iron base of a tagine (see headnote for alternatives) over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a piece of onion, increase the heat to medium, add the onion wedges, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, or until they wilt and begin to turn color. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the saffron, cumin, ginger and coriander.
3. Add the meat, carrot, and cinnamon to the onion, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until the meat begins to brown. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, parsley and cilantro stems, and the saffron mixture and bring to a boil.
4. Place the lid on the tagine, decrease the heat to low, and cook, without disturbing the cover, for 1 ½ hours, adjusting the heat to keep the stew at a gentle simmer.
5. Meanwhile, if using fresh artichoke hearts, fill a medium bowl half full with water; squeeze the juice from a lemon half into the water, and add the spent lemon half to the water. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, pull the leaves back and tear them off where they meet at the base (bottom), until you reach the pale green inner leaves. (Reserve the leaves for another use.) Turn the artichoke on its side on a cutting board and, with a chef’s knife, cut the attached leaves off just where they meet the base. Cut the stem off the base and reserve. With a paring knife, trim the dark green outer layer from the base. With the tip of a spoon, scoop the fuzzy portion from the center and discard. Rub the trimmed artichoke bottom with the remaining lemon half. Cut the bottom into quarters and add to the lemon water. Peel the fibrous outer layer from the stem and cut crosswise into ½-inch lengths. Add to the lemon water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.
6. After 1½ hours, test the meat for tenderness. It should be fork-tender. If it isn’t, simmer it a little longer and test again.
7. When the meat is tender, drain the fresh artichokes and add them, or add the frozen artichoke hearts, and the apricots. Re-cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the fresh artichokes are tender, or only 10 minutes if using frozen artichoke hearts. Stir in the preserved lemon.
8. If the stew is swimming in liquid, use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to a bowl, cover with aluminum foil, and place in an oven set at 200°F. Boil the liquid, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until reduced slightly. Return the solids to the tagine.
9. Sprinkle the finely chopped parsley, cilantro, and mint over the top. Re-cover the tagine and carry it to the table.

Uncover and serve.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Roasted Fish with Achiote, Potatoes, Chile Strips, and Orange Salsa

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

Prep 30 min | cook time 50 min | serves 4

For this recipe, use achiote paste (adobo de achiote). This typical dish of the Yucatán combines the earthytasting achiote with fish, potatoes, and a pretty, refreshing citrus salsa. Serve with a green vegetable or a tossed salad.

Implements
Molcajete, 9-by-13-inch Terra-Cotta Baking Dish

Ingredients
Achiote Sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon chopped white onion
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon chile powder
½ teaspoon grated orange zest
1 (½-by-¼-inch) piece achiote paste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon flavorless vegetable oil
Rajas (Poblano Chile Strips), page 180
1 pound Yukon Gold or any potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½-inch wedges
1 large white onion, cut into ¹⁄8-inch wedges

Orange Salsa
1 large navel orange
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
Pinch of coarse salt
1 ¼ pounds skinless firm fish fillet (such as halibut, ling cod, or red snapper), preferably in a single piece

1. Make the achiote sauce: Place the garlic, onion, salt, chile powder, orange zest, and achiote in a molcajete or other mortar and mash with a pestle until blended and the mixture becomes a paste. Gradually work in the orange juice and oil with the pestle. Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a blender or small food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
2. Make the rajas and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, onion slices, and half of the achiote sauce and stir to coat the potatoes. Spread the potato mixture in a 9-by-13-inch terra-cotta baking dish or another type of baking dish. Roast the potatoes, turning once at the
midpoint, for 35 minutes, or until golden and almost tender. Remove the baking dish from the oven.
4. While the potatoes are roasting, make the orange salsa: Use a sharp, thin knife to cut the peel and all the white pith from the orange. Working over a bowl, cut along both sides of each segment to release it from the membrane, allowing the segments and the juices to drop into the bowl. Coarsely chop the orange segments and return them to the bowl with the juices. Add the tomato, onion, lime juice, cilantro, and salt, and stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. Let stand at room temperature until ready to serve.
5. Brush one side of the fish with half of the remaining achiote sauce mixture. Push the potatoes to the edges of the baking dish, and place the fish, sauce side down, in the center of the dish. Brush the top of the fish with the remaining sauce. Arrange the rajas on top of the fish, spacing them about ½ inch apart. Rearrange the potatoes, placing some of them on top of the fish.
6. Return the baking dish to the oven and roast for 15 minutes, or until the fish is opaque when cut into at the thickest part with a knife.
7. Spoon the salsa over the fish and serve from the baking dish or transfer the fish to a platter and serve.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Chocolate Chip Cookies

