Root Beer-Glazed Round Steak Braciole with Roasted Red Potatoes in a Root Beer-Tomato Sauce

1 pound beef round steak (preferably top round)

3-4 medium parsnips

1 orange

1 bottle (12 ounces) Gale’s Root Beer

1 pound baby red potatoes

1 tub (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1 bunch fresh spinach

4 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely diced bell pepper

1 can (28 ounces) peeled whole tomatoes

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh oregano

1 bunch fresh basil, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon olive or canola oil

½ teaspoon beef bouillon granules

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, to taste

Pecorino romano, for garnish

The round steak should be about 1½ inches thick. Take a sharp knife and slice it lengthwise about one-third of the way down, almost to the end of the meat. Turn the knife and continue slicing the opposite direction so you can unfold the steak into one long thin piece. Cover the steak with a piece of plastic wrap and pound flat using a mallet. Place in a large dish and season with salt, pepper and orange zest. Top with half the rosemary and squeeze the juice from half of the orange over the meat; flip the steak over and season the opposite side the same way. Refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.

Peel the parsnips and trim the very ends off. Cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces (cutting any fatter pieces in half for even cooking). Place the parsnips in a pot of boiling water and add the orange peels. Boil 8-10 minutes until soft; remove to cool. Cut the potatoes into eighths and add into the same boiling water. Cook 5 minutes; remove from water and set aside to cool.

While the potatoes boil, mash the parsnips (or pulse in a food processor or blender). Chop half the basil, oregano and thyme together and add a few pinches of the herb mix into the mashed parsnips (reserve at least 1 teaspoon herbs for the sauce). Stir in the ricotta, salt, pepper a pinch of garlic powder; set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add chopped garlic, shallot, bell pepper and a pinch of salt and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add 9 ounces root beer. Open the can of tomatoes and add the juice to the pot. Using your hands, squish the tomatoes into the sauce so they are chunky (I squish them in the can to eliminate the mess and splatter). Add in remaining herb mixture, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes.

Heat oven to 250 degrees.

Lay the steak on a flat surface. Spoon the parsnip/ricotta mixture evenly over the steak leaving a ¼-inch border. You might not use all the mixture, about ¼ inch thick is good. Layer spinach leaves (remove stems) generously over the parsnip mixture. Starting at one end, slowly roll the meat making sure to keep as much of the stuffing inside as possible. Secure with twine or toothpicks.

Heat a small amount of oil in a pan over med high heat. Place seam side down and let sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip over and sear the other side as well. Transfer meat into a large baking dish (preferably one with a glass cover). Add potatoes next to the meat in the same dish and pour the sauce over the top. Cover and cook 60-90 minutes.

About 10 minutes before you are going to pull the dish out of the oven, start remaining butter in a sauce pan over med-low heat. Pour in the remaining root beer into the pan, add the beef bouillon, black pepper, salt and a pinch of garlic powder. Let reduce until it becomes a glaze — making sure to keep a close eye on it because it can burn quickly — reduce the heat as needed. The consistency should be thin enough to pour, but thick enough to hold to the spoon when dipped in. If it starts to bubble or gets too thick, add a bit of water.

Place the meat in a serving dish with potatoes and drizzle liberally with the root beer glaze. Grate a little bit of pecorino romano on top and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Serves four.

Jamie Andrade, Elk Grove Village