The Secret to Making the Best Braciole on Earth
Call Them Braciole, Involtini, or Rouladen, but Call Them Delicious!
Braciole! Just the word activates my Pavlovian reflexes and starts me drooling. I've had beef dishes all over the world including all the greats, Chateaubriand; Wellington; au Poivre; Stroganoff; Delmonico; and often in Michelin-starred establishments. However, there is nothing that compares to a Southern Mainland Italian braciola!
It's important to specify "Southern Mainland" as depending on where you ask for a braciola, you will receive something very different. In the far north you'll get a barbecued cutlet with the bone attached (!!!) while in Sicily you'll get tiny bite-sized beef rolls on a skewer!
In Northern Italy you'll find a somewhat similar recipe called Involtini, and in Germany, they'll call it Rouladen. But in this case, my friends, we're talking the one and only real Braciola, which is a slice of prime, lean beef, pounded to within an inch of its life; filled with the most delectable mixture on Earth; rolled then browned to seal in all the goodness; and then dropped into a big vat of sauce to simmer all day long.
I have to balance myself on my chair now, as I almost fell over at the thought of them.
There are some heretics who substitute the beef for:
- Veal (where's the flavor?)
- Pork (ends up tasting like a messy sausage)
- Chicken (after a day simmering in sauce, chicken turns to limp shreds)
- Swordfish, Wild Boar, Horse (you've gotta be kiddin', right?)
There is only one meat for the real braciole, and it's a very lean cutlet of beef tenderized by a few thousand smashes from a heavy meat pounder. Heaven!
The greatness of the braciole lies in its fillings. You'll find all sorts of people recommending that you put all sorts of incoherent junk inside your braciole. Disregard them. You should feel indeed honoured as I'm about to share my Mamma's (and her Mamma's and her Mamma's) secret filling for the ultimate braciole. Ingredients are based on six braciole and 100g equals 3 ounces.
Ingredients:
- 100g Pine Nuts (make sure they're sweet and plump, not dry and acrid)
- 100g Dark Seedless Small Raisins (never the golden ones)
- 100g Mozzarella (not Di Bufala, but a good quality pizza cheese)
- 100g San Daniele Prosciutto (beware of cheaper kinds as they're often too salty)
- 100g Bread Crumbs (make them from day-old bread or get them from a bakery, don't buy the stale powder junk from the store)
- Chopped Parsley, Salt & Pepper
Instructions:
You can either go rustic or urban with your braciole filling. Rustic takes the ingredients and stuffs them into the braciole as is. Urban puts the filling ingredients through a food processor until they're the consistency of a chunky pesto. I'm a rustic man myself, but I won't turn down an urban braciola either!
1) Apply your filling to one side of the pounded beef cutlet, roll it up very tightly and now secure it.
2) There are three ways to keep your braciola well-rolled.
- Tying as shown (make sure to remove the string prior to serving)
- Fastening with toothpicks (you always end up leaving one in and having your favorite guest stab his tongue with it)
- The Master Chef Tieless Tie: Once you've rolled up your braciola so tight that it's as hard as a rock, very quickly roll them in hot oil. You're not trying to cook them, but just to brown the outside very fast so that the outside of the braciola "sets" and maintains its shape during the long cooking process ahead. This takes skill and experience, but when it's done well, it's incredible!
3) Regardless of how you've secured them, you want to brown them in a very tiny bit of oil until they are golden to dark brown all around (don't forget the ends). At this point, you're ready to fully cover them in a big pot of sauce that you intend to keep simmering for at least the next 4 hours, and 8 is better yet!
Yes, you can go with a conventional pasta sauce, but if you want to experience the ultimate braciola that will immediately make you an evangelistic convert to The Church Of Braciolism, put your scrumptious beef rolls into Neapolitan Genovese sauce (See my "The Greatest Pasta Sauce You've Never Tasted"). Once the sauce has simmered all day and taken on the flavour of the dark caramelized onions and oozing braciole fillings, you will be a Braciolist for life!
Questions & Answers
Comments
Made this many times
Hello! Making braciole for first time and I have so much urban-style filling left over. Do you think I can freeze it if I used an airtight container?
Really good presentation for the photos, the photo step by step captures what needs to be done and the text is written in an easy to follow style. Great overall job in the layout and creating the message. This looks like a recipe I need to try!
