day of preparation, people may not see it on the everyday
menu. “We would tend to offer roulades as a special on
the weekend when we are busier, and have the wait staff
promote the dish,” he says.
Rosser decided to use the spinalis (or the deckle), which is
the cap of a rib eye and is the super-tender, heavily marbled
muscle running around the outside of the eye of a whole
rib primal. “Fat is flavor. No matter how you cook this cut,
it’s good eating, because it has tremendous flavor,” he says.
“But when you roll the meat stuffed with great-tasting
ingredients, it’s all the better.”
Rosser’s spinalis is a 3½ lb. piece of meat pounded out
into a square and paired with ingredients to complement
its meatiness and fattiness. “The finished item has to not
only taste good, but also, it needs to have a great presence,”
Rosser says. “A vibrant red tomato chutney gives the stuffing
body and a bold color. And to help keep the spinach from
ABOVE: Fontina cheese in the stuffing of this Mediterranean roasted center-cut
top sirloin roulade provides a creamy texture when melted, an earthy flavor with
a taste of mushrooms and a fresh acidity.
getting too wilted and losing too much of its dark green
color, it’s first tossed with breadcrumbs and butter.”
A key area in making roulade is properly seasoning
the inside of the meat before stuffing. Rosser uses a
housemade steak seasoning made from kosher salt, garlic
powder, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, dry mustard
and ground thyme. He also says it’s important to layer
ingredients in the proper order. “You’re building layers
of flavors on what would stay together best.” He advises
starting with the pork product, generally prosciutto,
which provides the perfect amount of flavor and saltiness
without adding a greasy taste, and building from there.
“To make a good roulade, you need to remember the
totality of the dish,” Rosser adds. “The roulade is the meat
and the stuffing. Meat expands and contracts, so you need
to consider the stuffing ingredients, because both have to
work together.”
CENTER-CUT TOP SIRLOIN
Doherty uses a center-cut top sirloin, a tougher muscle
that becomes tender when pounded out and sliced thin.
“Pounding the meat is essential, because it immediately
changes the texture and palatability,” he says. “And although
it’s a lean cut, the meat’s moisture and flavor is improved by
incorporating vegetables, cheese and sauce as the stuffing,
so the meat will never be dry unless it’s overcooked.”
He starts with a 4-5 lb. piece of meat and cuts it across the
grain into eight ( 7 oz.) portions, which are then pounded
thin. Next, he layers the stuffing ingredients—garlic purée,
prosciutto, roasted red peppers, basil leaves, marinated and
grilled eggplant, and fontina cheese—on each steak. The
meat is rolled lengthwise and tied. Each roulade is browned
in a hot skillet and finished in a 350°F oven to desired
doneness. After resting, each portion can serve as one piece
or be sliced into five smaller pieces that can be fanned on the
plate or on top of a salad or side.
“I like to use fontina cheese, because it provides a creamy
texture when melted and the flavor is earthy, with a taste
of mushrooms and a fresh acidity,” Doherty says. “Grated
Parmesan provides a nutty flavor, but really doesn’t melt.”
ROB BENES, A CHICAGO-BASED JOURNALIS T, WAS PREVIOUSLY THE EDITOR OF CHEF
AND CHEF EDUCATOR TODAY. HE HAS MORE THAN NINE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WRITING
ABOUT CHEFS, FOOD, WINE AND SPIRITS FOR TRADE AND EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS.
