- 250 grams of ground beef
- 250 grams of ground pork
- 2 small onions
- 4 cloves of garlic.
- 4 eggs
- 2 sweet red peppers
- 3 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup of wheat flour
- 1 cup of tomato sauce
- Salt, oregano, cumin, and pepper to taste
Boil 3 eggs. Make sure not to overcook them since they will receive additional heat when mixed with the meat filling. Peel them and set them aside.
Mix the meats with the spices and salt to your taste. You can add a teaspoon of sugar for a milder flavor that will make it more appealing. Avoid adding juices, wines, or sauces to the meat. The goal is to achieve a compact mixture, which is why it's not advisable to include ingredients that can release liquids, such as tomatoes.
Chop the onion finely, along with one of the peppers, and crush the garlic well. Add them to the meat, along with a raw egg and half a cup of flour. Mix everything together thoroughly. The mixture should form a dough that separates from the sides of the container.
Place half of the dough on a sheet of aluminum foil or plastic wrap and stretch it out to form a rectangle. In the center, place the three boiled eggs that you set aside earlier. Cover them by folding one side of the rectangle over and then the other side. You should have a meat roll. Tuck the ends with the meat to prevent the filling from spilling out. Dust it with wheat flour to seal it. Repeat the same process with the other half of the dough.
In the second roll, a red pepper stuffed with mozzarella cheese was used in the center. Do not place the cheese directly on the meat, as it risks melting and breaking the roll. You can use any filling that you like, provided it is already cooked or easy to cook with low heat. Common fillings include pitted or stuffed olives, a whole boiled carrot, boiled eggs, and so on.
This method of making Carne Fría or Pulpeta is faster, but it requires that each step be carefully executed. It must be handled delicately to avoid breaking the meat roll.
Once you have carefully coated the pulpeta in flour to dry its surface, place it in a pot with just a little oil. Let it brown slowly. Keep the heat medium and turn it every 3 minutes to ensure it cooks evenly on all sides. Once it is completely browned, we can choose between two options:
a) Some people add the tomato sauce to the pot at this stage and let it cook for about 20 more minutes. If you choose this method, you should turn the meatball frequently to ensure it cooks evenly. The advantage of this approach is that you will end up with a juicier and more colorful dish.
Another way is to transfer the stuffed meat roll to the baking tray, preheated to 180ºC (350ºF). Cover it with tomato sauce and let it heat for about 20 minutes. This option allows you to save time for other preparations, but you will end up with a dish without extra sauce.
When your meat rolls are ready, serve them on a platter. One of the things diners appreciate most about this dish is seeing the interesting shapes in the center of the meat roll. They can be enjoyed hot as a main course or cold as a snack or a light lunch. We hope you enjoy this recipe, which, although it may seem lengthy, is very easy to prepare.
Enjoy your meal!