Steak & Vegetable Rollentini with a Balsamic Reduction

Rollentini is an Italian dish consisting of eggplant or meat wrapped around a savory filling that is normally served with a sauce of some sort. For this version we used a nicely marbled chuck eye steak, pounded thin & marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette that envelopes colorful roasted vegetables. A rich & syrupy balsamic reduction is all that is needed to finish this elegant yet simple entree. Skirt steak may also be used & rolls up quit nicely.

serves 2

• 2- 8 oz. chuck-eye steaks, cut in half horizontal (this will give you four pieces, skirt steak)

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 1 tsp. salt

• a few cracks of fresh pepper (1/8 tsp)

• 2/3 olive oil

• 4 carrots, two purple two yellow, cut julienne

• 1 red bell pepper, cut julienne

• 1 bunch of asparagus, end third trimmed off

• 1 cup of balsamic vinegar

1.) Pound out steaks to 1/4” using a meat mallet & place in a gallon size ziplock bag. In a small bowl combine first listing of vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper. In a slow steady stream whisk in olive oil to create a balsamic vinaigrette (alternately you may use a food processor, giving the mixture a few pulses, or shake mixture vigorously in a small jar with a tight fitting lid). Pour vinaigrette over meat, seal & gently massage to work through steak. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2.) Preheat over to 400f. Place vegetables on a sheet pan & toss with a bit of olive oil & salt & pepper to taste. Roast for 15 minutes & remove from oven, set aside pushing veggies off to one side of the sheet pan . Remove steaks from marinade & on same oiled sheet pan, lay out steaks & evenly distribute vegetables along the narrow end of each . Roll up snugly around vegetable bundles & secure with a tooth pick or two. Roast at 400f for about 20 minutes or until steak is cooked through & tender.

3.) Make reduction while steak cooks. In a small sauce pan, over low heat add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar & cook down until it is reduced to 1/4 cup. This will give you a nice rich & syrupy reduction to drizzle over your steaks. Serve with Basmati rice.

Chef Notes: You may roll up vegetables in the steak without preliminary roasting but if you prefer a little more caramelization to your veggies then this extra step will achieve that for you.