Monday, June 23, 2008

Beef Braciole - Pounded, Stuffed, and Ready to Roll

This beef braciole recipe (pronounced, bro'zhul), is a version of a dish I learned from my Uncle Bill, who makes it for special holiday dinners. It’s basically a stuffed and rolled piece of pounded beef, braised in tomato sauce. It is one of my all-time favorite Italian recipes, and a great dish to learn, since it can be varied in many delicious ways.

I really hadn't planned on making it, but as you'll see in the clip, I found myself the proud owner of some "reduced for quick sale" sirloin steak. Usually the recipe is done with a tougher cut of meat, and braised for a longer time. But, we chefs must adapt and overcome, so I ended up doing this version that took advantage of the quicker cooking steak.

I also didn’t have some of the classic ingredients like currants and pinenuts, but used what I had, and it came out wonderfully. So, consider this video recipe a lesson in the technique of pounding, stuffing, and rolling the braciole - which will hopefully inspire you to fill it with your favorite dried fruit, nuts, herbs, cheese, etc. Enjoy!



2 8-oz top sirloin steaks
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp chopped raisins or whole currants
2 tbsp any fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, etc.)
1 egg
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Everyone should make this recipe!

Thanks Chef John- Much better job w/ the pronunciation BTW. :)

"that's how I braciole" Can I steal this one?

Anonymous said...

love the music on this one!

Anonymous said...

i admit. i giggled.

Chef John said...

jeff, steal away!

Unknown said...

I didn't giggle, honest!
Okay... Maybe a little.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic recipe! I love this website

Zmajek said...

Loved the recipe, and i liked the applause you gave yourself for tied the meat. Can you show us how to do that fancy knot? :) Btw, i giggled when i read the don't giggle sign. :)

Anonymous said...

I wanna tie my meat!

(Don't giggle)

Anonymous said...

I didn't giggle until it said "Stop giggling." Then I couldn't help myself...

Anonymous said...

haha, i didn't giggle until you said 'stop giggling' too. ^^ good video!

Unknown said...

Hi John,

How do I make Zabaglione?

Chef John said...

egg yolks, sugar and marsala wine whisked over heat until light and foamy. Lots of recipes online, very easy. I'm not a big fan.

Anonymous said...

Had a relative do us a "favor" Bought serveral "beef round sirloin sip steaks" (tough). You said to completely cover with liquid and cook for an hour. Cover with what and how do you get the sauce right?

Love your site and have passed it on to more people than I can remember.

Chicau

Chicau said...

Had some a relative trying to be nice bough several "beef round sirloin tip steaks" (tough). You said to completely cover the meat and cook for an hour. Cover with what and how do you adjust for the sauce?

Love your site and have passed it on to more people than I can count.

Chicau

Chef John said...

Thanks! Use half beef broth, and half tomato sauce. Simmer slowly covered until tender. Enjoy!

maitino said...

I was not giggling.

Always listen to your chef people. I made these on Saturday. I did not patch a certain spot, thinking it will be covered with another layer when rolling. It was not covered and some stuffing came out. Also used toothpicks because I did not have string. The verdict: use string. Anyways despite the mishaps, my braciole was enjoyed greatly. Will make sure I get string first before attempting this again. Thanks C.J.

wetoilpaint said...

This was my first recipe I tried of yours. I used a marked down London broil. It was my first time eating pine nuts too. They added a nice flavor. I enjoyed cutting the raisins into tiny pieces. I must stock some string. I only had some left over string from the Thanksgiving turkey. Improvised with a twine I found but it wasn't strong enough to hold the rolled meat together. Easy to make and I thank you very much! Everyone loved eating this! I was a star ;O)

Anonymous said...

I've never had this before but heard of it so I was excited to try...I'd never pounded or rolled anything but I took my time and carefully pieced it together as shown to make the meat as uniform as possible...my knotting was terrible and I was afraid all the stuffing would fall out but it didn't...I was so tickled by the results..I couldn't believe I made such a beautiful tasty creation...:-)

Chef John said...

awesome!! i can believe it! ;-)

Axel14222 said...

I'm not using pine nuts either. Who can afford them at over $40/lb.!?!?

Chef John said...

What!? You only need a few dollars worth! Come on, people.

Gandalf said...

"Everybody Loves Raymond" episode - a dish that Debra made that actually came out great.