Il Tronere Baked Braciole

Il Tronere is a baked braciole "casserole" that is the specialty dish of the Puglia town of Turi. It is a unique take on the meat roll ups -and a delicious detour from the "usual" braciole! It is so simple, it doesn't require a recipe per se, just an explanation.

The ingredients you'll need: scaloppine of meat, pancetta coppata, provolone cheese, about 2 pounds of onions and about 1.5 pounds of cherry tomatoes. Got it? Here we go!

Braciole. As you probably know already, braciole are meat roll ups. Thin slices of beef or pork are given a filling and rolled up and cooked, usually in the pot of simmering tomato sauce, though sometimes they are coated in bread crumbs and baked. In this case, they're put in a clay casserole dish.

To make the braciole: For as many people as you are serving, take a thin slice of tender beef. Lay a slice of pancetta on it ("pancetta coppata" is the round slice of pancetta); lay a slice of provolone cheese, preferably sharp cheese, on top of that, and roll up the meat, securing it with toothpicks or kitchen string. Set those aside. (of course, cooks get creative and add garlic, parsley or other herbs or cheese to the filling.)

Onions and cherry tomatoes: Take two pounds of onions and slice them thin. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half or quarters depending on the size.

Putting it all together: In the bottom of a glazed clay casserole dish, distribute a good layer of the onions then a layer of the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and peperoncini (red chile flakes). Nestle the braciole on top of that. Now repeat with the rest of the onions and tomatoes, and spices on top.

Put it in the oven. Bake for two hours at 180°C/370° F.