Stuffed beef pocket
( Tasca ripiena )

Stuffed beef pocket recipe

Preparation and cooking

• - Prepare two frittatas.
  Clean and halve onion. Then chop every half and put aside.
  Place the first half in a non stick frying pan with 2 teaspoons olive oil and let all fry slightly on very low heat.
  Meanwhile ...
  ... beat two eggs with a pinch of salt.
  Increase heat and pour beaten eggs into your pan. After a couple of minutes, turn upside down your frittata and let it cook another minute.
  Transfer your frittata on a plate. It must be large, thin and soft.
  Do the same way for the second frittata.
• - Let your frittatas cool. Meanwhile ...
  ... wash asparagus. Remember you need 8 to 10 asparagus. Remove the hardest portion of their stem and shorten them further compared to the length of your piece of meat and its pocket. Your asparagus must be shorter. You can use your scarded stems to make vegetable stock or other recipes. Generally, I have the habit to add them in the water to cook pasta, Fantastic!
  Pat dry all asparagus very well.
• - Crumble sausages on top of your frittatas.
  Place two asparagus on a frittata and begin to roll it.
  Continue until you roll the whole frittata. Be sure to use half of the asparagus.
  Do the same thing with the second frittata.
• - Using a sharp, pointed knife, make a horizontal cut in your meat piece without cutting all the way through and without reaching the bottom of its tip (leave a margin of at least two fingers uncut) .
• - Salt your pocket inside.
  Stuff your pocket with both frittatas. The filling should be placed well until the end. You have to leave enough space towards the opened edge for you have to sew it.
• - Take a big needle. There are on sale needles suitable for sewing the meat but I have always used a wool needle with large eye. Use kitchen string and close the opening with many stitches. The filling must not come out during cooking.
• - Bring to a boil more than a liter of water. Season to taste with salt.
• - Place remaining olive oil in a big pan and let your meat brown on all sides on low heat. Do not prick your meat with fork. Use two wooden spoons to turn it.
• - Once formed a golden crust, add all boiling water.
  Lower heat to minimun, partially cover with a lid and continue cooking by simmering.
  Turn your meat every 30 minutes.
  You'll need about 3 hours.
  Your cooking liquid should not be reduced completely.

Just before serving

• - Let your meat cool very well.
  Remove it from the pan and cut it into not too thin slices.
  Place meat slices in the pan again and let them warm without turning them.
• - Serve your beef slices in individual plates, sprinkled with cooking juice.

Note

Tips

• - The butcher will advise you the most suitable piece of meat. Let him prepare it for you, cut included. It's better ;))
• - You can buy the meat the day before cooking it and keep it, wrapped in its paper, in the lowest part of your refrigerator that is the coldest. I tried several times and my meat has never changed its color.
• - Cook your stuffed meat the day before. This recipe is a good solution when I have guests for it is a ahead dish.
• - Be careful on cooking temperature. Cooking liquid should simmer, in the true sense of the word. Only in this way collagen gelatinises and your meat becomes tender.
• - You can always freeze what is left.

Menu planning

• - This kind of stuffed beef pocket is ideal for your spring menus when asparagus are in season. It is a good solution for Easter menu too, especially for people who do not like lamb meat.
• - It is a delicate and refined recipe ideal for formal dinner parties too.
• - Serve your beef pocket accompanied by a seasonal green salad enriched with oranges as you can see in the photo.

Healthy eating

• - It is a well balanced dish if you respect doses and servings! ;)
• - Fiber per serving: 0.6 grams.

Loretta

What's the right wine for " Stuffed beef pocket "?

My husband and I always pair Negroamaro from Salento (rosé wine from Apulia) to my stuffed beef pocket.