Yes I would strongly agree with you that this braciola dish is one of the best beef dishes anyone can experience. It is all in the preparation and ingredients that makes the dish what it really is, but that is just the rules of Italian cooking!
First shot at making Braciole... But it WON'T BE THE LAST TIME! It was a definite Hit!! Made New Years Eve a HIT!!!
We grew up having braciole for Christmas dinner. My mom stuffs it with provolone, romano, salami, hard boiled egg, olive oil and bread crumbs. She also uses this stuffing for artichokes and sweet Italian peppers, which I can't find anywhere. Bell peppers just don't do it for me. In any case, it was always everyone's favorite.
do you think I can use cube steaks for my Beacoila?
My great grandmother who came from Tursi in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy always made Braciole in her sauce. I have inherited the tradition and still make it every 2-3 weeks and freeze the rest of the sauce as we eat pasta 2-3 times a week. My Grandmother's braciole recipe was much more basic. We use round steak since it is usually easily found cut very thin (and cheap). I season it with salt, black pepper, red pepper seeds, garlic, thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley (an Italian seasoning mill works fine for the herbs) and Romano cheese. The topping is more like a rub than a paste. Roll it up tightly with string. Pan fry it with olive oil and cook it in the sauce for 4-5 hours. It really makes the sauce great!
4-8 hours...my goodness :D
Hi Licino,
Thanks for the receipe. It was very nice. I should point out that NOTHING taste as Good as Mama's food. Your Mom is a great cook. May I suggest that the receipe which you provided is Not the traditional from Sicily. We are from Silicy, and another option might be, eliminating the nuts, using a LOT more breading ( Bread crumbs and Cheese) and even trying some Stuffing once in awhile. ALL are good and worth the time.
I too, found your site after wondering what this dish was about after watching Everybody Loves Raymond (what a great episode!). I made my Genovese yesterday, and working on the beef roll ups this morning to cook all day long. I am using super-thin sliced top round, which I will still pound a little more. Following the recipe as close as I can- and have to say it is the only recipe that seems genuine- food network versions seem a little sloppy. Can't wait! Thanks for sharing.
I, too, have never heard of this dish until "Everybody Loves Raymond" and it cracks me up how one episode of a show can get people to try new things! I was very curious about this dish and just what exactly it was or what was in it. All Debra's character said was "stuffed meat".. which could've meant ANYTHING. She also said that instead of raisins, she used currants. I don't even know what those are! lol.. Has anyone tried that? The other character, Frank, said it made it have a sweetness to it. Anyway, I am definitely not a cook but this really made me wonder if I should give it a try. I am very nervous. I am not too thrilled about the pine nuts and neither is my family and I am skeptical about the raisins. The last thing I want is for them to bite into something crunchy, you know? (regarding the pine nutes).. Hal, you seem to be the master-- Do you really need to make it this way or is it okay to leave out things here and there? Also, I am confused a little on the sauce. You pound, stuff, roll, then brown the meat (in a pan in oil- which oil?) and then you let it simmer for 4-8 hours in the sauce? Would that be in a crock pot? High, medium, or low? And I have never heard of the Genovese sauce.. Does that come in jars? How many do you buy then? lol, sorry I have so many questions. Oh, and also with the bread crumbs- I REALLY do not want to go to a bakery, I have no clue how to MAKE them, and I laughed because yes I do use that "stale powder junk from the store" hahaha! What should I do??
Made this tonight to test it on family before inviting guests. A++++++++++! I made it years ago with a recipe from my Italian in-laws. It was good but this was supurb. They always used flank steak and cut it in half, as in two layers from one...not easy to do.
I didn't think I'd like the raisins in your filling but from the first bite they rang the bell for me. Thanks.
