Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (2024)

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (1)

Beef braciole is a traditional, hearty recipe from Southern Italy (in Naples) people enjoy during a family dinner. In Neapolitan dialect, the term braciola refers to an involtino, a thin, stuffed meat roll up such as top round that is braised in tomato sauce.

Tasty and super easy to make, they are delicious thin beef rolls similar to a rouladewhich are stuffed with raisins, pine nuts, parsley, garlic and pecorino cheese. Beef slices are cooked in the tomato wine-infused sauce for hours over low heat. You can also use the sauce to season pasta the next day.

What is a Braciola?

Braciole (pronounced bra-choh-leh) are a typical Italian recipe from Campania region (in the Southern Italy). A braciola (plural braciole) is a delicious dish made with thin meat slices that are stuffed, rolled up and simmered in a tomato sauce. The traditional savory filling is made of pine nuts, raisins, parsley, garlic and pecorino cheese, but everyone can customize it to taste.

This beef braciole recipe is so popular thathas also appeared in many movies and TV series such as The Sopranos or Everybody Loves Raymond.

What is the best cut for making Italian Braciole?

To make perfect braciole, make sure to use slices of beef rump, top round or bottom round. Flank steak, sirloin and even skirt steak are good options.

If you don't want to use beef, you can replace it with pounded pork, veal cutlets, fish or vegetables.

How to make Beef Braciole

Making beef braciole is easier than you may think. Start by beating beef slices with a meat tenderizer, season and spread with raisins, pine nuts, garlic, parsley and pecorino cheese. Roll them up and tie each roll or seal the slices with four toothpicks crosswise.

Next, fry the sliced onion in a pan with oil. Add beef roll ups and white wine, then season and let them cook until browned. Add the tomato sauce and basil. Finally, let them simmer covered for up to 2 hours.

Tips for making Italian Beef Braciole

For a healthier version, make beef braciole in the oven, just bake them for 35 minutes to 400°F.

Don't forget to pound the beef with a meat mallet in order to get the right thickness when rolling it up.

Instead of pecorino cheese, you can also use grated parmesan cheese.

You can customize this recipe as you prefer. Add breadcrumbs, onions, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese or even hard eggs.

You don't have to tie beef braciole, just be sure to seal them well with a toothpick.

To make Sicilian braciole, use onions, breadcrumbs, sliced ham and stringy cheese for the savory filling.

You can also make braciole in the slow cooker. Cook beef roll ups on low for 5 hours. If you're in a hurry, you can make it in the instant pot, let them cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.

What to serve with Beef Braciole

Beef braciole are a delicious recipe that pairs great with ziti pasta, risotto, veggie puree or polenta and a full bodied red wine.

How to store Beef Braciole

You can store the beef braciole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, inside an airtight container. Reheat the dish in a pan over low heat for about 10 minutes or until warm.

You can also freeze beef braciole for up to 3 months.

More Recipes You'll Like

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Ingredients

top round, boneless

4 slices

Vinegar

30 g

Pine nuts

30 g

roman pecorino

60 g

Parsley

salt

Black pepper

Tomato sauce

750 ml

Extra virgin olive oil

garlic (optional)

1 clove

Instructions

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (2)

Step 1

Step 1

Arrange the 1/4 inch-thick meat slices on a cutting board.

Arrange the 1/4 inch-thick meat slices on a cutting board.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (3)

Step 2

Step 2

Beat them with a meat mallet.

Beat them with a meat mallet.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (4)

Step 3

Step 3

Beef slices should be large and thin.

Beef slices should be large and thin.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (5)

Step 4

Step 4

Wash, dry and chop parsley, then mince the garlic.

Wash, dry and chop parsley, then mince the garlic.

Step 5

Season with salt and pepper and add raisins, pine nuts, garlic, chopped parsley, leaving only the edges of the meat slices free.

Season with salt and pepper and add raisins, pine nuts, garlic, chopped parsley, leaving only the edges of the meat slices free.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (7)

Step 6

Step 6

Sprinkle it with pecorino cheese.

Sprinkle it with pecorino cheese.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (8)

Step 7

Step 7

Close each one by rolling them up.

