Can I use these cuts for bresaola?

December 26, 2011 2:23 PM

Can I use a rolled round or rolled tip roast for bresaola?

I've recently gotten into making my own cured meats, and we have had some extremely successful pepperoni and salami. I want to try bresaola next. I have a freezer full of a split side of Hippie Cow (grass fed, free range, no antibiotics, raised outside the range of cell phone antennas with chakra alignments every fortnight, etc.) but I had it butchered without regard to charcuterie. The recipes I have suggest using top round, bottom round, or sirloin tip; I have a rolled round roast and a rolled tip roast. If I unroll those, can I use them for bresaola?

Special extra bonus question: how do you pronounce bresaola? I've heard "bress-ay-OH-luh" and "Brez-WAHL-ah."

posted by KathrynT to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

For dried meats, I've always heard round, not tips.
posted by xingcat at 3:02 PM on December 26, 2011

Only going for the bonus: 'brez OW la' is how I've heard it
posted by chasles at 3:47 PM on December 26, 2011

The unrolled the round roast would be good for making braciole (bra-chee-ol-ay). You should pound it to even the thickness.
posted by Linnee at 4:47 PM on December 26, 2011

"Rhymes with Mazola" is how I've always thought.
posted by rhizome at 5:04 PM on December 26, 2011

2nding what Linnee said because your bresaola will fall apart if made with the thin rolled roast, which is exactly what you want it to do (fork tender) when making braciole.

Of course, being of stout German heritage, I'd make rouladen with the unrolled roast instead. Just sayin'. Prost!
posted by webhund at 9:23 PM on December 26, 2011