Ingredients

4-5 lb beef eye round roast
3 c soft bread crumbs
pinch of oregano
pinch of basil
salt and pepper
1 TB parsley, chopped
2 TB romano cheese, grated
juice of one lemon
olive oil
1 lb mozzarella cheese
2 small tomatoes

Procedure

After freezing the eyeround, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then 2 to 3 more hours at room temperature. This will make it easier to cut EXTREMELY thin slices with a slicing machine, an electric knife, or a really good slicing knife. (Better yet, see if you can get your butcher to slice this for you. Most supermarket butchers do not have slicing machines but it's worth asking.)

Mix all dry ingredients into the bread crumbs, then moisten the mixture with lemon juice and olive oil. Lay out slices of beef, fill with a heaping teaspoon of bread crumb mixture, a sliver of mozzarella and a sliver of tomato.

Roll up, folding in sides and place on a skewer. Brush the spedini with olive oil and dip in dry breadcrumbs. It's best to barbecue these over a hot charcoal fire but you can broil them in the oven if necessary.

This dish was most often prepared by my grandmother, Marie Felice (maiden name Bacchi) but she actually got it from her father. They made the dish with veal but we have substituted beef in the interest of economy.

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