Tramezzino di Carne
- Makes 4 servings
- Prep 30 minutes
- Cook 10 minutes
- Total 1 hour 40 minutes
A special and unbelievably good recipe from our travels in Veneto. Beef stuffed with radicchio, Parmigiano cheese and slices of porchetta cooked on the grill. Serve with grilled veggies, salad or roast potatoes.
This is a recipe we are so excited to share because we've not seen it anywhere else, and it's truly one we will keep going back to again and again.
Tramezzini are white bread sandwiches with various fillings and are something that's popular in the Veneto region.
During a recent trip there, we came across Tramezzino di Carne, which is a fun take on the much-loved sandwiches but uses ground beef mixed with breadcrumbs, egg and Parmigiano.
The beef is then stuffed with radicchio (Italian bitter red chicory), slices of Parmigiano and porchetta. We kid you not, this is stand-out good, and you've got to try it. See some of our notes on the ingredients below and some substitutions you could use if they are hard to find.
Ingredient notes
- Radicchio – this may be the most difficult ingredient to source unless you are lucky enough to have an Italian food store nearby. There are different types of chicory, both red and white, which would be a good substitute for radicchio. See the photo below of some alternatives we've tried that work well. Another good option is bitter greens. If using greens, cook them in the pan until wilted; you don't want a lot of moisture in there.
- Porchetta – the porchetta is cut into thin slices much like ham. If you don't have it, you could use a good Italian ham with or without herbs instead.
- Parmigiano Reggiano – this is used to season the meat (grated) and for the filling (cut into slices).
- Breadcrumbs – We use regular fine breadcrumbs (unseasoned). The brand we use is Mulino Bianco but any unseasoned fine breadcrumbs will do.
A quick note on tramezzini
Although tramezzini sandwiches are usually cut into triangles, we had this beef in Italy cut into rectangles.
It's a lot easier to cut the beef this way so you have two sealed edges to keep the filling in. If you cut the beef into triangles, it'll be a lot trickier to cook, and you could lose some of the filling.
What to serve it with
We usually serve our stuffed beef with roast potatoes grilled zucchini or other grilled veg and a simple side salad or arugula, lemon and olive oil.
More Italian beef recipes to try
Antipasti
Classic Beef Carpaccio
Mains
Italian Beef Ragu – A Classic Recipe
Mains
Italian Beef Braciole (Braciole al Sugo Pugliesi)
Italian Ragu and Stews
Italian Beef Stew with Potatoes (Spezzatino di Manzo)
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef
- 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano ((10g/1/4 cup finely grated and 50g/1.7oz cut into slices))
- 3 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs (unseasoned)
- 1 large egg
- 12 oz (350g) radicchio or chicory ((see notes))
- 3.5 oz (100g) Porchetta (cut into thin slices)
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Equipment
- Baking parchment
- Rolling pin
- Griddle pan or BBQ
Method
Cut the radicchio in half, remove the thick white centre and set aside (you can use this in a salad or discard). Roughly chop the rest of the radicchio into medium-sized pieces and wash it well (photo 1 and 2).
Pat the radicchio dry with kitchen paper. Preheat a pan on a medium heat and add around 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the radicchio; cook until just wilted. Transfer it to a sieve or colander and give it a gentle squeeze to remove any excess water. Let it cool completely (photos 3 and 4).
Add the ground beef, egg, 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, 10g or ¼ cup of finely grated Parmigiano, and a good pinch of salt and pepper to a bowl. Mix until well combined (we usually do this with a clean hand) (photos 5 and 6).
Lay out a sheet of baking parchment. Form the meat into a large ball and place in the middle of the sheet. Lay a second sheet of baking parchment on top and press down on the meat to flatten it (photos 7 and 8).
Use a rolling pin to roll the meat out into a rectangle shape around 11x15 inches. It should be quite thin (around 0.5cm or ¼ inch).
Remove the top sheet of baking parchment, then layer half of the porchetta on one side. Top with half of the radicchio and slices of Parmigiano cheese. Add the remaining radicchio on top of the cheese, followed by a final layer of porchetta (photos 9 and 10).
Using the baking parchment, fold the beef over like a book directly on top of the filling. Press down across the edges as if you are sealing pastry. Uncover the beef and use a knife to trim the edges. Fold the baking parchment back over and wrap it around the beef. We like to use a layer of plastic wrap (cling film) on top to keep it tight. Let it firm up in the fridge for at least 1 hour (photos 11 and 12).
Once chilled, remove the beef from the fridge and cut it into quarters (there should be two sealed edges and two open edges) (photos 13 and 14).
Heat a griddle pan on a high heat (or use a BBQ) and cook the beef for around 3 minutes on each side until well charred and the cheese has melted. Serve with your choice of sides or salad (photos 15 and 16).
Kitchen notes
- Radicchio and chicory alternative bitter greens are another good option. Once wilted, squeeze out any excess moisture before using.
- Prep in advance you can prep the beef in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also freeze it (raw) for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before cooking.
- Reheating you can reheat the cooked beef on a tray in the oven (180C/350F) for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
