Italian braciole is thin pounded beef steaks stuffed with a seasoned bread crumb, pecorino and parsley filling, browned quickly then braised low and slow in red wine and tomato sauce for 1.5–2 hours until fork-tender. The long simmer transforms the filling and meat into a deeply flavored, rustic dish.
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Have your butcher cut the top round beef into thin slices.
Use a meat mallet to pound the steaks between two sheets of baking paper. Begin in the middle and pound towards the sides. If the slices are particularly large, they can be cut in half. I found that this quantity of beef gave me 4 good-sized steaks which can be cut into 8 smaller pieces if desired.
Combine the bread crumbs, pecorino cheese, parsley, and 1 chopped garlic clove in a small bowl and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Lay out the pounded steaks on the work surface. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and grind a little black pepper on each then divide the filling mixture evenly amongst the steaks.
Roll up, folding the sides in as you go. Secure with cooking twine.
Heat the olive oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Cook the beef rolls for 3-4 minutes, turning, until browned all over.
Add the remaining garlic and when you can smell the garlic beginning to cook, pour in the red wine and let the wine come to a boil.
Then add the crushed or pureed tomatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Spoon the sauce over the braciole, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Place the lid on and let it simmer gently for 1½ - 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Keep an eye on the sauce so that it doesn’t cook at a high simmer and add a little water if the sauce evaporates excessively.
During the cooking, turn the braciole over regularly.
If you’ve made large braciole, slice thickly then serve with the tomato sauce and crusty bread. The sauce can also be stirred through pasta to be served alongside the braciole.
Cool braciole in sauce to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat on the stovetop for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Braciole can be frozen in sauce for up to 2 months.
meat mallet · baking paper · cooking twine · large frypan or Dutch oven
Don't overfill each steak, and fold the sides in as you roll. Secure tightly with cooking twine to hold everything in place during browning and the long simmer.
Yes. Assemble and refrigerate the rolled braciole (with twine) up to 24 hours ahead, then brown and braise as directed. You can also cool the finished braciole in sauce and reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat for 20–30 minutes.
The sauce should be noticeably thickened and coat the back of a spoon. If it's too thin, remove the braciole and simmer the sauce uncovered for another 10–15 minutes to reduce.
A dry white wine or Chianti works instead of generic dry red wine. Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano) can replace pecorino Romano, though it will be milder and less salty.
Turning ensures even braising and sauce absorption on all sides, and prevents them from sticking to the pan bottom.
