My paternal grandmother is the one who has handed down much of this Roman cuisine to me. I still remember the Pharaonic Sunday lunches in which she prepared the favorite dish of each diner. So, for the mainmeal they were often present at the table at the same time: the meatballs, the rolls,andthe breaded slices. I imagine the number of hours necessary to prepare all but the strangest thing is that I do not remember that there were leftovers.

Grandma Violetta rolls with celery and carrot

  • Preparation time: 120 minutes
  • Ingredients for 4-6 servings
  • Difficulty: Average difficulty recipe

  • Ingredients
  • 4 beef slices
  • 4 slices of mortadella
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 50 gr or 2 oz of grated pecorino cheese
  • 700 gr or 1 lb. 8 oz of peeled tomatoes
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Instructions
  2. Prepare the rolls. Cut carrots and celery into sticks.
  3. Beat the meat well until it becomes very thin. Divide it in half.
  4. On each piece of meat put a little grated pecorino, a slice of mortadella, a piece of carrot, and one of celery. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Roll up the meat and close it with one or two toothpicks. Form all the rolls.
  6. In a pan with oil lightly brown the rolls on each side. Remove the meat, andin the same pan stew the rest of the carrot and celery and the whole onion choppedfinely for about ten minutes. Add the peeled tomatoes, two glasses of water and the rolls. Cook over a low heat for about an hour and a half. Salt if necessary.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • Always use the meat tenderizer to make the meat tender. It is not an eliminable passage.
  • Cook the meat over low heat for a long time to ensure tender meat.
  • Always salt at the end especially if the cooking lasts for a long time.

 with Grandma Violetta during Carnival