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Quick note: I just watched Mario Batali (a chef I truly admire) make braciole on the Today Show. WTF??? He gave a round steak about four hits with a mallet and then stuffed it with parmesan and parsley? EEEK! Then he browned it and braised it for about half an hour? That's not a braciola, Mario, that's a piece of shoe leather with a gob of bitter cheese in the middle! Mario, Mario, Mario... what am I going to do with you? First of all you NEVER bake parm for more than a few minutes as it turns to bile, then the stuffing is absolutely nothing but yuck, and the cooking process is going to result in chewing gum! Come on, Mario... ask me how to make this stuff... I'll be glad to help you! :)
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Depends on how big you make the braciole. I use about 4 oz. of beef per braciola, but I've used as much as 8 oz pounded out to make monsterbraciole. I would allow about one and a half braciole per person, so about 4 lbs. Keep in mind I'm a BIG eater! :)
I will =)
Last question. Would you know how much steak I need to feed 10 people comfortably?
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4 hours: go with flank. Believe it or not, the cheapest cuts of meat have the most flavor. But they have to be braised for centuries. Let me know how it goes! :)
Thanks so much for the quick response!
I don't really want to use the cheapest meat, since I am hosting a birthday party for 10 people. I am planning on simmering it for about 4 hours. If I am understanding correctly, Flank counts as the better quality choice?
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No prob.
Flank steak if you're going to cook them for less than 4 hours.
Round steak if you're going to cook them for more than 4 hours.
If you're going to cook them for 8 hours or more, then you can use virtually any cheap cut that will hold together. The cheaper the tastier. I once made it with thin cuts from a cross rib roast and it was amazing. Blade will fall apart as it has too much connective tissue.
Sirloin? Nah. Waste of money.
Hi, Thanks for the great recipe! But can you help with the specific type of cut of the lean beef to use? Round steak, flank steak, sirloin? REALLY CONFUSED?? Too much to choose from. Thanks!!!
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Make it quick and you'll never stop eating it. And say hi to Debra Barone for me. :)
Raymond sent me here as well - thanks for the recipe; it's in the "to try making" queue!
If Debra Barone can make this taste good, then maybe I can too!
Hal how far ahead do you think I can make this dish and reheat it before my party?
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Carne equina? Domenico! Leave those poor cavalli alone! Horses are to ride, not eat! :)
Sorry to be picky, but where I come from the real braciole is made either with beef or carne equine. The stuffing is simply chopped garlic, parmesan or romano cheese and parsley. Simple but unbelievably good. Obviously the long simmer breaks down the beef/equine meat and it is great.
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Full credit gratefully granted! :)
Hey there... Nice Braciole page.. Can I get a little credit here? Those are my photos you have on this page. All of them excellent for the very top are from my Italian Recipes Website. I don't mind you using them at all, just would like a little credit. Thanks and Happy Cooking, Happy Times and Share the LOVE! :-) ~ Anthony
Check it out for authentic Italian recipes like grandma used to make:
Anthony's Italian Recipes Like Grandma Used To Make
Sounds fantastic!! I am going to "self-test" this recipe, and if it for me, I will serve it at the next dinner party!! Thank you so much for this!
Wonderful! I personally don't like or use the pine nut/raisin stuffing but I do use imported prossiuto and grate my own parmesan regiano for the filling. This is my Italian husbands FAVORITE dish and I am making it for my Mom and family on Sunday. The nice part is it's so easy and can simmer away on the back of the stove al day and make the house smell WONDERFUL! I alsoput a pepperoni stick in the "gravy" to flavor the sauce. WONDERFUL!
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Yup, that's definitely sicilian with the chick peas and the rice, let alone the egg. Very Catania! Enjoy! :)
The Old Sicilian Tradition of making Braciol includes the following: Large section of pounded meat: Rice, chicken peas, cheese slices of hard boiled egg, raisin and pine nuts: also optional is some tomatoe and onion. Bellisimo!
Just like nana used to make.
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Denise, you can try walnuts or cashews, or if he is allergic to all nuts, just leave them out altogether or maybe use a bit of brown nutty rice.
judy, from Wiki: "A round steak is a steak from the round primal cut of a beef carcass, known as a rump steak in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Specifically, a round steak is the eye (of) round, bottom round, and top round still connected, with or without the "round" bone (femur), and may include the knuckle (sirloin tip), depending on how the round is separated from the loin." That's the one! :)
What meat do you use or ask the butcher for. If you say round steak --please be specific. thanks!!
This sounds wonderful!
My husband is allergic to pine nuts -- should I leave them out or substitue something else?
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Yorrick: You're free to spread strawberry jam in there too, but any self-respecting Italian braciole fan would be aghast at the mustard just as much as at the jam. :)
Tabitha: Let me know what you think!
