Steak Roulade with Parsnip Mash and Roasted Baby Carrots

This dish is better known in my house as Season 2 tryouts.  When I first learned of the open casting call for Masterchef, I racked my brain for a wonderful dish, that I could cook in Harrisburg, transport to NYC,  stand in line for who knows how long, and it would still be yummy for the judging.  Once I settled on the Roulade, I made Shawn eat it at least once a week, tweaking it to perfection.  I was even able to get my dad; Mr. All Veggies are Rabbit Food, to try it.  Even though it wasn’t good enough to get me on the show, it still is one of my all-time favorite dishes.   (Three years later and Shawn still won’t let me cook it again)

Enjoy…

24 oz. London Broil

3 oz. thinly sliced Pancetta

1 cup Smoked Gouda

2 cups Shiitake Mushrooms

4 cups fresh Spinach

2 minced Garlic Cloves

2 cups Beef Stock

10 baby Carrots

2 tablespoons of Butter

4 Parsnips

2 Gala Apples

½ cup Milk

4 tablespoons of Butter

4 tablespoons of Olive Oil

½ tablespoon of Flour

Salt

Pepper

Fill a 4 quart pot ¾ with water.  Put in cleaned carrots.  Bring to boil and remove and strain when carrots are cooked all the way though.  Be careful not to let them get “fork tender” we are not creating a mashed carrot here, just “par” cooking them so they don’t take forever in the oven.  Cover a cookie sheet with cooking spray and put the “par cooked” Carrots on it, drizzle with Olive Oil, season with Salt and Pepper.  Place into oven at 375 for about 20-30 minutes.  Keep an eye on them you want to pull them when the sugars begin to brown them.

In a medium Sauté Pan heat ½ of the Olive Oil on medium high heat.  Thinly slice Mushrooms.  Place Garlic in oil and begin to cook.  Add Mushrooms, season with Salt and Pepper, then sauté until reduced in size by a quarter.  Add Spinach and sauté until spinach is completely wilted.  Remove from heat.

  

Place your London Broil on your cutting board, if your cutting board is one of those tiny little plastic things from the dollar store, throw it away and go get a real board.  Worst case; place it on the counter top.  Cover with a large sheet of plastic wrap, make sure the wrap lays flat and extends at least 6 inches past the steak on all sides.  Pull out your meat tenderizer and start hammering.  Start in the middle and work your way out.  Each cycle should thin and enlarge the steak, continue the cycles until the steak is about ½ an inch think.

Remove plastic wrap, season with Salt and Pepper, and then lay slices of Pancetta on top of steak.  Look at the steak and it should resemble a rectangle.  Turn it so the shorter sides are to your right and left, and the longer sides are at the front and back.  You want to spread out the Pancetta in nice even sheet, carefully overlapping each piece with the next, stop about 1 inch short of the long side. Spread Mushrooms and Spinach on top of Pancetta.  Then julienne Gouda into strips resembling French fries and evenly distributing on top of steak. 

Carefully roll the steak, front to back.  Keeping it tight as you go along, but not so tight all the goodness squeezed out the top and sides.  Now it is time to hog tie!  Tie a piece of twine around the steak, to hold it together.  Next time I make one I will be sure to upload a video with the technique, but essentially you are creating little loops all the way down the steak. 

In a large Sauté Pan heat on medium high heat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil.  Carefully place your roulade into the pan and sear on each side.  Once seared on all sides, place roulade into Baking Pan, add Beef Broth, cover with foil and place into oven on 375 for 15-20 mins.  (More or less depending on the doneness you like your steak, which should be medium rare)  Pull from oven and let rest for 5 mins.

Peal and cube the Parsnips into ¼ inch cubes.  Fill a 4 quart pot ¾ full of water, add salt to the water, and then add in Parsnips.  Bring to boil and boil until Parsnips are fork tender.  Peal and cube Apples into ¼ inch cubes.  Heat Olive Oil and 1 tablespoon of Butter in a medium Sauté Pan over medium to medium high heat, add Apples and sauté until they become tender and golden brown.   You will need to stir them constantly as the sugars in the Apples will burn easily, you are trying caramelize them not charcoal them.  Drain Parsnips and place them and Apples in a large mixing bowl, add tablespoon of Butter, season with salt.  Using your hand mixed beat Parsnips and Apples, while slowly adding Milk.  I say slowly because sometimes it takes a half cup milk, sometimes it only takes a quarter cup milk.  There are more factors than I care to go into here on why, but when you first heard these factors you were in 7^th grade science class and if they didn’t make since then, they probably won’t again.  The easiest thing is slowly add milk and stop when you reach the consistency you are looking to achieve.

In a small Sauté Pan melt 2 table spoons of butter, whisk in Flour and keep whisking until smooth.  Pour in Beef Stock from the baking dish.  I would suggest a ladle or large spoon.  Whisk until sauce reduces to about 1/2 of the original amount.

Spoon Beef Sauce onto plate top with a slice roulade, spoon on Parsnips on to your plate, add the Carrots and serve.

Enjoy!