Lagarto Recheado

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg (2⅔ lb) eye of round, butterflied or with a pocket cut lengthwise
• 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• Juice of 1 lime

Filling

• 100 g (3½ oz) calabresa or smoked sausage, diced
• 100 g (3½ oz) bacon, diced
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• 1 carrot, cut into thin sticks
• 60 g (½ cup) pitted green olives
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Braise

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, 2 tomatoes and 1 green pepper, chopped
• 250 ml (1 cup) red wine
• 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
• 1 bay leaf

Steps

1. Season the beef inside and out with salt, pepper, garlic and lime juice. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
2. Fry the sausage and bacon in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the fat renders. Drain and mix with the olives and parsley.
3. Lay the beef flat. Arrange the sausage mixture, eggs and carrot sticks in a line down the centre.
4. Roll the beef up tightly around the filling and tie with string at 3 cm (1¼ in) intervals.
5. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the roll on all sides, about 10 minutes, until deep brown. Move to a plate.
6. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion, tomatoes and pepper for 6 minutes. Pour in the wine, scrape up the browned bits, and boil for 2 minutes.
7. Return the roll, add the stock and bay, cover, and braise on low heat for 1 hour 45 minutes, turning once, until tender.
8. Rest the roll for 15 minutes. Slice it into thick rounds and serve with the sauce, spooned over.

Notes

• Serving: with white rice, farofa (toasted cassava flour; or toasted buttered breadcrumbs) and a simple salad.
• Name: "lagarto" is the Brazilian name for eye of round, and it also means "lizard".
• Make ahead: it slices neatly when chilled; reheat slices gently in the sauce. Keeps 3–4 days; freeze slices in sauce for 3 months.