Spedini

I just opened my new Penzey's spice catalog and found this recipe. Spedini meat is thin slices of veal or beef tenderloin, similar to scallopini slices. Buy if from your butcher or get your own tenderloin and slice thinly into 4"by 6"pieces. For less expensive (but less tender) spedini, thinly slice a top round or eye of round beef roast. *Spices are available from Penzeys, LTD P.O. Box 933 Muskego, WI 53150 Or you can order by: phone (414)574-0277 Fax (414)574-0278

Ingredients

• 1 lb. spedini meat or beef tenderloin(about 24 slices)
• 1/2 lb. provolone cheese cut into 1/4" cubes
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle*
• 1/4 cup Italian Herb Seasoning*
• 1/4 cup Granulated Garlic Powder*
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil(see note in recipe)
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper to taste*
• 24 Turkish Bay Leaves
• 2 lemons
• 2 mediun onions, cut in quarters, separated into pieces
• 4 metal skewers

Directions

Preheat oven to low broil, placing a rack about 4 inches from the flame. Or, get the coals going for low-heat grilling(not too many coals, spread out after they are totally covered with ash--about 25 minutes). Spread wax paper on your countertop, and lay out the slices of meat. Press flat with a large chef's knife. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the meat with olive oil. Starting with 6 slices of beef, sprinkle on about 1/2 tsp. breadcrumbs and 1/4 tsp. Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle, Italian Herb and Granulated Garlic Powder on each piece. Place one cube of cheese on each piece of beef. Roll up each piece of beef around the cheese, starting with the short side. Skewer the beef roll, along with one Turkish Bay Leaf and one hunk of onion, then repeat with another spedini roll. The order should be beef, bay leaf, onion, beef, bay leaf, onion. Six spedini rolls hould fit comfortably on each skewer. When the first 6 pieces are threaded on the skewer, start the next 6. Place the skewers on a broiler pan with at least one end of the skewer on the edge of the pan(preferably both, if you can manage it) to hold the beef out of the drippings. This whole process will take about 15 minutes.

Mix the juice of one lemon with the remaining olive oil, brush the beef lightly with this mix. Place the spedini on the grill or in the broiler. Cook 6-7 minutes on the first side, until lightly browned, flip, brush with oil and lemon juice again, cook another 5 minutes or so. The trick is to get the beef cooked and the cheese melted without having all the cheese run out and the beef get tough and overcooked. 5 minutes on the second side is usually about right. Remove the spedini from oven, push off skewers onto a serving plate, serve while hot. While the spedini is cooking, cut up the second lemon to serve in a small bowl for sprinkling on the spedini.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: Penzey's Spice Catalog - Summer '97
Submitted By: Linda Wilson
lwilson@mail.heritage.com
Spedini