Try this Beef Braciole Recipe recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 bay leaves
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped fine
- 1 lb boneless beef round cut into 4 thin slices approximately 1/3 inch thick
- 4 slices of prosciutto
- 1 tablespoon pignoli beans(pine nuts)
- 2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
- 2 celery stalks chopped chopped fine
- 2 28 oz cans imported italian tomatoes
- 3 fresh basil leaves torn into small pieces
- flour spread on a plate for dredging
- Carbohydrate 6.02395249989275 g
- Cholesterol 73.0568173476753 mg
- Fat 16.1821701259679 g
- Fiber 0.829900013297796 g
- Protein 25.156275316984 g
- Saturated Fat 6.04836418239288 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (217g)
- Sodium 153.128969909623 mg
- Sugar 5.19405248659495 g
- Trans Fat 2.03835401322308 g
- Calories 318 calories
Step-by-step
- Place each slice of beef between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat pounder until ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Lay a slice of prosciutto on each one.
- Mix together the the pignoli beans, pecorino romano cheese, garlic and parsley and sprinkle evenly on top of the beef slices with prosciutto. Roll up the slices, tucking in the ends and tie with kitchen string.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Dredge the braciole in flour shaking off any excess, then place in the pan. Cook until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and keep to the side.
- If needed add some more olive oil to the pan then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the red wine and cook, stirring up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
- Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add, with their juices, into the saucepan. Fill one of the tomato cans ½ way with water and pour in. Add the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the braciole back into the sauce, turn heat to low and cook at a simmer until beef is tender 1.5 – 2 hours.
- Sprinkle the basil over the rolls, and cook for 2 minutes longer. Transfer to serving plates, spoon the sauce over the top and serve at once.
Why is the meat tough and why are the rolls unraveling in the pot? These two operational failures plague cooks attempting thin-cut beef rolls for the first time. Boneless round cut into thin slices requires precise mechanical tenderization and secure binding before it ever touches heated fat. Historical preparations across southern Italy evolved specifically to transform lean, working muscles through long, low-moisture braising environments.
- Pound the boneless beef round between plastic sheets until it measures precisely one-quarter inch thick, ensuring the fibers break down without tearing.
- Tie butcher twine securely around each rolled slice at half-inch intervals to prevent the prosciutto, pignoli nuts, pecorino, and herb filling from escaping during browning.
- Dredge the tied rolls lightly in all-purpose flour, shaking off excess powder, to promote a deep caramelized crust during the initial 15-minute sear.
- Deglaze the saucepan with dry red wine, scraping the bottom vigorously until the liquid reduces by half to incorporate fond into the eventual tomato base.
- Simmer the assembled rolls in crushed Italian plum tomatoes on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours until the interior collagen fully dissolves.
Dietary adjustments require simple ingredient swaps, such as replacing pecorino romano with hard sheep-milk cheeses or omitting pine nuts for tree-nut allergies without altering the fundamental braising technique. Slow simmering remains the non-negotiable mechanism for breaking down connective tissue into a velvety sauce.