From The Art and Soul of Baking

Makes about 60 cookies

There’s a reason Realtors like to bake these cookies when showing a house to potential buyers. Few among us can resist the mouthwatering aroma of butter, brown sugar, and chocolate that reminds us of all things warm and wonderful. There are many versions of this American classic—this is a favorite, bursting with chunks of both semisweet and milk chocolate, with an extra splash of vanilla added for a deep, round flavor.

1 ½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened (65° to 68°F)
¾ cup (5 ¼ ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup (6 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (11 ¼ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 ounces good-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into ¼-inch chunks, or 1 cup (7 ounces) dark chocolate chips
6 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, chopped into ¼-inch chunks, or 1 cup (7 ounces) milk chocolate chips
½ cup (2 ¼ ounces) chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts), chopped, toasted, and completely cooled (optional)

Equipment
Two or Three Baking Sheets, Parchment Paper, Stand Mixer Fitted with a Paddle Attachment or a Hand Mixer and a Medium Bowl, Silicone or Rubber Spatula, Medium Bowl, Small Ice Cream Scoop, Cooling Rack

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F and position an oven rack in the center. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
2 Place the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and blended, about 2 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl, although you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve the same results. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Add the eggs one at a time and beat just until blended after each addition. Add the vanilla and blend well. Scrape down the bowl.
3 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed and add the flour mixture all at once. Blend just until there are no more patches of flour. Scrape down the bowl.
4 Add the semisweet and milk chocolate chunks and the nuts (if using), and blend on low just until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir gently a few times with the spatula to make sure there are no more patches of unincorporated flour or butter lurking near the bottom of the bowl.
5 Using the small ice cream scoop or spoon, portion tablespoon-size mounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, rotating the sheet halfway through, for 10 to 14 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown at the edges and still a bit pale in the center. If you want crisp cookies instead of chewy ones, bake for a couple of extra minutes. (To bake more than one sheet at a time, see page 271.) Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before serving.

Storing
Keep the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

Getting Ahead
You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. For nearly spur-of-the-moment cookies, portion the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, putting the scoops right next to each other to fit all of them on one sheet. Place the pan in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes, until the balls of dough are frozen. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze until needed, up to 3 months. To bake, take out as many cookies as you need, space them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake as directed, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Friday, September 11, 2009

The French Pantry

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

Almost every American cook has had some exposure to French cooking, and that made the selection of cookware, tools, and recipes for this chapter an exciting challenge. The French have had an amazing impact on what Americans eat and how we talk about cooking. You can hardly look at a cooking magazine, read a restaurant menu, or step into a fast-food joint without seeing the words soufflé, fondue, crème brûlée, pâté, quiche, and, of course, French fry. Discover specialized cookware such as the cocotte, the chinois, the raclette grill, the mussel pot, and the pommes Anna pan, and rediscover familiar pieces like the crepe pan, the omelet pan, and the fondue pot. Then you can serve up these Gallic specialties using the wonderful variety of cheeses, oils, vinegars, and other specialties of France.

Cheese

Brie
This rich cow’s milk cheese has a creamy, soft interior and is covered by a chalky, mildly flavored edible rind. Brie imitations are sold everywhere but, for a special meal, seek out an imported Brie de Meaux. (This is almost impossible to find in the United States because it is made from raw milk and aged less than the FDA-required sixty days. An excellent substitute is an imported knockoff called Fromage de Meaux that is almost as good as the real thing.)

Chèvre
The word chèvre means “goat,” and is also used to describe a pure goat’s milk cheese in France. Goat cheeses are made throughout the world, but the French probably have the widest range of types, shapes, and sizes. Typically, the cheeses have a tangy, almost lemony taste. Soft fresh goat cheeses are often melted into sauces or cut into disks, browned, and served as the enterpiece of a salad. The semiaged log-shaped Bucheron has a tangier, more complex flavor than a fresh chèvre, and a drier, chalkier texture that makes it ideal for crumbling on top of salads.

