Recipe: Sausage rolls

Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Servings: 6

Note: This dish of pounded steaks rolled around a spicy sausage filling is one that Rose Nair and her sister Nalini Viegas make for special occasions.

Steak

4 ( 1/2-pound) Milanesa steaks (also called “beef round-tip steaks, cap off”)

1. Pound the steaks to flatten them into pieces about one-fourth-inch thick. Form the casings for 2 rolls by laying the steaks flat in pairs, slightly overlapping. Set aside.

Chile paste

5 dried red chiles, or 1 tablespoon paprika combined with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

12 cloves garlic

1 (1-inch) piece of ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1. Stem the chiles. In a food processor, grind the chiles, garlic, ginger, vinegar and salt to make a paste. Divide the mixture into two parts. Set aside.

Filling

1 1/2 cups finely chopped white onion

1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped fine

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons lime juice

Dash salt

Half of the chile paste

3 hard-cooked eggs, quartered

6 ounces chorizo, casing removed

1. Place the onion, chile and cilantro in a bowl. Add the lime juice and salt and stir.

2. Spread the chile paste on one side of the steaks.

3. Spread the onion-cilantro mixture in a line lengthwise down the center of each pair of steaks. Place the quartered eggs and chorizo on top.

4. Roll the steaks tightly around the filling, tucking in the ends. Secure with thread or toothpicks. Set aside while making the sauce.

Sauce

3 tablespoons oil

1 1/2cups onion, chopped

1 (3-inch) piece cinnamon stick

6 whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 large tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)

Half of the chile paste

1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add the onion, cinnamon, cloves and cumin seeds and cook 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft. Stir in the reserved chile paste.

2. Place the steak-sausage rolls in the pan and cook 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes. This will allow the chorizo to cook completely.

3. Lift the rolls from the sauce and let cool slightly. To serve, slice into rounds. Spoon the sauce onto a flat serving dish and arrange the slices on top.

Each serving: 548 calories; 45 grams protein; 25 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 30 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 223 mg. cholesterol; 863 mg. sodium.