Italian Beef Braciole

In Italy, every region has its own beef braciole recipe, but above all is how many ways such recipe is called. In the south, especially in Naples, this custom of renaming dishes is a very common thing. The so called "braciole" of Naples is one of them.

These chops are Neapolitan rolls of beef stuffed with raisins, pine nuts, garlic, parsley and pecorino cheese named braciole.

They are cooked into a tomato sauce which it's then used to season the pasta, in Naples this is made traditionally on Sundays.

Forget meat chops or any other type of roasted meat when you think about these beef braciole from Naples.

Perhaps not everyone knows the original preparation of this delicious dish, a close relative of meat rolls. Simple and tasty, cooked quickly and the result is exceptional. Here is the recipe solving the mystery of this typical Neapolitan dish.

Italian Beef Braciole

Ingredients: serves 4

• 1 ½ (680g) 4 thin slices of beef (round tip roast cut)
• 2 Tbsp (30g) pine nuts
• 2 Tpsp (30g) raisins
• 2 oz (60g) pecorino cheese
• 1 bottle of tomato puree
• 3 clove garlic
• parsley
• a few leaves of basil
• 1 onion
• ½ cup white wine
• basil
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Preparation: 2h

Once ready, you can serve beef braciole as a main course and with the remaining tomato sauce you can season pasta which is then served first.

1. Place the slices of meat on a chopping board and flatten gently with a meat mallet. Sprinkle the slices of meat with salt and pepper, then add a handful of pine nuts and raisins.

2. Add garlic and chopped parsley and then cover everything with Pecorino cheese freeing the edges of the meat.

3. Close up the beef braciole like a roll and seal them by inserting a toothpick in a cross.

4. In a large pot, fry the onion in a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Then place the braciole in the pan and turn to brown.

5. Season with salt and pepper and deglaze the pan with white wine.

6. Now add the tomato sauce and basil and cover with a lid.

7. Let cook the braciole with the tomato sauce on low heat for at least two hours. The sauce must, as they say in Naples: "pippiare", onomatopoeic word describing the sound of the meat sauce; that is "must simmer". At this point, remove the lid and let the tomato sauce reduce.

Well I think it's worth the preparation time because this meat becomes very soft that once eaten it will melt in your mouth. With tomato sauce leftover you can season some nice pasta.