Best for: A make-ahead showpiece — roll them in the morning, grill them in minutes.
Involtini are thin slices of beef rolled around a savory filling — here Parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic, and basil — pinned with toothpicks and grilled hot and fast. They eat like little steak parcels, crisp outside and herby in the middle.
Grill: Direct high heat; 475–500°F. Equipment: Grill, meat mallet or rolling pin, toothpicks or small skewers, tongs, instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients
Rest: 5 minutes. Total: 40 minutes.
Beef
- 1 1/2 lb top round or flank steak, sliced and pounded into 8 thin cutlets about 1/4 inch thick
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine table salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Filling
- 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
Directions
Stir the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, basil, olive oil, and salt into a moist filling. Season the beef cutlets with the salt and black pepper.
Spread about 2 tablespoons of filling over each cutlet, leaving a border. Roll up tightly from a short end and pin each roll with two toothpicks.
Brush the rolls with olive oil. Heat the grill to 475–500°F and oil the grates.
Grill the rolls for 8 to 10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until charred on all sides and the centers reach 145°F for medium.
Rest the involtini for 5 minutes on a warm platter.
Remove the toothpicks, slice each roll in half on a bias if you like, and serve with lemon wedges or a simple tomato salad.
Grilling tip: Pound the cutlets to an even 1/4 inch and roll from the short end — even thickness is what makes them cook evenly.
