Farsu magru

Farsu magru is a stuffed meat roll from Sicilian cooking, also written farsumagru, falsomagro or falsumagru. Slices of beef or veal are flattened and overlapped into a large rectangle, covered with thin bacon, spread with a filling of crushed bread, cubed cheese and ham, chopped onion, garlic and fresh herbs, and rolled around whole hard-boiled eggs. The roll is tied and cooked in the oven, or poached, then sliced and topped with tomato sauce or puree. It is sometimes served at room temperature beside a fennel salad. The name means false lean, explained either by the small amount of meat that yields a big dish or by the contrast between lean cuts and a richer stuffing. The dish is dated to the thirteenth century, when it was a simpler roll of meat around breadcrumbs. It is made mostly in the rural interior of Sicily, and some Sicilians keep it for special occasions.