Involtini di Maiale alla Griglia
Region: Italy
Category: Pork-Grilled
Season: Summer
Difficulty: Medium Difficulty
Italians love various meat roll-ups, called involtini, skewered and on the grill. In this preparation pork is stuffed with finely chopped aromatic ingredients and skewered. They grill slowly and are finished when the bread just begins to blacken. If feeding children, leave out the liver, which I believe they find too strong a taste. The pork fat used in the stuffing helps tenderize the meat and adds flavor.
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation Time: 1 hour
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped pork fat
2 tablespoons finely chopped pork, lamb, veal, or chicken liver
1 large egg, beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin (about), cut into twenty 1/2-inch-thick slices
About 1/2 loaf Italian or French bread, cut into twenty 1-inch cubes
Ten 8-inch wooden skewers
Olive oil for drizzling
1. Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes on medium.
2. Soak the bread crumbs in the milk and then squeeze the milk out with your hands and discard the milk. Place the soaked bread crumbs, the garlic, parsley, pork fat, and liver in a bowl and mix well. Add the egg and salt and pepper to taste and mix again.
3. Place the pork slices between 2 pieces of wax paper and flatten with a mallet or the side of a heavy cleaver until they are about 4 x 3-inch scallopine.
4. Spread the stuffing on the pork slices and roll them up, folding the edges in and securing with a toothpick if necessary. Shape and squeeze in the palms of your hands so the stuffing does not escape. Freeze any leftover stuffing.
5. Put 2 involtini per skewer interspersed with 2 bread cubes per skewer. Drizzle olive oil over the meat and bread
6. Place the involtini on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the bread just begins to blacken, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Posted: 12/28/2006
