Messina style chops, meat rolls perfect for the barbeque

June is upon us, summer is knocking loudly on the door and we couldn’t be happier to welcome her with a warm smile and a hearty embrace. I’m already thinking about new dishes to serve at the next barbecue (do you want to breathe some new life into your garden parties? Take advantage of the Palazzetti Barbecue offer, you have until 30^th June 2019 to treat yourself to many products at a special price!) With this in mind, Messina-style chops will be my piéce della resistance. This meat dish draws its inspiration from the scents of Sicily, as those of us who are lucky enough to have visited and enjoyed this land’s culinary tradition and delicacies, will testify. Messina-style chops, are nothing more than deliciously tasty skewered meat rolls, to be cooked preferably on the embers ‘braci’ from which they derive their Italian name. A Sicilian friend introduced me to them whilst at university together and I must say that I will always be eternally grateful to her, because at that moment they went straight to the top of my list for ways to enjoy grilled meat. Messina-style chops are perfect for a dinner with friends or as finger food for with an informal aperitivo. Slices of really good quality meat (ask your trusty butcher for advice) wrap around a tasty aromatic bread mixture. As they cook, the cheese in the middle melts, creating a combination of flavours and fragrances. Crisp and fragrant on the outside and succulent in the middle, Messina-style chops are delicious and tender all at the same time. Tasty and easy to prepare, they’ll make a great impression – guaranteed! And have you already thought about what dishes to serve at your next barbecue? Here’s some inspiration!

Messina-style chops: perfect for the barbeque

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 16 slices of beef carpaccio (or veal meat)
• 200 gr of breadcrumbs
• 50 gr of white sliced bread
• 50 gr of grated Grana cheese
• 50 g of sweet Provola (alternatively, use a pasta filata cheese)
• a quarter of a clove of garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil and butter as desired
• Salt, parsley and black pepper as desired
• Sage leaves to garnish
• Slices of lemon to serve

METHOD

1. Start with the filling: add the Grana cheese, parsley, chopped garlic, pepper, a tablespoon of oil and one of water to the white bread in the mixer. Blend and set aside.
2. Coat the slices of meat with olive oil on both sides, then with the breadcrumbs.
3. Taking one slice of meat at a time, roll it around the garlic flavoured bread mixture. In the middle, place a few pieces of Provola cheese and a knob of butter. Roll it up carefully by turning the edges of the meat inwards so that the cheese doesn’t come out during cooking.
4. All that’s left to do now is to hold each roll firmly in your hands and pierce through with a skewer.
5. It’s time to cook your Messina-style chops. You have a choice of two methods: grill them or cook them in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil.

I would definitely recommend the grilling method. Actually, this is the traditional way to cook this delicious meat dish: the aroma emanating from the embers to the breaded meat is unparalleled. The result will be a skewered meat roll that’s crisp on the outside and deliciously tender and succulent on the inside, enhanced by the deliciousness of the cheese. You won’t be able to stop yourself eating one after another! Credits immagini: Sara Cartelli