Italian Grandmother Makes Braciole Food

BEEF BRACIOLE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place each slice of beef between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat pounder until 1/4 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 1/2 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.

BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.
• In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.
• Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN BRACIOLE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a medium sized bowl, mix together the garlic powder, cheeses, breadcrumbs, and dried basil. Set the mix aside
• Lay the flank steak on a clean surface and pound flat with a meat tenderizer. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
• Evenly distribute the breadcrumb filling among the flank steaks and roll, beginning on the short end, all the way up like a jelly roll. Tie the rolls closed with butchers twine to secure the braciole.
• Pour the olive oil into a large pot and heat over medium high heat. Sear the braciole rolls for about 30 second on each side, just to brown the meat quickly.
• Add the tomato sauce to the pot and lower the heat to low. Cover and cook the braciole for an hour, basting the rolls occasionally to ensure they do not dry out.
• Serve hot along with the sauce!