BEEF INVOLTINI WITH PORCINI & ARTICHOKE

Little packages 

As a chef I love to draw inspiration from the markets and the seasonal change. Italy is particularly good about eating in season since they are tied so tightly to the land and what is happening in the garden.
In winter the hunters are out whether it be for truffles, mushrooms or wild boar. Interesting vegetables also start cropping up like cardoon, artichoke and pumpkins of all varieties. For a cook this is gold and the challenge is to use all these ingredients to capture their essence and the taste of the season.
This week I was in the mood for porcini mushrooms, one of my all time favourites. I had also picked up some beautiful artichokes that pair wonderfully with porcini and had some nice thin slices of beef from the butcher I had purchased specifically to make involtini.
Involtini is roughly translated to little bundles or packages and can be made with anything you want like veal, beef, turkey, eggplant or zucchini. Essentially they are little rolled packages stuffed with whatever filling you can dream up but are commonly filled with prosciutto and cheese. Sometimes they are breaded and fried but mostly they are seared and then slowly braised until tender.
For my involtini I decided that a filling of prosciutto and porcini seasoned with sage from the garden would be best braised in a creamy sauce spiked with black truffle and chunks of fresh artichoke hearts.
Once all of your ingredients are ready the preparation of the involtini is easy and fun. You can serve them with pasta, potatoes or polenta and they look delectable when plated.
I used fresh porcini for my involtini but you could also use dried and omit or substitute where you see fit like eliminating the prosciutto or truffle and adding a different herb like rosemary or thyme.
However you decide to make your involtini the technique is similar and the results are almost always delicious.