HOW TO MAKE: Braciole
Braciole is a Neapolitan Classic but also a childhood classic for me that we would often have with our Sunday pranzo or lunch… In every Italian-American movie, it seems like someone is always talking about eating his mamma’s braciole.…it’s that iconic! Just please don’t call the sauce gravy. See below for recipe.
1 1/2 lb (750 g) flank steak, cut into 8 slices
Salt, QB
Freshly ground black pepper, QB
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup raisins
8 slices Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red onion, diced
1 cup red wine
4 cups (1 L) passata
To prepare the beef rolls: First you need to flatten your flank steak. You can ask your butcher to do this for you, or you can do it yourself by pounding them with a meat mallet until they’re about 1⁄4 inch (0.5 cm) thick.
Lay the flattened slices of meat out, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, parsley, pine nuts, and raisins. Top each with a slice of Parmigiano. Roll them up and either secure with butcher’s twine or a toothpick. Set aside.
For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic and beef rolls and sear them until they’re brown on all sides. Add the onions and cook for 30 to 40 seconds. Add the red wine, stirring to pick up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Now add the passata and some salt. Bring it to a light boil, and then reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about 4 hours.
When it’s done, remove the braciole from the sauce and discard the garlic. Top each serving with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Enjoy!
Serves 4-6