Braciole

5 (1)

Braciole (pronounced Brah giole) is an Italian dish of thin slices of meat that are rolled as a roulade with cheese and breadcrumbs, although there are many variations which include adding boiled eggs, vegetables, and nuts. After being stuffed and rolled, braciole are tied with string, sautéed to brown, and then placed into a sauce to finish cooking. Although it takes time to braise, it is easy to put together. Here is how I do it for 4 people.

First, combine 1/3 cup of freshly grated parmesan, 1/3 cup of grated provolone, 1/3 cup of Italian breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup of chopped toasted walnuts, 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley in a small bowl. I always buy plain breadcrumbs and add Italian seasoning when I need Italian breadcrumbs.

Next, pound a 1 ¼ pound piece of flank steak as thin as you can. I put it between to sheets of plastic wrap and pound it with a cast iron skillet. When you have it pounded, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and scatter the breadcrumb mixture on top, pressing it down to make sure it sticks. Starting with the long end, roll the steak up jelly roll style squeezing and making sure it is tight. Tie with kitchen twine in 5 – 6 places then sprinkle the outside with salt and pepper.

Over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a ceramic casserole that has a tight-fitting lid. When the oil is hot, quickly sauté the rolled flank steak on all sides until browned but not cooked through. Remove the steak to a plate and deglaze the pan with 1 cup of white wine scraping up the brown bits on the bottom. Lower the heat and stir in 3 cups of tomato sauce and a splash of vodka. Return the steak to the casserole, put the lid on it and pop into a 300-degree preheated oven. Cook for 1 ½ hours basting twice during the cooking time with the sauce in the pan.

Remove from the oven, place the steak on a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the string and slicing. To serve, spoon some of the sauce over or around the Braciole, and of course a serving of pasta is a must.

This is an easy and deliciously different dish your guests will love. I hope you will try it. Enjoy!