In our family, braciole was served as a special treat for holidays. It was Grandma’s specialty and the preparation was time consuming. When the meat and sauce were fully cooked Grandma called us into the kitchen to watch her lift the roll from the sauce to the cutting board to slice it. The pinwheels of meat, laid side by side on the platter, topped with delicious sauce, made a colorful picture. —Cookie Curci, San Jose, California
Ingredients
- 1 beef flank steak (1-1/2 pounds)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Hot cooked spaghetti, optional
Description
- Flatten steak to 1/2-in. thickness. Rub with 1 tablespoon oil. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spoon over beef to within 1 in. of edges; press down. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; tie with kitchen string.
- In a Dutch oven, brown meat in remaining oil on all sides. Add onion and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, sugar and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 70-80 minutes or until meat is tender.
- Remove meat from sauce and discard string. Cut into thin slices; serve with sauce and If desired, spaghetti and additional grated Parmesan cheese and minced fresh parsley.