Comté
A cow’s milk cheese from the Jura in eastern France, near the Swiss border. It has a sweet, nutty taste and, although it is a firm cheese, it has a soft feel in your mouth. Sometimes compared to Gruyère, it is both a great melting cheese and eating cheese.

Check out Things Cooks Love for more on The Frech Pantry....

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Corn Tortillas Casserole

From Things Cooks Love: Implements. Ingredients. Recipes.

Prep time 30 min | cook time (sauce and chiles) 20 min | cook time (casserole) 35 min | serves 6

Known as a sopa seca, or "dry soup," this casserole is the definition of Mexican comfort food. Corn tortillas cut into strips are layered with spicy tomato sauce, roasted poblano chiles, and two types of cheese, one soft and melting and the other dry and sharp. The top is spiced with sour cream or Mexican crema, a rich, thick cream available in Mexican grocers, and then the whole thing is baked.

Implements
Large Sauté Pan, Stove-top Pepper Roaster, Tongs, Heavy 10-inch Skillet, Slotted Spoon, Round or Rectangular Terra-cotta Baking Dish

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce with Chipotle Chiles
2 tablespoons flavorless vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped white onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 cups canned tomato puree
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 poblano chile
Canola oil, for frying
12 to 15 day-old corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 cup (2 ounces) shredded queso Chihuahua or other semisoft melting cheese (such
as Monterey Jack or Muenster)
1 cup grated queso añejo or other sharp grating cheese (such as pecorino romano or Asiago)
½ cup sour cream, preferably Mexican sour cream, called crema

1. Make the sauce: Heat a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the tomato puree, chile and adobo sauce, and salt, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring. Decrease the heat to low and cook,
uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Set aside.
2. Preheat a stove-top pepper roaster or a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a broiler. Char the skin of the poblano, turning with tongs, for 10 to 15 minutes, until evenly blackened and blistered. Place the charred poblano in a bowl, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and let stand for about 20 minutes, or until cool enough to handle and the skin has loosened. Rub the charred skin off the cooled chile with your fingertips, or use the tip of a small knife. Rinse with water, then slit the chile along its length and open it flat. Cut out and discard the stem and scrape away the seeds and white membranes with the tip of a spoon. Cut the poblano lengthwise into ¼-inch-wide strips and set aside.
3. Line a tray with paper towels. Pour oil to a depth of ½ inch into a heavy 10-inch skillet, place over medium heat, and heat until a tortilla strip dropped into the oil sizzles on contact. Working in small batches, fry the tortilla strips for 20 to 30 seconds, until they begin to crisp but not brown. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to transfer the tortilla strips to the prepared tray. Repeat until all the tortillas strips are fried.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread one-third of the sauce in a 10-by-2-inch round or an 8½-by-10½-by-2-inch terra-cotta, ceramic, or enameled cast-iron baking dish. Layer half of the tortilla strips on top. Sprinkle with one third each queso Chihuahua and queso añejo cheese. Layer half of the poblano strips on top. Spread with half of the remaining tomato sauce and layer with all of the remaining tortillas strips, half of each cheese, and all of the remaining poblano strips. Add a final layer of tomato
sauce and then a layer of both cheeses. Spread the sour cream over the top.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Cookware: Braiser - From Things Cooks Love

This multiuse round, shallow, two-handled stovetop-to-oven pan has a domed lid that keeps braised foods moist throughout cooking. Without the lid, it can be used in the oven as a baker or as a sauté pan. It is made from a variety of materials, some attractive enough to use for serving.

Braiser

The braiser, also known as the bistro or buffet casserole, is handsome enough to go directly from the oven or stove top to the table. It is relatively shallow (2 ½ to 3 inches deep) and has a large cooking surface, making it suitable for sautéing, browning, and braising compact foods such as chicken, fish, chops, and vegetables. The snug-fitting domed lid locks in the juices and allows the condensation to drip back onto the food, keeping it moist while it slowly cooks.

The pan, which has two looped opposing handles, is available in relatively lightweight, polished stainless steel–clad aluminum that heats up quickly and cleans easily. The other choice is a mattefinished enameled cast iron, which is a much heavier pan and heats more slowly but holds the heat longer, making it perfect for keeping foods warm on a buffet.