Raymanuchhh: The fresh garlic cloves are the key. I stuff them full of 'em!
Priscilla: Hope you enjoy them! Go for the braciole first. You won't regret it!
household6: Pigskins? Was she a football fan? :)
Cant wait to try this. My grandmother made her Braciole this way as well as with pig skins in place of the beef. Thanks for the recipe.
So excited... Cant wait to try this. I love authentic Italian food. And Americanized Italian food is better than NO Italian! My roots are Greek and I was just thinking of making Pastitio (Greek Lasagna if anyone wants to switch it up a bit.) But this looks divine. Now I don't know which to make first!!! Since I'ver never had anything like this I think this is the winner. Can't wait!!!!!
Great recipe, Hal! We love to experiment with the traditional...inside we'll roll up a slice of prociutto, ham, pepperoni, smoked turkey, orrrrrrrr...straight from the Jersey Shore...Taylor Ham! Another trick is to roll up three asparagus spears inside...and we always add slices of fresh garlic cloves!
Yup, I'm a "Raymond" fan too, and a lover of Italian food, and like some of those above, that episode led me to this site too!!! I can't wait to try it either, I'm drooling already! Thanks for sharing Hal x
recipe is not bad but I always like to smear a little mustard on the 'inside'of the beef slices before adding the other ingredients
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Justine76, thanks for dropping in. This Hub has been bubbling around the top of google for more than two years. I guess people love braciole. I know I do!
sophs: Let me know what you think! Yum!
I love Braciole! Definitely going to try this recipe!
I was looking up how to spell Braciole, for an answer to a thread on the forum. My Grandfather in law was from Sicily, and made this once. So anway, I found your hub around nubmer 3 in google search. :) So glad I found it!! Thanks for sharing this.
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That sounds delicious, Dave. Personally I think that a braciola that hasn't simmered for a full 8 hours doesn't have the right consistency, so I'm a looooooooong term advocate. Have a great Sunday dinner! :)
Can anyone tell me after I brown those beauties how long should I simmer in a light tomato sauce. Since I'm using a dutch oven should I bake with lid on? I'm making this recipe on Sunday for friends. I plan on serving with homemade pappardelle pasta. A great noodle for absorbing sauce. "Complimenti alla cuoca".
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Hope you enjoy your braciole! :)
Funny, I saw the "Everybody loves Raymond" episode as well and found this site. I just got home from the store with all my ingredients. Fixin to head to the kitchen now.
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Try it! You'll love it! And say hi to Raymond for me! :)
Amazing, lile others, I came here because of the Everyeone Loves Raymond to see what this dish was all about. Thanks for all the great information! I can hardly with to try it.
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It sounds like it should be just fine although I've never used that particular method with genovese before. If I would suggest any changes whatsoever, it would be to increase the cooking time (you can never cook genovese too much) and sauté the carrots and celery prior placing them in the sauce if you can. The veg can be sauted even the day before and put aside and they should be fine. Good luck! Sounds delish! :)
One question on the simmering in the Neapolitan Genovese sauce - the party is for 40 so I will need to braise in the oven vs. stovetop. My thoughts were to place them in hotel pans with the sauce and cook at about 300 for the 4 hours then add the carrots and celery 1 hour prior to service. These will then be transferred to a chafing dish. Any other recommendations? I will pratice on the family prior to work out any kinks. thank you.....
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As long as the internal temperature of the braciole is not allowed to drop to below 130 F or so, they will be delectable! (Although I love them at room temp sliced on cabuci bread...) Let me know how it goes! :)
Was thinking of doing this for a dinner party. Seems perfect for a party for 40 as all the cooking is done ahead. Will let you know how it goes. Looks absolutely wonderful and delicious......
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Yup, the Abbruzzesi make 'em about the same way as the Neapolitans... just as delish!!! :)
very similar recipe to what my Abruzzese dad made. Mom is from Naples but dad was the better cook :-) thanks for sharing
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Neapolitan father, huh? Yup I had one of those too! Enjoy your braciole! :)
I grew up on this--with a Neopolitan father, it was a staple. And I'm happy your recipe includes raisins and pine nuts--for me, these are must haves. Some recipes don't include these ingredients, but I can't imagine Braciole any other way.
