Braciole Recipes

BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.
• Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.

BEEF BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Whisk together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, chopped basil and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a medium bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil to a small bowl. Grate 3 cloves of garlic into the olive oil and whisk to combine. Pour the olive oil mixture into the breadcrumb mixture and fluff with a fork until the mixture is evenly combined and resembles wet sand.
• Arrange one slice of beef on a clean work surface. Top with 1 slice of prosciutto, folding if necessary to fit the slice of meat. Top the prosciutto with 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture and press slightly to compact it. Fold in the side edges of the beef about a 1/4 inch. Starting from the bottom, roll up the beef like a jelly roll, creating a cylinder. Secure the opening with 2 toothpicks. Place the finished roll on a rimmed baking sheet and continue the process with the remaining meat, prosciutto and breadcrumb mixture. Once all the meat is rolled, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large high-sided pan and heat over medium. Once the oil is shimmering add the beef rolls, in batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Brown on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove to the rimmed baking sheet and brown the remaining rolls.
• Once all the rolls have been browned and removed from the pan, add the red wine. Cook, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the harsh alcohol smell burns off and the wine slightly reduces, about 2 minutes. Next, add the tomatoes, basil sprigs, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 2 cloves of garlic. Stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup water to the can of tomatoes and swirl it around to clean any residual tomato from the sides of the can. Add the tomato water to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then add the rolls back to the pan and turn the heat down to low. Baste the meat in the tomato sauce, cover the pan and cook on low, basting the meat 2 to 3 times during the cooking process, until the meat is very tender, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• To serve, remove the toothpicks from the rolls and serve topped with red sauce and freshly grated Parmesan.

THE BEST BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir the cheeses, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together.
• Lay the flank steak out flat on work surface and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• Pat the bread crumb mixture over the steak.
• Starting at one short end, roll up the steak (like a jelly roll) and tie with butcher's twine. Season the outside with the remaining salt and pepper.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add the flank steak.
• Cook, turning until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
• Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil, and stir in the tomato sauce.
• Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After about 1 1/2 hours, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer.
• Remove the braciole from the sauce. Cut the twine off, and slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.
• Transfer the slices to a platter, and spoon some sauce over the slices.

CHEF JOHN'S BEEF BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Place steaks between 2 pieces of heavy plastic; pound meat about 1/4-inch thick using a meat pounder. If a piece of meat breaks off, use it to patch a thinner area.
• Place bread crumbs into a mixing bowl and stir in garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, raisins, Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, oregano, and egg until thoroughly combined.
• Season steak with salt and pepper; place half the bread crumb stuffing onto the bottom 2/3 of a steak, leaving the top third of the steak without stuffing. Lightly press the stuffing onto the meat and roll the steak up into a tight roll, starting from the stuffed end. Tie 3 to 4 pieces of kitchen string around the roll to hold it together. Trim ends of string. Repeat with remaining steak and stuffing.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Pan-fry the steak rolls in the hot oil until well browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Pour in water and dissolve pan juices and browned bits of food in the water.
• Season steak rolls with salt and pepper; add red pepper flakes and bay leaf to the water. Spread tomato sauce onto rolls. Pan liquid should cover the rolls about halfway up.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes; turn rolls over and cook covered about 10 more minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing should read at least 145 degrees F (65 degrees C). Remove from pan, transfer to a platter, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
• Raise heat to medium, bring sauce to a boil, and cook, stirring often, until sauce has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Slice the rolls crosswise. Serve arranged on a little sauce and drizzle more sauce on top.

BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Flatten steak to 1/2-in. thickness. Rub with 1 tablespoon oil. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, cheese, garlic, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spoon over beef to within 1 in. of edges; press down. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; tie with kitchen string. , In a Dutch oven, brown meat in remaining oil on all sides. Add onion and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, sugar and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 70-80 minutes or until meat is tender. , Remove meat from sauce and discard string. Cut into thin slices; serve with sauce and If desired, spaghetti and additional grated Parmesan cheese and minced fresh parsley.