Italian-Style Beef Roll Roast

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 125 g sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)
• 125 g mozzarella
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped herbs (e.g., sage, thyme, rosemary)
• 1.2 kg beef roast such as from the shank (trimmed)
• Salt
• pepper (ground)
• 250 ml red wine
• 2 carrots
• 1 stalk Celery
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200 g brown lentils
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• 4 tomatoes
• a handful freshly chopped herbs (e.g., basil and thyme)
• balsamic vinegar
• a pinch of sugar
• rosemary (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and finely dice the onions and garlic. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and sauté with the onions and garlic in 2 tbsp of tomato oil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Dice the mozzarella and mix it with the herbs into the vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

2. 2.

   Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) with both fan and conventional heating.

3. 3.

   Rinse the beef roast and pat dry. Make a shallow cut along one side and open it like a large, thick slice. Season with salt and pepper and spread the filling on top. Roll up and tie with kitchen twine. Also season the outside with salt and pepper and brown all around in a roasting pan. Deglaze with a little red wine and roast in the oven for about 1.5 hours. Turn the roast occasionally and add more wine as needed.

4. 4.

   Peel or wash the carrots and celery, then cut into small cubes and briefly sauté in hot oil. Add the lentils and pour in the broth. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes until tender, adding more broth if necessary. Boil the tomatoes, cool them, peel, quarter, seed, and dice. Add them to the lentils during the last 20 minutes.

5. 5.

   Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest wrapped in foil. Pour the roasting juices into the lentils and simmer uncovered for a bit longer if desired. Add the herbs and season with balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, then serve on plates. Unwrap the meat, remove the twine, slice, and arrange over the lentil mixture.

6. 6.

   Serve garnished with rosemary.

7. 7.

   Offer white bread on the side as desired.