Prosciutto wrapped beef with mushrooms

 Christmas show stopper!

Christmas time for our family is a time to reconnect, to wind down, to share stories and make memories. At times the feasts can be very low-key - a barbecue, a cheese platter, or some Christmas nibbles such as mince pies or shortbread. At other events, the food is much more elaborate, often with individuals bringing their signature dish. This dish has become one of my signatures quite by accident.

About 15 years ago, Aunt Bev and Uncle Geoff were hosting the Abbott side of Christmas. I was requested to bring the baked ham. I was at work on Saturday, so Myles went to my butcher to pick up the ham on the bone I had ordered. Disaster struck - his order of hams had not arrived. He offered Myles a Girello roast in its place. I came home and went to cook the ham to find something very different in the fridge. In Myles' defence, the butcher assured him that this was a superior cut of meat and I would know exactly what to do with it!

Luckily for me, I had been reading Jamie Oliver's "The return of the Naked Chef" and his recipe came to mind. At this late stage, there was no ability to go shopping for ingredients, and I needed a "show stopper" for lunch the next day, so I used what I had on hand. Despite initial disappointment at no ham, the family loved the dish and it is now on high rotation at Christmas gatherings. Everyone has their favourite bit - the crispy salty prosciutto, the buttery mushrooms or the tender slice of beef.

Let's talk about the cut of beef. I use a girello roast as it holds its shape well and is easy to source from my local butcher. Girello is Aussie or Italian for what is also called Eye of Round Beef in the US. It is one of those cuts of meat that have little to no fat marbling. Not suitable for low and slow as it's too lean. When roasting don't overcook it, serve medium rare - medium, otherwise it will be dry. https://www.glentorriepastures.com/recipes/girello-quick-lean-and-delicious

The prosciutto shouldn't be too thin, otherwise, it will just burn and not protect the beef, but not too thick either. I ask for it 1 notch thicker than the deli would normally cut prosciutto.

Tying the string to secure the prosciutto can be tricky. There are many YouTube videos showing you butcher's knots which make it all look easy. As long as the prosciutto is held in place, that is all that matters.

Don't be tempted to pick up the beef roll by the string as you can accidentally cut the prosciutto. Make sure you use butcher's twine or cotton string as these are both food-safe and won't melt plastic into your meat! Even my local supermarket sells cotton string.

The great thing about this dish is it can be cooked early on the day it's needed, and then covered to rest and serve just warm - making it perfect to wrap up straight out of the oven, and transport to the feast.

To make gravy using the pan juices, place the baking tin on the top of the stove with a low heat. Add 2 tbl plain flour and mix in to create a roux. Add a cup of red wine and stir making sure that you scrape up all the meat juices and crackling bits from the bottom of the tray. For all the tips on making this delicious meal watch my video in the link below the recipe.

Recipe

Serves 6

• 1 kg girello cut of beef

• 20 slices prosciutto, not too thin

• 250 g swiss brown mushrooms sliced

• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tbl butter

• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

• Handful each of fresh rosemary and thyme

• Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 210°C (fan forced) with your roasting tray inside to warm up.

Pick leaves from the herbs. Spread herbs, salt and pepper on an oven tray, and roll beef to generously coat.

On a clean flat surface, lay a long piece of string horizontally and then 3-5 shorter pieces of string vertically, that will line up with the ends and middle of your piece of meat. Lay slices of prosciutto vertically along the string making sure that they overlap. Leave a couple of slices aside to help cover any gaps that appear when encasing the beef.

Gently melt butter in a frypan. Sauté mushrooms and garlic until soft. Add lemon juice. Gently spread mushrooms over the laid-out prosciutto. Place the beef in the middle of the prosciutto and fold the prosciutto over to fully encase it. You may need to use a couple of the extra slices. Tie the string to help secure the prosciutto in place.

Place the meat in the hot roasting tray and cook for 30 minutes. When cooked, take the meat out to rest for at least 5 minutes. 

Return any juices to the pan and use to make a wonderful gravy to serve.

Slice as thickly as desired. Serve with crisp greens and roast potatoes.

Revised October 2023