How to Make Braciole - An Easy Braciole Recipe for a Special Dinner (2024)

Braciole is a recipe that is perfect for a special occasion that only requires 20 minutes of active preparation time. Flank Steak is topped with cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs, seared, and then roasted in tomato sauce. Let this recipe for Braciole with tomato sauce be your secret weapon for hosting a dinnerparty.

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This scalable Braciole recipe requires very little active preparation time, and is a perfect dinner to serve for a special occasion.

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Braciole is an Italian meat dish that consists of thin flank steak rolled up with cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs. The first step to prepare braciole with a tomato sauce is to pound the meat out until it is very thin.

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Next you create a mixture of cheese, garlic, and breadcrumbs. I like to use a blend of Parmesan and provolone.

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The cheese and breadcrumb mixture gets spread over the steak.

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Then you roll up the steak and tie it up with butcher’s twine.

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The meat is quickly browned before being cooked low and slow in a pool of tomato sauce.

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The result is slices of tender beef with swirls of cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs. It’s easy and elegant, and sure to impress your dinner guests.

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The active preparation time for this recipe is just 20 minutes, and you can easily increase the number of portions by purchasing a larger steak. I love recipes that can be scaled without any extra effort.

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If you have a large dutch oven you could even cook two bracioles together.

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I like to use my roasted tomato sauce in this recipe. It is my go-to tomato sauce recipe. It is made my pureeing roasted cherry tomatoes and has a really fresh taste.

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Sometimes I serve Braciole with roasted potatoes and asparagus.

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Most recently I served it with baked penne in tomato sauce and creamy spinach.

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And for dessert… I made an angel food cake with a light whipped chocolate frosting – it one of my all-time favorite desserts!

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This is one of my favorite meals to serve at a dinner party – the prep work can all be done in advance before guests arrive.

Before we get to the recipe – want some more recipes for a special dinner? Here are some options:

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This is my Mom’s recipe for Braciole – it is made with a red wine sauce instead of being cooked in tomato sauce.

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I love this Classic Chicken Marsala recipe and it tastes even better then it is made a day ahead of time.

How to make Braciole with Tomato Sauce:

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Braciole with Tomato Sauce

Yield: 2-3 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Braciole is a recipe that is perfect for a special occasion that only requires 20 minutes of active preparation time. Flank Steak is topped with cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs, seared, and then roasted in tomato sauce. Let this recipe be your secret weapon for hosting a dinner party.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb - 1.25lb Flank Steak
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/3 cup grated Provolone
  • 1/3 cup Italian Breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian Parsley
  • 2 cloves pressed or finely chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Butter
  • 1 cup White Wine
  • 3 cups Tomato Sauce
  • *Butchers Twine

Instructions

First heat your oven to 300 degrees.

Then get started by pounding the flank steak to make it thinner. Pound it for about a minute getting it as thin as possible. Then dust both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the Parmesan, Provolone, breadcrumbs, parsley, and garlic together in a bowl. Then spread them out evenly on the top of the flank steak.

Next roll up the steak, and tie it closed with 3-4 pieces of butcher's twine. Tie the twine tightly so that the filling won't fall out of the steak as it cooks.

Then melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium high heat, and brown the steak on all sides. This will take about 8 minutes total, turning the steak every 2 minutes.

Once the steak has been browned, add the white wine, and bring to a bubble. Then pour the tomato sauce over the steak, and cover it with a lid, and place it in the oven.

Roast the steak at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, basting the steak every 30 minutes, by spooning the tomato sauce over it.

After 90 minutes, pull the dutch oven out of the oven, and let the braciole rest for 10 minutes before slicing it. Remove the butcher's twine as you slice. Serve immediately after slicing, spooning some of the tomato sauce on top.

Did you make this recipe?

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Inspired by Giada de Laurentiis

How to Make Braciole - An Easy Braciole Recipe for a Special Dinner (18)
How to Make Braciole - An Easy Braciole Recipe for a Special Dinner (19)
How to Make Braciole - An Easy Braciole Recipe for a Special Dinner (2024)

FAQs

What cut of meat is braciole made from? ›

Braciole is a hearty southern Italian dish involving thinly pounded top round steaks that are stuffed, rolled and simmered; traditional fillings vary by location. In Sicily, the filling might include raisins and pine nuts, while in Calabria, cheese and crispy pork are commonly used.

