The best meat to put in your Sunday sauce is this authentic Italian braciole, filled with prosciutto and breadcrumbs with parmesan. If you're looking to switch it up from your normal meatballs and sausages, you have to try braising a tender braciole.

If you love braciole, then you need to try our Italian Fried Meatballsor ring sausage!Fill your Sunday saucewith this meaty goodness.

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Why This Recipe

Braciole, commonly misspelled as bracciole, is an Italian-American stuffed meat dish. It's made by stuffing the flank steak with breadcrumbs, herbs, parmesan, and prosciutto and then searing and braising it in a tomato sauce.

It is a type of involtini, which is an Italian stuffed meat. It's made differently across all parts of Italy and America, with different cuts of meats and different stuffings. Even from family to family, recipes will change.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Steak. My preferred method of making beef braciole is to make it with flank steak. Flank steak is one of my favorite meats to braise because it will be extremely tender. You can make one huge roll or cut it into thin slices like I do to make a couple of little rolls.

Other types of beef you can use are top-round steak or sirloin. If you get a top round roast, cut it into thin slices using a sharp knife. You can also ask your butcher to slice it thin for you.

Braciole or involtini can also be made with veal and pork. Using thinly sliced veal or pork cutlets requires a shorter time to cook.

Tomatoes. I use crushed tomatoes or whole plum tomatoes and then blend them. When you're braising something for this long, you want to use a good tomato like San Marzano tomatoes. They won't be as acidic and won't add unnecessary flavor like a jarred sauce would.

Step-by-Step Directions

With a beautiful thinly sliced flank steak, this braciole will be so tender and delicious.

Step 1: Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan, salt, and garlic powder. Then add the olive oil and combine. The texture should be clumpy but not wet like the breadcrumbs almost want to stick together but they still fall apart. All breadcrumbs are different depending on the brand so add more olive oil as needed.

Step 2: Thinly slice the flank steak with a sharp knife into 2 or 3 slices depending on the thickness. Lay the steak flat and use a meat tenderizer to beat the meat until it's flattened and tender.

Step 3: Lay the prosciutto flat on the steak.

Step 4: Top with the breadcrumb mixture. I fully expect the breadcrumb mixture to fall out of the roll a bit when I'm doing it. You can always scoop it up and add it to the next roll.

Step 5: Roll the steak up and tie it with butcher string. Season the outside with salt and pepper.

Step 6: In a large pot add 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is very hot, place the bracioles in the pot to sear.

searing the bracioles, from this angle you can see the first sear

Step 7: Sear each side for 60-90 seconds. This should be a quick sear. Set them aside when they are seared on all sides.

You can fit several braciole in the pot at once as long as the pot stays very hot and the meat continues to sizzle aggressively. If liquid begins pooling around the braciole instead of immediately evaporating, work in batches so the meat browns rather than steams.

Step 8: In the same pot, lower the heat and add olive oil. Then add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the red wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, and basil. Bring to a simmer.

Braciole added to tomato sauce covered about half way to braise

Step 9: Add the braciole back to the sauce so that they're almost almost covered with sauce. Cover the pot and simmer low for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

After 3 hours, the braciole will be tender and the sauce should become thicker.

Remove the braciole and cut the strings off with kitchen shears. Serve over pasta with extra parmesan cheese or alongside Italian Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce. If you love tender braised meats, try our Braised Italian Short Ribs with Gnocchi.

Pro-Tips

You want your pot to be very hot when you sear the braciole. I like to use a dutch oven because they heat very evenly. Move quickly when turning them. When you remove the braciole and move onto the sauce, if the pot is burnt at the bottom, you will have to clean it out. If you just have some brown bits, don't worry about cleaning the pot.
When slicing, butterflying, the flank steak, think of it like you're making thinly sliced chicken cutlets. Use a very sharp knife for best results.
Use butcher string and not toothpicks to keep the braciole tightly wrapped. It will keep it much tighter and result in much more tender meat at the end.

What to serve with Braciole

I always serve braciole with sausage and fried Italian meatballs in Sunday sauce especially if I'm serving a large group! You can learn how to make your own sausage by following our How to Make Homemade Italian Sausage guide!
You also need some vegetable sides to go with a dish like this, so I'll make a Salad with Traditional Caesar Dressing, or something with more substance like Italian cabbage or Lacinato kale.
If you need to serve some appetizers before dinner, you can always go with something like Pepperoni Bread (Stromboli) or Italian Sausage Bread. But if you want something lighter, just make a quick Shrimp cocktail or serve some marinated eggplant.
For pasta, you can use whatever you like. With a thick sauce like this, I prefer rigatoni, but you can use rotini, or spaghetti and it'll be great! It's also great to serve with Italian Rice and Beans (Riso e Fagioli).

Recipe FAQs

What kind of meat is braciole made from?

It's made from beef, veal, or pork. The cuts of meat vary as it depends on what people have or where it's being made.

Is Braciole Italian?

It originates in southern Italy but has been changed over time as it has been in Italian-American homes. It has deep Italian roots but braciole means thinly sliced meat roasted over hot coals. Our Italian-American braciole is more of an involtini or stuffed meat.