How to Make Braciole - An Easy Braciole Recipe for a Special Dinner (2024)

FAQs

What cut of meat is best for braciole? ›

My preferred method of making beef braciole is to make it with flank steak. Flank steak is one of my favorite meats to braise because it will be extremely tender. You can make one huge roll or cut it into thin slices like I do to make a couple of little rolls.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The uncooked braciole can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. This dish gets better with time. If you can, make it in the morning or the night before, refrigerate, and reheat when you're ready to serve. Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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.

Further, if you haven't pounded the meat thin enough, it can still be tough after cooking, so make sure to pound it to an even, thin slice. Lastly, the cooking time matters, as if you cook it too short it can be tough, so make sure to cook it slow and prolonged to get a more tender result.

The Ribeye is generally considered to be the most flavourful steak. These steaks are cut from the ribs and contain a lot of marbling throughout. The muscle from where the Ribeye is cut, isn't used often so the meat is very tender.

Pork is the most common cured meat in Italy, although other meats such as beef, venison and wild boar are also cured. Each region of Italy is known for its own cured meats, known as salumi, based on local customs.

In Italy, "braciole" often refers to simple grilled slices of meat, usually pork. This is because "braciola" can be a term for any piece of meat cooked over embers or "braci." These are typically smaller pieces of meat, simply seasoned, grilled, and enjoyed right off the fire.

For the Braciole: In a medium bowl, add breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir until well combined. Set aside. If using a top round roast, slice roast into six 1/2 -inch slices. If using pre-sliced beef, skip to Step 5.

To freeze, transfer the cooked braciole and sauce to a freezer container or resealable freezer bag. Label with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost frozen braciole in the refrigerator overnight. To reheat leftover braciole, place it in a sauté pan.

How do you tenderize the toughest meat? ›

Use kiwi, papaya, or pineapple

This just might sound a little out there, but it works. Kiwi (along with papaya, pineapple, and Asian pears) contain enzymes that have a tenderizing effect on tough meat. Kiwi in particular is a good choice since it has the most neutral taste.

Tenderloin steak and top blade steaks ranked first and second. Top round steak ranked last. Roasts were more tender than steak counterparts.

Osso buco is an Italian dish of braised veal shanks, which are cross-cut from the leg bone beneath the knee and shoulder. The shank is a tougher cut of meat, so slow cooking in liquid is essential for the melt-in-your-mouth texture that osso buco is known for.

The cut of beef used for Italian beef is typically chuck. The beef is slow cooked until fall-apart tender, then piled high in a hoagie bun with some of the meat's tasty, sloppy cooking juices.

Capicola, commonly known as capocollo in Italy, is a classic cured meat made from pork neck or shoulder, with paprika, spices, and herbs. It is also dry-cured, very thinly sliced, and commonly served as an appetizer or snack.