Orecchiette al sugo con ragù di braciole (orecchiette pasta with braciole meat sauce) is one of the most identifiable dishes of the Apulia region, best known in the Bari area, and is the classic 'Sunday dish' that is never missing from the tables of southern families, especially in the cold season.
Orecchiette con ragù di braciole ('braciole' in dialect) are appreciated by young and old alike, because they reflect the most genuine tradition and are a symbol of a regional cuisine with a strong identity and authenticity.
Strolling through the alleys of Apulian towns, it is common to be enraptured by the smell coming from the kitchens of the houses where the tradition of the Sunday ragù has always been respected.
The cooking is quite long, but the preparation is simple. The result is an inviting and delicious dish that delights the palates of young and old and makes everyone happy.
For a 10-star ragout we recommend using Mastrototaro Food's 'La casereccia di Puglia' tomato puree, a velvety and delicious puree that will give that genuine homemade touch perfect for preparations of this kind.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
For the chops
8 slices of beef or horse meat
250 g ham fat (optional)
parsley to taste
black pepper to taste
Pecorino or Canestrato pugliese cheese (grated or flaked)
garlic to taste
For the ragout and orecchiette
2 jugs of tomato puree "La casereccia di Puglia" by Mastrototaro Food
1 onion
1 glass of dry white wine
extra virgin olive oil to taste
grated Pecorino cheese to taste
2 bay leaves
chilli pepper
salt to taste
400 g fresh Apulian orecchiette pasta
PREPARATION
Take a slice of meat, lay it on a flat surface and flatten it with a meat tenderizer. Place the filling on each slice, consisting of chopped garlic and parsley, shavings of cheese or grated pecorino, a pinch of chilli pepper, a little chopped lard, salt and pepper. Close the slice of meat on itself, wrapping it as if it were a roulade and tightening it well so that the filling does not come out. Once the roulade is complete, 'seal' it with some toothpicks or string.
At this point, you can proceed with cooking the chops in Mastrototaro Food's 'La casereccia di Puglia' tomato puree.
Take a pan and place the chops, chopped onion and leftover lard in it and brown them well with a little extra virgin olive oil. Add the rest of the cheese, letting it all blend together, and then deglaze over moderate heat with white wine.
Once the wine has evaporated, add the tomato puree 'La casereccia di Puglia' by Mastrototaro Food, a pinch of chilli pepper, the chopped basil, dilute with a little water to prevent the sauce from becoming thick, and leave the chops to cook slowly, covering them with a lid and over a very low heat for about 3 hours, turning them gently from time to time. Season with salt after a while and continue cooking. Cooking times vary depending on the meat used, for horse meat it is necessary to leave the ragout to cook for 4 or 5 hours.
Before finishing cooking the meat sauce, one can proceed with cooking the orecchiette and, once ready, they should be dressed with the sauce obtained from cooking the meat; serve the orecchiette with a generous handful of pecorino cheese and the braciole as a second course.
The meal is rounded off with some excellent local red wine and homemade bread to make the scarpetta.
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The historical origins of orecchiette
Puglia is identified in many things, scents and flavours of the most authentic gastronomy. Orecchiette are a fresh pasta format that is a symbol of southern regional cuisine and are famous for their characteristic and peculiar round and concave shape, smooth on the outside and rough and wrinkled on the inside, reminiscent of a small ear.
Popular with everyone, orecchiette are so versatile that they go well with many traditional Apulian dishes, first and foremost ragù followed by turnip greens. Their ability to capture and gather the sauce well is the most appreciated characteristic of this pasta format. Orecchiette are made by hand, with a simple dough made from durum wheat semolina flour, water and salt that is worked on madie, large wooden cutting boards, and shaped by hand with a smooth-bladed knife. Famous are the 'ladies of old Bari', who prepare orecchiette among the passers-by in the streets of the historic centre, showing their skill in making such a special pasta.
The origin of orecchiette seems to date back to 1200/1500, although there is no official documentation on this product. It seems that the shape of this type of pasta was very popular both in ancient Rome and in Provence, where the Counts of Anjou apparently loved a medieval French recipe for a fresh pasta called crosets made with durum wheat flour and water and shaped like discs hollowed out in the centre. This shape was invented because it was easy to dry and store during times of famine. The name orecchiette, on the other hand, would have been perfected over the years in Apulia and, according to local tradition, the shape of the orecchiette seems to have been inspired by the roofs of trulli.
Another theory attests to the origin of orecchiette in Bari between the 12th and 12th centuries. During the Norman-Swabian domination, the Jewish community that settled in Bari enjoyed special protection from the northern people and made a strong gastronomic contribution to the local cuisine of the time. The Apulian orecchiette seems to have been inspired by some traditional Jewish sweets, especially the Orecchie di Aman (Aman's ears): small pockets of fried shortcrust pastry that are shaped like an ear.
