Pin it
Italian Beef Braciole brings fancy dining straight to your home kitchen. It features thinly sliced beef wrapped around flavorful stuffing, then simmered slowly in a rich wine-tomato mixture. It's the ultimate family gathering meal for those relaxed Sunday evenings.
Benefits Of This Dish
This tried-and-true dish comes straight from traditional Italian cooking and never disappoints. It looks impressive but won't stress you out. You can throw it together a day before, and it'll taste even better when you reheat it. It's your go-to when guests are dropping by.
Ingredients List
- Sliced Beef: Thinly cut top round or flank steak works best
- Garlic: Go for fresh bulbs
- Parsley: Brings brightness to the dish
- Cheese: Either Parmesan or Romano will do the trick
- Breadcrumbs: Pick the pre-seasoned variety
- Salt and Pepper: Add to your liking
- Prosciutto: Regular ham makes a good substitute
- Olive Oil: For browning the meat
- Red Wine: Deepens the sauce flavor
- Beef Broth: Creates a richer sauce base
- Crushed Tomatoes: Forms the sauce foundation
- Italian Seasoning: Dried herb mix works perfectly
- Flour: To give the sauce body
- Sugar: Just a tiny bit if needed
How To Make Beef Braciole
- Preheat Oven:
- Set your oven to 325 degrees with the rack positioned centrally.
- Prep Beef:
- Divide each beef slice into two pieces, creating 12 portions for easier handling.
- Flatten Meat:
- Place beef inside a plastic bag and gently hammer with a meat mallet until it's thin enough to roll up.
- Prepare Garlic:
- Finely chop 4 cloves for the filling mixture and slice the other 8 for the sauce.
- Create Stuffing:
- Combine the chopped garlic with parsley, cheese, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Assemble Rolls:
- Lay prosciutto on each beef piece, spread stuffing over it, then roll tightly and secure with toothpicks.
- Sear Meat:
- Warm oil in a large pot and brown the beef rolls on all sides.
- Deglaze:
- Pour in wine, letting it bubble while you scrape the pot bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Start Sauce:
- Add broth, tomatoes, sliced garlic and Italian seasoning, then return meat to the pot.
- Slow Cook:
- Cover the pot, place in oven, flip meat after an hour, and continue cooking until tender.
- Let Stand:
- Remove meat, cover with foil to stay warm, and take out all toothpicks.
- Thicken Sauce:
- Mix flour with some hot sauce from the pot, then stir back into the main sauce to thicken it.
- Final Touch:
- Check sauce flavor, adjust with salt, pepper or a tiny bit of sugar if needed, then pour over meat to serve.
What Makes It Special
Braciole transforms ordinary beef into something magical. The meat gets incredibly soft and absorbs all the wonderful flavors from the cheese, herbs, and sauce. You'll notice different taste notes coming together in each mouthful.
Creating The Perfect Stuffing
The inside mixture really makes this dish shine. Combine your breadcrumbs with cheese and garlic for the base. Some folks throw in raisins or nuts for extra flavor. Just don't pack too much filling into each roll.
Pin it
Achieving Melt-In-Your-Mouth Texture
Make sure to pound your meat thin, about pencil thickness. The slow cooking process in sauce works magic on the texture. You'll end up with beef so tender it practically falls apart. During cooking, all those sauce flavors seep deep into the meat.
Prep Ahead Option
You can totally make this a day or two before you need it. Just pop it in the fridge, and it'll actually taste even better tomorrow. It's great for freezing too—just wrap it properly. This makes it perfect for busy weeknights or when you're having friends over.
Smart Cooking Tricks
Put your meat in a plastic bag when you're pounding it to avoid mess. Don't worry if you can't grab prosciutto—regular ham does the job fine. Try placing parchment under your pot lid while it cooks to keep all the sauce moisture locked in.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → What meat should I buy?
Ask your butcher for thin slices of top round beef. They roll up nice and get real tender when cooked slow.
- → Can I make it the day before?
Sure! Roll the meat and brown it, then put it in the fridge. Cook it in sauce next day. You can even freeze the rolls if you want.
- → Sauce too thin?
Mix some flour with hot sauce in a cup, stir it back in. Keep stirring till it thicks up how you like.
- → Can't eat flour?
Use ground up rice crackers instead of bread crumbs. Make sure your broth has no wheat in it too.
- → What wine goes good with it?
Red wine works best - grab a Chianti or something strong and rich.
- → Meat not getting soft enough?
Cook it longer on low heat. Give it time - good meat gets softer the longer it cooks.
- → Rolls coming undone?
Tie them up with cooking string. Take the string off before serving.
- → Filling falling out?
Don't overstuff the rolls. Pat everything down firm before you roll. Toothpicks help hold it together too.
Conclusion
If you like this, try beef rouladen - it's rolled with pickles instead. Or make stuffed beef roll using ground meat and bread inside. For another soft meat dish, cook some osso buco - it falls right off the bone.