Beef Braciole

Recipe Ingredients

All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.

• Beef. I prefer top round (often sold as London broil) for braciole. It’s inexpensive and works great. Depending on where you shop, you may be able to find thinly sliced top round that’s marked as “for braciole”, but if you need to filet a whole top round, I walk you through that process in the steps below.
• Breadcrumbs. For the stuffing. I used plain, but you can also use Italian-seasoned.
• Cheese. I prefer to use Pecorino Romano, a salty sheep’s milk cheese, in the beef braciole filling, but you can also use Parmigiano Reggiano, or domestic parmesan if you prefer.
• Pine nuts (pignoli) and raisins. These ingredients give a Sicilian twist to the braciole and are a winning flavor combination. Soak the raisins in water to reconstitute them.
• Tomatoes. 3 28-ounce cans of whole plum tomatoes (plus 2 ounces of tomato paste) will yield enough sauce for the braciole, plus 1 pound of pasta. You will have some extra sauce. That’s much better than not enough!
• Red wine. I always include a dry red wine, like a Sangiovese in my Sunday sauce, but you can omit it if you can’t have alcohol. I also use red wine to deglaze the pan, but this is optional (see steps 13 and 14 below).

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Dice 1 medium onion and mince 5 cloves of garlic. Heat a large pot to a touch less than medium heat and add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and the onion and cook for 7-10 minutes or until soft. Then, add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant. (Photo #1)
2. Add 2 ounces of tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, spreading the paste around with a wooden spoon. If the paste begins to burn, add a splash of water to bring the temperature down. (Photo #2)

3. Add 1/2 cup of dry red wine and cook for 2 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any brown bits, then add 3 28-ounce cans of plum tomatoes (hand-crushed or blender-pulsed) plus a 1/2 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, cover with the lid slightly ajar and lower the heat to the lowest level. The sauce should be barely bubbling. (Photo #3)
4. Soak a 1/4 cup of raisins in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and use the back of your knife to turn it into a paste, then mince 1/2 cup of flat-leaf parsley. Grate 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese. Heat a small pan to medium heat and add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and the garlic paste. Once the garlic is lightly golden, add 1/4 cup of pine nuts and cook for 1-2 minutes. (Photo #4)
5. Add 1 cup of breadcrumbs, the parsley, and the raisins and mix well until a paste is formed. Remove the pan from the heat, add the grated cheese, and set aside. (Photo #5)
6. Take a 2-pound top round roast and filet to 1/2″ thick. (Photo #6)

7. Cut the beef into 3×4″ rectangles. (Photo #7)
8. Pound each rectangle to roughly 1/4″ thick which will make them substantially larger. (Photo #8)
9. Arrange the pounded meat on a cutting board and season with salt and pepper. (Photo #9)
10. Scoop an even amount of filling onto each piece of beef, then spread the filling out but leave 1/2 an inch or more around the edges. (Photo #10)

11. Roll the meat tightly and secure with toothpicks or strings. Note that toothpicks will be much easier to remove later, while string will hold better. The choice is yours. (Photo #11)
12. Heat a large pan to a touch less than medium, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and sear the braciole on all sides working in batches to not overcrowd the pan, then set aside. (Photo #12)
13. If the pan isn’t burnt (brown is fine, black is not) drain or wipe away any excess fat and deglaze in the next step. If the pan is burnt you won’t want to deglaze and should skip to step 15. (Photo #13)
14. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of dry red wine and scrape the brown bits with a flat-edged wooden spoon, then add the pan juices and wine to the pot of sauce and mix to incorporate. (Photo #14)

15. Add the braciole to the sauce and cook on very low heat with the lid ajar for 2-3 hours or until fork-tender. Stir the sauce occasionally to prevent sticking. You can also choose to place the pot of sauce in the oven, covered, and cook for 2-3 hours at 300f. (Photo #15)
16. If the sauce reduces too much while cooking, add a 1/2 cup of water or more as needed. Once tender, remove the braciole from the sauce and remove the twine or toothpicks, then taste test the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve with pasta, grated cheese, and crusty bread. Enjoy! (Photo #16)