Off to go make my own. Thank you for dedicating a post to this heavenly dish.
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Glad you enjoyed it!
Simply the Best!!! We made this tonight with homeade ravaoli and sauce. The braciole was awesome this way. We have made it before and it was pretty dry, but this recipe was delicious. Thanks again for sharing!!
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In Italy? Er... where was I born, brought up in and still have a home... in Scandinavia? My Sicilian mother in Napoli would smack you on the weewee if you even remotely suggested chicken for her braciole! :) But thanks for the appreciation for the recipe! :)
In Italy we make involtini mostly with chicken breast.By the way, Best wine to match your braciole is....http://www.italian-wine-guide.com/serve-wine.html
Your recipe is great.
Buon Appetito
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My pleasure! :)
Thanks for helping me recreate the braciole of my youth!
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Yup, that's the rural way of doing it, and it's dang good too! :)
My family was from the Naples area of Italy, and they used to add a hard cooked egg, crumbled and rolled in it! It's awesome!
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Bunni, you've got to try the raisins. You won't regret it. However, I understand that there are some people who just can't eat some things, so you can certainly leave them out. :)
wow, i am having a problem staying on just one of your pages and then commenting on the wrong dish, So I love braciole and can't wait to make the Genovese. Sorry about the confusion''' Ciao
First of all I have to tell you this sounds wonderful. I can't wait to make it. My grandmother is from a small village near Napoli and she didn't teach me this one! She did teach me braciole though not with the raisins, which is okay cuz I do not like raisins. I do love braciole! What else ya makin'?
the braciole! not the raisins
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I do love to use flank steak, but since I like to cook the braciole endlessly, I find that it has a tendency to split between the connective tissue. But dang, is it ever tasty! :)
The meat should be 1 piece (1 1/2) lb) > always flank steak< rolled with what ever you want, (I use genoa salami, capacolla, provolone and pepporini) rolled along the side( ie with the muscle grain horizontal to you) tied w/ a butchers knot, fried/browned and cooked in tomato sauce for about an hour, just like my Mama made from her town Acqua Viva dela Fonte next to Bari! IT IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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johnr54, braciole are delectable, but I'd avoid grilling them unless you expect to let the simmer in sauce later. If they don't slow braise, they will get very tough and stringy (unless you use filet mignon!) :)
My daughter told me about these after a trip to Italy, and I have to say the recipes you've got here look great.
I thought about trying these on a grill, but it looks like it would be pretty tricky.
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Susie, I'll see if I can dig out the old family recipe for Lasagna and feature it in an upcoming Hub!
Michael, Guaglio' e tu o ssaie cca nuie Napulitane mettimme e passe e pignuole ddint' a tutte cose, pure ddint' a vrachetta! :) Center cut top round beef is a good choice but if you can find a really fine flank steak, it can be delicious too! A sta Capocchia! :)
My Neapolitan mother in law introduced these to me many years ago. Her version had only pine nuts, lots of parsley and chopped garlic. I like the addition of the Prosciutto and cheese. I added a bit of parmesean as well. I hadn't made these in a while as the're not my wifes favorites so she made the meatballs (also with rasins and pine nuts) and I made the Braciole. I let her taste them and she was sold. What cut of beef do you use. I bought mine ready to roll but I'd rather pound my own.
I can't wait to cook and EAT these Braciole. Yum. Thanks.
I have a recipe for really delicioso /stuffed Center Cut PorkChops, Italiano!!!
The stuffing is oh so decadent.
Thanks again, Happy Riding.
Susie (wilWrk4choclate) I'm a hubber, love to cook grub ber and
lookin for a new and exciting recipe for Lasagna!!!
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Glad you liked them. Pass it on. Braciole are the best! :)
Just made this for the first time, very very good. Thanks for the pointers.
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Braciole rules! Thanks! :)
I watched the television show "Everybody Loves Raymond" with a storyline that revolved around braciole. I had never heard of it before so I decided to try it on a lark. A search of the web brought me to this recipe.
WOW! I am sold on braciole. I highly recamend this recipe. It only took about 45 minutes preperation time plus eight hours in the slow cooker to make an Italian dinner that rivals what's served in the best Little Italy restaurants.
Thank you Hal, you are a master chef.
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