Bombette Pugliesi
Rolled pork bundles from Puglia, stuffed with cheese and herbs, then braised in tomato wine sauce. A rustic Italian classic that's elegant enough for company but simple enough for weeknight dinner.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder steaks, 1/2-inch thick
- 3 oz fresh pecorino romano cheese
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, leaves only
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
- 3 cloves garlic cloves
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 14 oz whole peeled canned tomatoes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- 1
Lay out each pork shoulder steak on a clean cutting board. Using a meat mallet or heavy skillet bottom, gently pound each piece to an even 1/4-inch thickness — you want them thin enough to roll easily but not so thin they tear. This takes 15-20 taps per piece, working from the center outward.
- 2
Make your filling: Finely chop 3 oz of fresh pecorino romano cheese into rice-sized pieces. Pick 0.25 cup of fresh Italian parsley leaves off the stems and mince them finely. Tear 2 tbsp of fresh mint leaves by hand. Peel and mince 3 garlic cloves as fine as you can. Combine all four ingredients in a small bowl with 0.5 tsp of black pepper and stir to combine.
- 3
Divide the filling evenly among the pounded pork steaks — about 1 tbsp per piece, placed in the center. Roll each steak tightly from one side to the other, then secure with two toothpicks placed at an angle through the seam to seal it. The rolls should be snug cylinders about 2 inches long.
- 4
Set a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in 3 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil and let it preheat for 1 minute until it shimmers and nearly smokes — the heat is crucial for browning the meat properly.
- 5
Carefully place the rolled bombettes into the hot oil, seam-side down first. Do not move them for 2-3 minutes — you should hear an aggressive sizzle. They should develop a deep golden-brown crust on that side. Flip each one gently with tongs and brown the other side for 2 minutes until golden all over. Work in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan. Transfer the browned bombettes to a clean plate.
- 6
Pour 0.75 cup of dry white wine into the empty skillet, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits — this is pure flavor. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes, until you smell the alcohol cook off and the liquid is noticeably thicker.
- 7
Add 14 oz of whole peeled canned tomatoes with their juice, crushing them gently by hand as they go into the pan. Sprinkle in 1 tsp of kosher salt. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then nestle the browned bombettes back into the liquid — they should be mostly submerged.
- 8
Lower the heat to medium-low and maintain a gentle, quiet simmer. Braise uncovered for 20-25 minutes, turning the bombettes halfway through. The sauce should bubble just occasionally around the edges, and when you pierce a bombette with a fork, the pork should feel tender and cooked through. The sauce will reduce and concentrate, coating the bombettes lightly.
- 9
Remove the skillet from heat and taste the sauce — adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt if needed. Carefully remove the toothpicks from each bombette using tongs.
- 10
Divide the bombettes among four warm plates or a shallow serving bowl, spooning the warm tomato-wine sauce over and around them. Serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- meat mallet or heavy skillet
- chef's knife
- small mixing bowl
- toothpicks
- 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet
- wooden spoon
- tongs
- fork
- plates or serving bowl
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