Italian Beef Braciole Stuffed Beef Roll

Being Italian, this Italian beef braciole always makes me happy. A stuffed Italian rolled steak or beef roll with tomato sauce is always good. Braciole is delicious served with pasta, mashed potatoes or a vegetable based side dish. It makes a truly wonderful Sunday family dinner and is one of the Italian classics when it comes to steak roll recipes.

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Italian rolled beef in butcher’s twine is an Italian favourite made with thin slices of beef and boasting a rich tomato sauce. This authentic beef braciole recipe is a dish from southern Italy and makes a hearty Sunday dinner. You’ll find it a flavourful, filling and really tasty example of Italian cuisine.

Beef Braciole Ingredients

The ingredients for this Italian stuffed beef rolls recipe are top round steak slices, pesto, garlic and onion powder, red pepper, bread crumbs, provolone, marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and garlic paste. That’s all you need to make the best beef braciole recipe, also known as Italian stuffed beef. I have the best marinara sauce recipe to use for this recipe and others.

Top round sirloin steak works well for a beef braciole recipe. Sandwich steaks are a more economical option. Some people prefer to use bottom round beef roast or flank steak.

You will need thin slices so it’s easiest to head to a butcher and get him to cut it thin and even for you. You’ll need to get ¼-inch slices so they’re thick enough not to fall apart yet thin enough to enclose the filling and cook until tender.

A simple green basil-based pesto works well to flavour the beef. Choose Italian style breadcrumbs for infusing the dish with a more intense taste of Italy.

How to Make Italian Rolled Steak

Italian beef braciole, which is also known as ‘involtini’ (literally ‘rolled stuffed meat’ in Italian), isn’t hard to make. First of all you will brush the pesto over one side of the meat and then dip the pesto side in a mixture of the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, breadcrumbs and red pepper flakes.

Add a slice of provolone cheese to the plain side of each slice of meat. Next, roll the breadcrumb mixture braciole filling up inside the meat and use twine or toothpicks to secure. Even if you don’t think you need this, you will, since you want to make sure they don’t unroll!

After searing the stuffed beef rolls, you can add the marinara then sprinkle parmesan on top and cook for 10 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil if liked.

Some Ingredient Variations

You can use pecorino romano in place of the parmesan or swap the red pepper flakes for cayenne powder to dial up the heat a notch. If you’re out of basil, you can garnish with any fresh herb sprig in its place for making braciole rolls. Regular breadcrumbs are fine if you don’t have the Italian kind.

As for braciole filling variations, a slice of prosciutto and some fresh spinach or basil inside the steak is always good. Simple ingredients are preferred for this classic Italian dish. No need to overcomplicate it since this dish already offers the most incredible flavour.

In Naples, pine nuts and raisins are a popular filling. You can also think up your own but don’t add more than a couple of things so you don’t overcomplicate the overall flavour of your braciole meat recipe.

What to Serve with Italian Beef Braciole

I like to have beef with tomato sauce with mashed potatoes. It is also nice served with your favourite pasta dish or polenta if you want to continue the Italian culinary theme. Some steamed, sautéed or roasted vegetables would pair well too. Any kind of veggies will help make this Southern Italy style braciole filling and satisfying, as well as nutritious.

The most authentic Italian way to serve this stuffed beef roll dish is to toss some of the marinara sauce with cooked pasta. This would be served as a first course in Italy and followed by a second course and then an optional dessert.

Something else Italians like to do is put a cheese rind in with the marinara sauce while the stuffed beef rolls cook. Discard it before serving. This adds a subtle yet delicious flavour to the Italian braciole.

5 Top Tips for Italian Rolled Steak

• If you want to make this ahead, it will be fine in the refrigerator overnight. Give it half an hour at room temperature and then cook (never cook beef from very cold, else it toughens when suddenly exposed to heat).
• Stuffed braciole leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer, in which case let the braciole thaw completely before reheating.

• Use any type of marinara sauce or tomato-based sauce for this beef with tomato sauce dish. Passata (strained tomatoes) would also work.
• Don’t be stingy with the garlic powder – I often add extra!
• I like to pound the beef before adding the braciole filling to make it go further. You don’t have to as long as it isn’t thicker than ¼-inch.

Stuffed beef braciole is a regular dish in many Italian households. It is also popular on this side of the pond. This Italian rolled steak in tomato sauce served with pasta, roasted or mashed potatoes, vegetables, or other side dishes, is always well-received. This is the best braciole recipe!

Italian Beef Braciole Recipe

This authentic Italian braciole recipe is a simple baked dish which is open to different variations. One thing is sure with braciole and that’s it never fails to impress. It is a great way to bring a touch of Italy to the dinner table.

Other Recipes to Try

• Italian Burrata Stuffed Tomato Appetizer
• Bacon Steak Wraps with Blue Cheese Dressing
• Italian Meatball Marinara Subs
• Easy Italian Stromboli Recipe
• Simple Ribollita Italian Bean Soup
• Savoury Steak and Squash Salad