Can I prep braciole the night before? ›

Make ahead: The uncooked braciole can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. This dish gets better with time. If you can, make it in the morning or the night before, refrigerate, and reheat when you're ready to serve.

Why is my braciole tough? ›

If you try to cook braciole quickly, you're going to end up with a dense brick to chew through instead of the tender beef roll we're going for. Slow cooking is a crucial component that can't be overlooked.

What can I use instead of flank steak for braciole? ›

What can I use instead of flank steak for braciole? Instead of flank steak, use a top round, which is typically a more cost-effective cut of beef and will yield similar results when pounded thinly. On the other hand, you can also use sirloin, pork loins, or even turkey breasts to make braciole.

How to cut top round for braciole? ›

Two pounds of top round can be cut by your butcher to give you about 6 1/8 inch strips of 5 inch by 10 inch top round. Your supermarket may even have the meat pre-cut for you if you look for it. When each strip is rolled up, you will cut them in half, creating 12 bracioles.

What is the difference between braciole and involtini? ›

Reserve the term "braciole" for pork loins, large cuts of flank steak or turkey breasts - essentially, big cuts and roasts that get sliced up and served to many people. Involtini, however, is the name used for thin cutlets of meat that are most often served in individual portions.

What is the difference between braciole and spiedini? ›

The main difference between Spiedini and Braciole lies in the cooking technique. 'Spiedini' refers to skewers of meat, whereas 'Braciole' refers to rolled slices of meat. In Sicily, however, these terms can often be used interchangeably, as the meat is rolled and then sometimes cooked on skewers.

How long does braciole last in the fridge? ›

If you have leftover braciole you can transfer it to a container with a lid and store it in the fridge. This will keep for about 3 to 4 days. If you want to keep it longer, wrap your braciole completely in tin foil. Then put it in a covered container or freezer-safe bag.

How do you make meat not rubbery? ›

How to Tenderize a Tough Cut of Meat
  1. Pound it out. Pounding softens and tenderizes meat, making it easier to cut and eat. ...
  2. Use salt. ...
  3. Use an acidic marinade. ...
  4. Use kiwi, papaya, or pineapple. ...
  5. Score it. ...
  6. Slow cook it.

How do you tenderize the toughest meat? ›

Force: Pounding, Massaging, Cutting, and More

Mallets and meat pounders, for example, can be used to hammer steaks and thin slices of meat; the heavy force from banging the meat breaks up the connective tissue and collagen around the muscle fibers, causing the muscle fibers to separate and the meat to be more tender.

Can you prep braciole ahead of time? ›

Braciole is easy and may be made ahead of time. The version I have here is a simple one which is rolled with garlic, Italian parsley and grated cheeses. Once you master this recipe you may get creative and try some other versions filled with slices of prosciutto, provolone, hard cooked eggs and more!

What is a braciole slang? ›

Braciole. Slang term for woman; literally, an Italian dish of flattened stuffed steak.

What cut of meat is Italian beef made from? ›

The Ingredients You Will Need To Make An Italian Beef Sandwich. The Meat: Boneless chuck roast is the cut of choice. Due to its fantastic marbling, chuck roast cooks to that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich beefy flavor you love.

What cut or type of meat is used for the popular Italian dish known as ossobuco? ›

Osso buco is an Italian dish of braised veal shanks, which are cross-cut from the leg bone beneath the knee and shoulder. The shank is a tougher cut of meat, so slow cooking in liquid is essential for the melt-in-your-mouth texture that osso buco is known for.

What do you call Italian raw thin slices of meat? ›

Carpaccio is an Italian appetizer of thinly sliced raw meat drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil. It's traditionally made with beef, but can be made with fish (specifically salmon or tuna), veal, or venison.

What cut of meat do Italians choose? ›

Italian Cuts and Dishes

The filetto is used for tender steaks, beef medalions, filet mignon, and tartare. Almost as prized are the fesa and scamone, both cuts of the rump, used for roasts, spezzatino (a beef and potato stew), cutlets for cotolette alla milanese, and steaks.

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