My husband loves beef. Sirloin, filet, ground, flank, stew, tips – it doesn’t matter as long as it’s red and juicy. There was a time during our courtship where I allowed him to do the majority of the cooking. Adhering to his love, it was sirloin strip steaks all the time served in two varieties – barbecue or teriyaki glazed.

Once I started to cook more and eventually began experimenting, he learned that thick cuts aren’t the only beef that makes for a hearty and delicious meal. As my guinea pig, he’s tried a wide variety of simple and complex meals with all sorts of cuts that he wouldn’t look twice at before.

See also Red Wine Marinated Flank Steak.

One cut that I particularly like is a thin cut, usually about six to eight inches long and four inches wide. In my local supermarkets, it’s labeled for bracciole. I layer various ingredients onto it and then roll it up, securing with two wooden toothpicks or cooking string. Then it’s cooked in a 350 degree oven for roughly 20 minutes, until cooked through. The results are always tasty.

Here are a few ideas:

Beef Bleu
Serves 1

1 strip bracciole beef
½ slice ham
1 slice Swiss cheese
Italian herbs
allspice
salt
pepper

Lay beef flat on a greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.

Sprinkle evenly with Italian herbs, allspice, salt and pepper.

Layer Swiss cheese and ham on top of beef.

Roll up and secure with two wooden toothpicks or cooking string.

Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until cooked through.

Pesto Beef
Serves 1

1 strip braccioli beef
1 tsp pesto
1 slice Swiss cheese
salt

Lay beef flat on a greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.

Sprinkle evenly with salt.

Spread pesto on top of beef and top with Swiss slice.

Roll up and secure with two wooden toothpicks or cooking string.

Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until cooked through.

Pepperoni Beef
Serves 1

1 strip braccioli beef
1 slice Swiss cheese
3 slices deli pepperoni

Lay beef flat on a greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.

Layer Swiss cheese and pepperoni slices on top of beef.

Roll up and secure with two wooden toothpicks or cooking string.

Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until cooked through.

See also: Mozzarella Basil Beef Roll-ups