Patsy's Italian Family Cookbook (14 page)

Succulent pork rolls filled with three cheeses are a popular specialty on our menu. They are pretty big, and while some guests can polish off two rollatini with no problem, people with smaller appetites will only want one … yet probably ask for seconds. Know your audience and make enough accordingly.

1 center-cut boneless pork loin roast (about 1¼ pounds), trimmed

1 cup finely chopped fresh mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

¾ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 3 ounces)

½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

2 large eggs, beaten to blend

⅓ cup finely chopped prosciutto

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

8 slices bacon

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup
Chicken Stock
or reduced-sodium store-bought chicken broth

⅓ cup dry white wine

⅓ cup finely minced shallots

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.
Using a thin sharp knife, cut the loin into 8 equal slices about ⅓ inch thick. One at a time, place a pork slice between two 1-gallon plastic storage bags. Using a flat meat pounder, pound the pork into thin pieces 4 by 6 inches. Repeat with the remaining pork slices.

2.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil a large ovenproof baking dish or casserole.

3.
Mix together the mozzarella, Parmigiano, and ricotta cheeses, eggs, prosciutto, and butter in a medium bowl.

4.
For each rollatini, place a pork slice on the work surface with a narrow end facing you. Spoon about one-eighth (about ¼ cup) of the cheese mixture near the bottom of the pork slice. Roll up the slice to enclose the filling, tucking in the ends as you roll. Wrap a bacon strip in a diagonal spiral around the pork slice. Arrange the rollatini in the baking dish.

5.
Bake the rollatini for 8 minutes. Turn them over and bake until the bacon is browned and crisp, about 8 minutes more. Mix the broth, wine, and shallots together in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the broth mixture over the pork and continue baking until the liquid is hot, about 3 minutes. Let the rollatini stand about 5 minutes.

6.
To serve, transfer the rollatini to a deep platter. Pour the pan juices on top and serve hot.

Sweet Sausage Sliders

MAKES 4

Miniature burgers go down easy, especially when they are made from sweet Italian sausage, topped with roasted red peppers and provolone cheese. We sell these by the truckload at Patsy’s.

4 links sweet Italian pork sausage (each about 6 inches long)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Twelve 3-inch-square pieces
Roasted Red Peppers

Twelve 3-inch-square slices provolone cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

12 mini brioche buns, slider rolls, or small dinner rolls, split

Pitted green olives, for serving

1.
Cut each sausage lengthwise, almost slicing in two, then spread the sausage out flat like an open book. Cut each sausage crosswise into thirds, giving you 12 pieces.

2.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the sausage, cut sides down, and cook, turning often, until browned on all sides and the sausage shows no sign of pink when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 7 to 8 minutes.

3.
Turn off the heat, but leave the skillet on the burner. Top each piece of sausage with a slice of red pepper followed by a slice of provolone. Cover the skillet tightly and let the residual heat melt the cheese.

4.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the broiler about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler on high.

5.
While the broiler is preheating, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Pour the garlic oil into a small bowl.

6.
Brush the cut sides of the buns with the garlic oil. Place the buns, cut sides up, on the broiler rack. Broil until toasted, about 30 seconds.

7.
For each slider, tuck a sausage portion in a bun. Spear a green olive on a wooden toothpick and poke it into the slider to hold it together. Serve hot.

Liver Veneziana

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Grandpa Patsy was fond of saying that liver Veneziana is the Italian version of sweet and sour pork. Venice has many traditional sweet and sour dishes, probably because of Middle Eastern cuisine’s influence when the silk and spice routes were in full operation. I know many people who will only eat liver when it is cooked this way, smothered in vinegar-spiked onions.

⅔ cup olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, cut into ⅛-inch-thick half-moons

1 cup
Chicken Stock
or use reduced-sodium store-bought chicken broth

⅓ cup dry white wine

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

One 2¼-pound calf’s liver, rinsed and patted dry

½ cup all-purpose flour, for dredging

¼ cup fresh basil chiffonade (see
here
)

1.
Heat ⅓ cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are very tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes.

2.
Stir in the stock, wine, vinegar, and butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm. Wash and dry the skillet.

3.
Place the liver on the work surface with the long side facing you. Cut the liver vertically on a slight diagonal into ¼-inch-thick slices to yield approximately 24 pieces. Spread the flour on a plate. Coat the liver slices on both sides with flour, shaking off the excess.

4.
Heat the remaining ⅓ cup oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches without crowding, add the liver slices and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides but still quite pink inside when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the liver slices to a platter.

5.
Discard the oil from the skillet. Return the liver slices to the skillet and pour the onion mixture on top. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, just until the liver is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

6.
Transfer the liver slices and onions to a large platter and sprinkle with the basil. Serve hot.

Stewed Tripe à la Napolitana

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS