Braciole - Now That's Italian

Being a dad and a cook means that you have to take chances at both. Your kids want to see you stretch your comfort level a bit. For years, I wanted to teach myself how to make braciole. An Italian dish that can seem intimidating, but is actually quite easy to make. So I went out and asked a few Italian friends of mine their family recipes and learned braciole can have endless opportunities.

For anyone unfamiliar with braciole, it is a flatted steak (Pork or Beef) that is wrapped and tied with amazing ingredients and cooked very slowly in a tomato sauce. You can serve the braciole over pasta or on it's own. It is tender and full of flavor when done correctly.

Braciole has to be wrapped correctly. Some people use toothpicks while others use cooking twine. Skilled cooks can cook it without the twine or toothpicks if that wrap it carefully and compactly. 

Some ingredients include boiled eggs, spinach, fresh basil, prosciutto, along with a combination of seasonings. Fresh garlic is a must. As with all recipes, the fun is trying different ingredients each time you make it. 

Ingredients

Flank Steak or Thin Pork Cutlets (You will need a meat mallet or a good butcher has steaks and pork that is made to order for braciole) 

2 boiled eggs

Garlic Cloves

Basil or Spinach (I prefer Basil) 

Garlic Powder

Garlic thinly sliced

Cracked Sea Salt

Cracked Pepper

Grated Asiago or Parmesan Cheese

Olive Oil

Parsley

Italian Bread Crumbs (1 cup) 

Optional Ingredients

Prosciutto

Oregano (Fresh)

Provolone Cheese

Preparation 

On a cutting board flatten the steak or pork. If you are using a steak, densely coat with cracked sea salt for 30 mins. This will tenderize the steak. (Salt dissolves the proteins in fat that makes a steak tender) Remove most of the salt and begin to flavor the meat. Add 1 - 2 tsps of cracked pepper, salt and garlic powder to your liking. (Depends on the size of the meat) Next, spread 1 cup of Italian bread crumbs evenly. Add the basil, garlic and grated cheese. Thinly slice the boiled eggs and spread them towards the middle of the braciole. Add any other ingredients you feel would make a great addition. 

Next, roll the braciole tightly into a compressed spiral of 3-4  layers. Once complete, you can add the toothpicks or tie the braciole together to keep it tightly compressed. 

Browning the braciole - Using a cast iron skillet, heat the skillet to a medium - medium high heat with a thin coating of olive oil and garlic. Place the braciole on the skillet and brown the braciole on each side. Browning the braciole gives the meat a great flavor on the outside that compliments the ingredients on the inside. 

In a crockpot, add you tomato sauce base. You can use a jar (Yucky) or use our sauce on the blog (Yummy). It is up to you. Set the crock pot to low and cook for 6-7 hrs. This allows for the meat to become fully immersed in the flavors.

Remove the braciole and sprinkle grated cheese on top when taken out of the crock pot. Serve over pasta or on it's own and you have created a masterpiece.