Italian Braciole Recipe - Chisel & Fork (2024)

If you're looking for the perfect comfort food on a cold night, this Italian braciole recipe which is meat stuffed with cheese and slow cooked in a tomato sauce is perfect. Make no mistake, it is labor intensive in the beginning but the work you put up front is so worth the meal you get at the end.

I'm not one that eats or makes beef that often. Usually if I do, I make something like short rib ragu or homemade meatballs. But a few years ago I was looking for a good comfort dish during the holidays and came across Giada's braciole recipe on Food Network.

I had never had Italian braciole but immediately recognized the name at least from watching Everybody Loves Raymond. Anybody that watched that show knows that was his favorite dish that his mom made. I'm not going to lie though, before looking at Giada's recipe I really had no idea what braciole was. I knew it had beef but didn't know what else.

Basically braciole is meat stuffed with cheese that has been simmering in a sauce for hours. I mean just reading that, you're hooked right? At least I was when I first learned what it was.

Yes this recipe does involve store-bought marinara sauce but I've done homemade sauce with this and to me it wasn't enough of a difference for the extra work.

So my apologies for any that might think it is blasphemous to make an Italian braciole with store-bought sauce. Either way, you should give this a try. And if you are looking for another dish made famous by the show, try this steak pizzaiola.

Recipe Ingredients

• Olive oil - used to sear the beef.
• Pancetta - this Italian bacon adds a ton of flavor.
• Sweet onion, garlic, Italian parsley - where the flavor comes from for the filling.
• Italian-style breadcrumbs - you want a finer crumb here so don't go with panko.
• Parmesan and provolone cheese - the combination works great.
• Flank steak - can also use top round.
• Dry red wine - use a wine you'd be willing to drink.
• Marinara sauce - helps slow cook the beef braciole.
• Crushed red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper - enhances the flavor of the Italian braciole.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until it's browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and crushed red pepper and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. With 1 minute remaining, add garlic. Remove and let cool.
2. Mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley and pepper. Stir in the pancetta onion mixture until everything is combined. Set aside.
3. Lay the flank steak flat and pound until about ¼" thick.
4. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly to cover the steak.
5. Starting at the short end, roll up the steak like you would a jelly roll to enclose the filling. Using some butcher's twice, tie the steak to secure. Sprinkle the Italian braciole with salt and pepper.
6. Heat remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the beef braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
7. Add the wine and bring to a boil and stir in the marinara sauce. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Baste with the sauce very 30 minutes and remove the cover with 30 minutes remaining.
8. Remove the twine and cut the Italian braciole crosswise and diagonally. Transfer to a plate and spoon sauce over to serve.

Side Dish Options

There are plenty of side dishes that can soak up the sauce which go with this Italian braciole recipe. Some options include:

• Any type of pasta - penne, ziti, rigatoni
• Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
• Goat Cheese Polenta
• Crispy Roasted Potatoes
• Goat Cheese Risotto

FAQs

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Take your frustrations out on the flank steak and pound with a meat tenderizer. Flank steak is tough, so pounding it will help tenderize it and make it melt in your mouth when you cook it.
• Use fresh provolone and Parmesan cheese. Do not buy pre-shredded cheese. Just try pre-shredded vs. blocks of cheese and side-by-side and you'll notice the difference.
• When rolling the Italian braciole, start at the short end and roll as tight as possible. If some of the breadcrumb mixture comes out no problem. That means you put plenty!
• Use a friend or sous chef to help you tie the butcher's twine around the beef braciole. Don't tie it so tight you squeeze everything out. You want to tie it where it just holds the flank steak together. I usually use 5 pieces of twine.
• Make sure you sear the flank steak on all sides, so every side is browned nicely. It takes about 2 minutes per side. Searing meat is all about building flavor and texture so don't skip it!
• Cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into ½ inch slices so it is tender and melts in your mouth.

Other Beef Recipes

• Beef Ragu
• Corned Beef Poutine
• Carne Asada Tacos
• Guinness Beef Stew
• Bison Bacon Jam Burger

If you’ve tried this Italian braciolerecipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow meonFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

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