Classic Braciole Recipe

Servings: 4-6
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 3 hours

for the sauce:
¼ cup|60 ml olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 (28-ounce|750-gram) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
2 sprigs fresh basil
4 tablespoons|60 grams unsalted butter
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the braciole:
1 ½ cups|70 grams fresh breadcrumbs
½ cup|50 grams grated parmesan, plus more to serve
½ cup|50 grams grated provolone cheese
3 tablespoons basil, finely chopped, plus more to serve
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 pounds|950 grams beef chuck, butterflied and pounded ½-inch thick
⅓ cup|80 ml olive oil
1 cup|250 ml dry white wine
cooked polenta, to serve

1. Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook, stirring often, about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Cool slightly, then purée in a food processor or blender. Return to the saucepan, stir in the butter, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Make the braciole: Combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, provolone, basil, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place the breadcrumb mixture on the surface of the meat, covering it completely. Roll tightly into a cigar and secure with butcher’s twine.
4. Heat the oven to 350°F. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add the braciole and cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the saucepan, and reduce by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and bake, basting every ½ hour with sauce, for 2 ½ hours, or until the braciole is tender.
5. Remove the braciole from the sauce and discard the butcher’s twine. Slice into ½-inch thick pieces and serve over polenta with extra sauce, parmesan, and torn basil.

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