Close each one by rolling them up.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (9)

Step 8

Step 8

Continue until you finish beef slices.

Continue until you finish beef slices.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (10)

Step 9

Step 9

Seal beef roll ups with kitchen twine or 4 small toothpicks crosswise or with a single large toothpick vertically.

Seal beef roll ups with kitchen twine or 4 small toothpicks crosswise or with a single large toothpick vertically.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (11)

Step 10

Step 10

Fry the sliced onion in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil.

Fry the sliced onion in a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (12)

Step 11

Step 11

Add the braciole.

Add the braciole.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (13)

Step 12

Step 12

Let them brown, season with salt and pepper.

Let them brown, season with salt and pepper.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (14)

Step 13

Step 13

Deglaze with white wine.

Deglaze with white wine.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (15)

Step 14

Step 14

Add the tomato sauce and basil, then cover with a lid.

Add the tomato sauce and basil, then cover with a lid.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (16)

Step 15

Step 15

Cook over low heat for 2 hours as the meat sauce should simmer.

Cook over low heat for 2 hours as the meat sauce should simmer.

Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (17)

Step 16

Step 16

Remove the lid and allow the sauce to reduce. Serve and enjoy!

Remove the lid and allow the sauce to reduce. Serve and enjoy!

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Beef Braciole: the traditional main dish recipe for Italian thin meat roll up (2024)

FAQs

What is the Italian dish braciole made of? ›

Braciole is an Italian-style roulade, a rolled and stuffed meat. It is also called involtini, or bruciuluni in Sicilian. The etymology of the word translates to slice of meat rolled over coals. The meat — typically beef, veal, or pork — is pounded thin and stuffed with prosciutto, breadcrumbs, cheese, and herbs.

Why is my braciole tough? ›

Further, if you haven't pounded the meat thin enough, it can still be tough after cooking, so make sure to pound it to an even, thin slice. Lastly, the cooking time matters, as if you cook it too short it can be tough, so make sure to cook it slow and prolonged to get a more tender result.

Can you roll braciole ahead of time? ›

Preparing the Braciole Early – I made my Braciole ahead of time and wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap. By placing it into the refrigerator, the Braciole firmed up and created a more uniform roulade (which you can see below).

What is the history of beef braciole? ›

The rolled, stuffed beef preparation we typically associate with Braciole in America is more commonly known as "involtini" in Italy. Italian immigrants brought the concept of Braciole with them when they journeyed to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

What is a braciole in Italian slang? ›

“Braciol” is not an Italian word; it's an Italian-American slang catch all for all rolled things especially when long cooked in sauce. I cringe every time I hear it (or worse MOZZ or MUZZ for mozzarella cheese – mamma mia!).

What is the thin Italian meat? ›

Bresaola • Lombardy

The cured meat is lean and reminiscent of pastrami, but thinner. It is often served as an antipasto on its own and is similar to carpaccio, with thin slices covering the plate.

Why is my meat so rubbery? ›

Muscle fibers contract and push out moisture as meat cooks. It first starts to happen when the internal temperature reaches 104℉ (40℃) and greatly increases once you hit 140℉ (60℃). This is why ribeyes, chicken breasts, and pork chops turn dry and chewy when you cook them for too long.

Why is my steak super chewy? ›

Cooking Method: Overcooking can cause the steak to lose its moisture, making it dry and chewy. Conversely, undercooking can make certain cuts feel tough. Aging Process: Steaks that are not properly aged can be less tender.

Why is my stewed beef tough? ›

Not cooking the stew long enough.

If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours. Chuck meat is your best bet for beef stew, but it's also a pretty tough cut so it needs time to break down and become tender.

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 is the rarest Italian dish? ›

Su filindeu—literally “threads of God” in Sardo—is unfathomably intricate. It's made by only three women on Earth, all of whom live on Sardinia. And they make it only for the biannual Feast of San Francesco. It's been this way for the last 200 years.

What is the Italian stomach lining dish? ›

Tripe (trippa in Italian) is a classic dish in regional Italian cuisine made from the edible lining of the stomachs of ruminants, primarily cows. In Lombardy, tripe may also be the first part of the small intestine of a veal calf or a steer. It is a simple dish, but it requires many hours of cooking time.

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