This is an amazing recipe.  It comes from a restaurant in Atlanta called Sugo.  The recipe has a lot of ingredients and takes some time, but everyone who ate it was floored which made it well worth the time.  I made some alterations to their recipe and believe it was possibly even better than the one at Sugo.

Time to Make: 1 hour

Time to Cook: 8 hours

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Head Garlic

3 Tablespoons plus 1 Teaspoon EVOO, divided

2 Spanish Onions

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon Honey

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Chicken Stock Base

1/4 Teaspoon Smoked Spanish Paprika (regular paprika if you can't find the smoked)

1 Pound Italien Sausage - Casing removed

3 Dates, pit removed and chopped

1/3 Cup canned, diced Fire-roasted tomatoes, drained

2 Eggs, beaten, divided

3 Ounces grated Pecorino Romano cheese (3/4 cup), divided

2 (1 Pound) Pork Tenderloins - Can sub one larger roast, but will be more difficut to butterfly and pound out

4 (2 Ounces) Slices Prosciutto di Parma

8 Fresh Basil Leaves (can add more depending upon leaf size)

1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Milk

1/2 Cup Plain Bread Crumbs

2 Cups Tomoto-Basil sauce, divided (Use good quality prepared sauce or make your own)

4 Ounces grated Mozzarella Cheese (1 Cup)

1/4 Cup Vin Cotto or Balsamic Vinegar Reduction (Simply reduce good balsamic vinegar by 1/2)

Instructions:

To roast the garlic:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees:  Cut the top off a head of garlic.  Place in a garlic roaster, clay pot or baking dish and drizzle with 1 Teaspoon EVOO.  Cover tightly and roast unitl the cloves are soft, but still white, about 30-45 minutes.  (Set aside half of the head for the carmelized onions)  Put the other half away for any other use.

To carmelize the onions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Pour the remaining EVOO into a baking pan and top with the onions.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and honey.  Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from the 1/2 head over the onions evenly and stir to combine.  Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, chicken stock base and paprika.  Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 4-6 hours until onions are very soft and lightly carmelized (medium brown).  Chop and set aside.

To prepare the stuffing:  In a bowl, combine the sausage, chopped dates and roasted 1 cup tomatoes. 1 egg, 1/2 cup Romano cheese and all but 1/3 cup of the chopped carmelized onions.  Set aside.

To prepare the tenderloins:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove all fat and silver skin tissue from the tenderloins.  Butterfly and gently tenderize them into flat pieces about 1/2 inch thick.  Place 2 slices of proscuitto in the middle of each tenderloin and then top each with basil leaves.  Place half of the sausage stuffing lengthwise down the center of each tenderloin.  Roll the tenderloins lenthwise to create logs and tie with kitchen twine.

Place flour on a platter.  Beat the remaining egg with milk and pour onto a 2nd platter.  Spread the bread crumbs on a 3rd platter.

Dredge each tenderloin in the flour, carefully roll them in the egg and then dredge them in the bread crumbs.

Now you can either simply bake them from here or as I prefer, quickly sear each side in a pan with some EVOO before baking.  This will secure the crumbs and gives a nice crust to the tenderloins.  Once each side is browned, place them seam side down in a baking dish or roasting pan.  Back for 20-30 minutes or until the sausage is cooked inside (165 degrees).

Remove the braciole from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.  Remove the kitchen twine and slice crosswise into rounds.  Remove the grease from your pan and place each round back into the pan.  Top each round with a couple of spoons of the tomato-basil sauce, sprinkle the remaining Romano cheese, the reserved carmelized onions and finally sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Return to the oven to melt the cheese.  Remove from oven and drizzle each round with the reduced balsamic vinegar just prior to serving. 

Sugo serves this dish with roasted artichoke hearts and wild mushrooms.  I served it with grilled mushrooms, zuchini and squash.  Rice would also be a good accompanyment to this dish.

Notes and Hints:

The Fire-Roasted tomatoes are usually found in the organic section and Muir Glen is one brand.  You can make the roasted garlic and carmelized onions the day before to save time.  Simply refridgerate them overnight.  It is not a simple recipe, but well worth the time.  I heard if you get stuck that you can call Sugo and chef Castelluci there will happily help you out.