Beef Braciole Recipe is an American Italian dish of parmesan and bread crumb stuffed beef roulades braised in a delicious tomato sauce. This is seriously so dang good.
This is an American-Italian dish that is a pounded beef filet that is stuffed with cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs that is then pan-seared and braised in a tomato sauce. The stuffing will depend on who is making it. You pronounce this classic Italian recipe as Brah-J “yoh- lah.
In Italy, braciole is a breaded pork steak cooked and simmered in a tomato sauce. The authentic Italian version as we know it is something known as Involtini di carne in Italy.
I’ve always said that braising is my favorite cooking method, and this beef braciole recipe proves that. I don’t have much of a family history making this, but I’ve definitely made it at some of the eateries that I worked out throughout the last 15 years.
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.
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How to Make Beef Braciole
Add the tomatoes to a blender and blend on medium speed until smooth.
Transfer to a medium-sized pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook on low heat.
Next, slice the sirloin roast into 12 thin fillets that are about 1/2″ thick.
Pound each of them out on a cutting board in between plastic wrap or a plastic bag until it is about ¼ thick. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper until combined.
Add a small amount of the breadcrumb mixture to the center of 1 pounded beef fillet and spread it out across the beef fillet, pressing it down into the beef.
Roll up the beef to make a roulade.
Repeat until the beef and stuffing have all been used, and truss each beef roulade with a butcher’s twine or a toothpick.
Next, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat and sear the beef on all sides until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Add in white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the tomato sauce, add a lid to the pan, and cook over low heat for 1 hour.
Remove the butcher’s twine, garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, slice, and serve.
What Cut of Meat Should I Use?
Here are the best cuts of beef to use when making this:
- Top Round
- Flank Steak
- Skirt Steak
- Sirloin
I believe this is about personal preference and availability, so this recipe, in its original intent, may have depended on what was available.
On google, this recipe is murky, and it is incredibly hard to get a read on what this original dish might have looked like. I’ve seen it being stuffed with raisins and pine nuts, hard-boiled eggs, and tons of herbs in some variations. Knowing what I know about Italian cuisine is that recipes were simple.
People used what they had on hand to make the most delicious recipe possible, nothing more than that. Most recipes like this were peasant food, and with that in mind, I took that approach when creating this braciole recipe.
Recipe ingredients would include:
- Tomatoes – I always like to use homemade canned tomatoes or San Marzano Tomatoes.
- Parmesan Cheese – You will need finely grated parmesan.
- Parsley – I always used Italian flat-leaf parsley in my recipes.
- Bread Crumbs – You will need regular unseasoned breadcrumbs for this braciole.
- Top Sirloin – I believe top sirloin is the perfect cut of meat for this.
- Onion – You can use a white, yellow, or sweet onion for this
How to Pronounce Braciole? (CORRECTLY) | Italian Dish Pronunciation
FAQ
What does braciole mean slang?
What cut of meat is braciole made from?
What is the origin of beef braciole?
What does braciole mean in Italian?
Generally, however, braciole refers to a thicker and larger piece of meat, almost like a roast. However, in the Sicilian American culture involtini are usually referred to as braciole as in this Authentic Italian Braciole Recipe. What is the origin of beef braciole?
What is braciole Italian meat?
Braciole Italian meat is usually straightforward because it’s basically ground meat stuffed in another type of meat. However, the long, slow cooking process makes this dish tender and yummy. The addition of vegetables like peppers and onions adds more flavor to the dish.
Where does braciole come from?
Well, braciole comes from the cooking technique called alla brace which means grilling the meat over charcoal and also from a cut of meat with bone. Braciole became the more common term to refer to involtini in the Italian American community and has stuck with the dish. Braciole in Northern and Southern Italy are two very different things.
Why is it called brasciole?
Brasciole comes from the Neapolitan dialect word “brasciòla,” which means “armor” or “breastplate.” It’s called “brasciole” because it uses flat meat slices, which resemble the metal plates of armor. What is Braciole? Brasciole is a traditional Italian dish consisting of rolled beef, veal, or pork cuts with bread stuffing.