This is a dish that immediately transports my husband back to his childhood. My mother-in-law, Josephine R, used to make spiedini (think Italian kabobs) any time of year – in the warmer weather they were grilled and in the colder weather they were broiled.
A few years ago, Ed’s cousin, John I, asked if we had the family recipe for them as he remembered them as well. We had never made them and couldn’t find the recipe. It turns out that we didn’t look hard enough. It wasn’t until I cleaned up a very large, falling apart binder full of 25 plus years of saved recipes from various sources that I came across an old email from July, 1999, where my sister-in-law, LuAnn D, shared her mom’s recipe. My mother-in-law passed away the year prior and I clearly knew at that point that this was a recipe worth saving. A few weeks ago we decided to give these beef spiedini a try. We got it just right and Ed was thrilled.
The key to this recipe is thinly pounded eye of round or top round beef that’s cut into thin strips. It’s the same cut and style of beef you’d use if you’re making braciole. Spiedini are similar to braciole in that they are both thin strips of beef rolled up with bread crumbs and cheese. Spiedini are then skewered and cooked, whereas braciole is typically cooked in a tomato sauce. We are grateful for our local butcher, Worrell’s in Malvern, Pennsylvania. As soon as I said ‘braciole’ meat, they knew just what we were looking for.
Once you have the meat, the remaining steps are simple. Coat each piece of meat with olive oil on both sides and coat one side with the bread crumb and cheese mixture. Roll each piece up so the bread crumb and cheese mixture is on the inside. Add each piece to a skewer alternating a bay leaf between. If your bay leaves are too large, break them in half. The bay leaves provide a nice flavor to the meat as it heats up. In this recipe you don’t have to worry about forgetting to remove the bay leaves (something I am apt to do) before eating since they are visible. You can prepare them up to 24 hours in advance of grilling.
This may sound like a lot of bay leaves but it’s worth the one bay leaf to one spiedini ratio. Look for them in the bulk spice section of your grocery store, at a local spice store, or order them online. I visited a Penzys spice store in the Cleveland, Ohio suburbs this summer and stocked up on bay leaves while I was there. Little did I know that I’d have an excellent reason to use them.
I recommend making more spiedini than you think you need – I assure you they will be eaten.
| Josephine’s Beef Spiedini | | Print |
- 2 pounds eye of round or top round beef, pounded thin (see Notes)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs (regular or gluten-free)
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ~ 50 to 60 dried bay leaves (if large, break in half)
- Wrap beef in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Using a meat tenderizer, pound beef so that it is as thin as possible, about ⅛-inch thick. It is okay if there are a few holes since you’re going to roll the meat. Cut the beef into 2-inch by 5 inch strips.
- Place ¼ cup of olive oil in a shallow dish. Add more olive oil if needed – you may not need all of the olive oil.
- Mix Italian bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a wide flat dish.
- Take one strip of beef, coat it on both sides with olive oil. Then coat it on one side with the bread crumb mixture.
- Roll up the beef so that the bread crumb side is on the inside (the outside of the beef is simply coated in olive oil). Set aside on a tray. Repeat the process with remaining beef strips and bread crumb mixture.
- Taking a skewer alternate rolled beef, bay leaf, etc. until the skewer is full. Repeat until all of the rolled beef has been skewered. You can cook them now or refrigerate them for up to 24 hours.
- Preheat a gas grill to high. Cook, rotating and flipping occasionally, about 12 to 14 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. They should be cooked to well done. It’s okay if some of the bay leaves burn as it adds extra flavor.
- Before serving, remove the beef spiedini from the skewer and place on a platter. Discard the bay leaves. Serve immediately.
Wow, Nicole, this looks scrumptuous! Carmela or Grandma Rosina never made this at our house! Too bad for me! In the last line before the picture, I think you meant to include the word “more”, i.e., “I recommend making more speidini…,” yes? Good advice! Cheers!
Dad – Thank you! I’m glad that we were able to recreate something that Ed loved from his childhood. Thanks for the proofreading!
This looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing it.
Lee Ann – Thank you! Please let me know if you make it.
Hi Nicole,
My mom (whos name happened to be Josephine also) made her spedini exactly like this. But added onions between the meat and bay leaves.
We had this every Christmas for dinner.
She also made braciole when we were children.
Felice/Phil – Thank you for sharing! It sounds like my mother-in-law and your mom had a lot of common. She also made braciole. My husband, Ed, has made it but it was a long time ago. Perhaps we should revisit that. I appreciate you reaching out.