Tips for Using
Not just for braising, the pan—sans the lid—works as a baking dish and as a skillet on the stove top.

Because it is flameproof, the braiser can be used under the broiler.

Its broad, shallow profile means the brasier is good for cooking rice, and rice dishes like pilaf, perfectly. The braiser is handsome enough to use as a serving dish.

Braiser Recipe

Beef Braciole Stuffed with Sausage, Two Cheeses, and Dried Currants

Prep 45 min | Cook time 1 to 1½ hr | Serves 4

Braciole is a favorite Italian dish of meat slices pounded flat, spread with a filling, rolled into little bundles, and then slowly braised. For this recipe, you can use beef round, flank, or chuck, but pork cutlets, cut from the leg, will also work. As with so many slow-cooked dishes, the flavors improve if the recipe is made ahead and then reheated just before serving. Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta, or a small pasta shape, such as orzo. Serve with Creamy Polenta with Two Cheeses (page 57) or Fluffy Yukon Gold Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Green Onions
(page 111).

Implements
Meat Pounder, Cooking String or Silicone Ties, Braiser, Tongs, Flat-Edged Wooden Spoon or Flat Whisk, Food Mill, Cutting Board

Ingredients
Stuffing
8 ounces sweet Italian sausages, preferably with fennel, casings removed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup fine dried bread crumbs
½ cup (2 ounces) diced aged provolone cheese
½ cup grated pecorino romano or Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons dried currants or dark raisins
1 clove garlic, minced
8 thin slices (¼ to ¹⁄3 inch thick) boneless beef top round, flank, or chuck (about 1¼ pounds total)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional as needed

Sauce
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
½ cup finely chopped carrot
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup full-bodied red wine
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juices
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, for garnish

1. Make the stuffing: In a large bowl, combine the sausage meat, egg, bread crumbs, provolone cheese, pecorino romano cheese, parsley, currants, and garlic, and stir until well blended.
2. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface and place a slice of beef on top. Place a second piece of plastic wrap on top of the beef. Using a meat pounder, gently but firmly pound the meat, beginning in the center and working your way to the edges, until the meat is an even ¹⁄8 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining beef slices. Depending on the weight of the pounder and the thickness of the meat, each slice can take 10 to 20 firm, purposeful whacks to achieve the correct thickness.
3. Cut 16 pieces of cooking string each 10 inches long, or have ready silicone ties. Sprinkle each meat slice with a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper.
4. Divide the stuffing into 8 equal portions (each one will be a heaping ¼ cup). Place a portion in the center of a meat slice and spread to within ½ inch of the edges. Press the stuffing evenly into the meat. Beginning with the narrow end, roll up the meat around the stuffing to make a neat bundle. Using the string or ties, tie each roll crosswise and lengthwise, like a package, securely but not too tightly. Repeat with the remaining meat slices and stuffing.
5. Heat the braiser over medium heat until hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle on contact, then add the olive oil. Arrange the meat rolls in the pan (they fit best if arranged like wheel spokes) and brown on all 4 sides, turning the rolls with tongs, for about 5 minutes total, or until evenly colored. Using the tongs, transfer the meat to a plate.
6. Make the sauce: If the pan is dry, add an additional drizzle of oil. Add the onion and carrot, and cook, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until softened. Add the red wine and bring to a boil. Using the flat edge of a wooden spoon or a flat whisk, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil the wine for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Remove from the heat.
7. Set a food mill fitted with the fine disk on the rim of a medium bowl, add the tomatoes with their juices, and puree. Or, puree the tomatoes in a food processor and then press though a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
8. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf to the braiser and bring to a boil. Return the beef rolls to the sauce, turning with the tongs to coat well, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork. Turn the rolls occasionally and check to make sure the sauce isn’t boiling too hard.
9. Transfer the rolls to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the sauce over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
10. Snip the strings from the beef rolls and discard, or untie the silicone ties. Cut the rolls on the diagonal into slices ½ inch thick, and arrange the slices on a warmed deep platter. Remove and discard the bay leaf from the sauce. Spoon the sauce on top of the rolls and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve hot.