Braciole – Sicilian Style
Braciole – Sicilian Style. Braciole is an Italian recipe for a meat rollatini made with thinly sliced top round sirloin steak and stuffed with a few ingredients. Then it is simmered in a tomato sauce until the meat is perfectly tender. Perfect for a Sunday dinner, or special occasion, our Braciole is a crowd pleaser and will surely ‘wow’ your family and friends!
Braciole – Sicilian-Style…
The Braciole Sicilian Style is basically a meat rollatini stuffed with common Sicilian ingredients. Then the rollatini is seared in a skillet until brown on all sides and then goes into a pot of simmering tomato sauce to finish cooking until the meat becomes soft and tender.
It is an Italian meat dish our Italian grandmothers and mothers made mainly for the family Sunday dinners, holidays, and special occasions. And, braciole was a way to make dinners for large gatherings using inexpensive meats and filling them to make them more substantial and satisfying.
Braciole will definitely become everyone’s new favorite Italian meal. And this is our family’s recipe.
It is AMAZING – to say the least!
This is one of those dishes that looks like a lot of work, but actually, it involves a little patience and time.
Why is Braciole Cooked in Tomato Sauce
- The tomato sauce slowly cooks ( recipe is included in our recipe card below) with these braciole meats creating an amazingly flavorful sauce – and it‘s exquisite!
- Plus, tomato sauce is needed to finish cooking these rolled meats, also tenderizes them.
- The meat also gives the sauce its rich flavors.
- Best of all, it’s an all-in-one meal! And it works perfectly with any pasta you serve.
Ingredients Needed for Braciole – Sicilian Style:
For this recipe, you will need these 6 ingredients:
- thinly sliced top sirloin steak (about ¼-inch thick) (2 packages of 3 slices)
- plain bread crumbs
- grated pecorino cheese
- sliced prosciutto
- a wedge of Auricchio provolone cheese
- 3 green onions – cut into halves
So gather up the ingredients, and let’s get started.
How To Make Braciole-Sicilian Style?
There are different versions of making braciole. My Sicilian husband prefers his mother’s recipe over our mom’s because her recipe is much easier. (*Full recipe card below!)
STEP #1: First, Make a Simple Tomato Sauce:
It’s best to get started on making the tomato sauce (our recipe for tomato sauce is in our recipe card below). Or you can use your favorite recipe for one.
STEP #2: Next, Make the Braciole Meats:
1. Use a large sheet of wax paper as your workspace, and lay flat the slices of steak. Then, scatter on top of each slice with some bread crumbs, grated cheese, a slice of prosciutto, a chunk of cheese, and green onions.
2. Starting with one end, pick up and roll up the meats, and tie them with thick string or butcher’s twine to secure them.
3. Then sear them on all sides in a skillet for a few minutes, until they are browned.
4. Finally, transfer each one to the tomato sauce that is simmering on the stove nearby.
Cooks Notes and Tips…
- The tomato sauce should slowly cook and on a low simmer, while it tenderizes the braciole meats.
- This recipe makes a big batch of sauce and 6 Braciole, and can easily feed 8 people.
- You can easily increase the ingredients to make more Bracioles to feed a larger gathering.
- When making our tomato sauce, to help with some of the prep work, I recommend an electric mini-chopper to finely chop the Vidalia onion. It saves time and works like a charm!
What To Serve with Braciole – Sicilian Style:
- Serve our tomato sauce and braciole with your favorite pasta, and some Italian crusty bread, along with a green salad on the side.
- Best to serve with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at the table.
- We love to serve it with orecchiette pasta because it’s small pasta and it scoops up the sauce with every spoonful.
- Both our mothers also made meatballs and even added them to the sauce as additional meats simmering.
How To Store and Freeze Braciole
TO STORE: Always allow the sauce to cool down to room temperature, then store the braciole meats, submerged in the tomato sauce and in airtight containers. Keep them chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: Before freezing, the tomato sauce and bracioles need to be cool before freezing. Best to store them in a sealed airtight container. They will freeze well for up to 1 month.
TO THAW: Allow the sauce container to completely thaw on your counter, or overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop. Heat in a saucepot and on low heat, until the sauce and meat are completely heated through.
Serve and Enjoy!
This recipe for braciole will make an amazingly delicious dish that’s filling and satisfying. It’s a little labor of love – but worth it! Having said that, keep in mind, that this is not one of our “quick meals” but one that is very impressive and SO delicious! No need to make anything else, except maybe a green salad as a side, and dinner is done.
I bet your family will go bonkers over this dish. It’s SO good, you’ll savor every spoonful along with every bite of this braciole, for sure!
ENJOY
More Delicious Italian Meals and Sauces!
- Mom’s Best Sunday Meatballs
- BEST Pork Ragu Recipe
- Mom’s Classic Bolognese Sauce
- Sausage Ragu
- Spaghetti with Lobster Tails Sauce
- Mom’s Quick Marinara Sauce
- Spaghetti with Shrimp Marinara
- The Sunday Sauce (6 recipes!)
And, for additional COMFORT FOOD, try our Traditional Hungarian Goulash (The BEST Goulash)!
Your comments help! If you try our delicious recipe for Braciole – Sicilian Style, let us know and leave a comment and a star rating below! Have fun and snap a photo and hashtag it on Instagram and on Pinterest; be sure to tag us @2sistersrecipes.
Braciole - Sicilian Style
Braciole - Sicilian Style are made with thinly sliced sirloin steak, stuffed with a few ingredients, and rolled up into a rollatini. Then they are finished cooking in a tomato sauce until the meat is perfectly tender. Perfect for a family weekend dinner!
Ingredients
TO MAKE THE BRACIOLE:
- 6 thinly sliced top sirloin steak (about 1/4-inch thick) (2 packages of 3)
- 6 Tbsp. plain bread crumbs
- 4 to 6 Tbsp. grated pecorino cheese
- 4 ounces sliced prosciutto
- One 3-ounce wedge of Auricchio provolone cheese- cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 3 green onions, cleaned and cut to fit the width of the meat
- extra virgin olive oil, for searing the meat
- salt and pepper
INGREDIENTS FOR SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE:
- 1 plus 1/2 Vidalia onion - finely minced
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 4 large basil leaves
- 4 to 5 cans (28-ounces) Italian peeled tomatoes, blended in a blender
- 1/2 Tbsp. salt
Instructions
Make the Braciole:
- On a clean surface working with 1 package of sliced steak at a time lay out the slices flat on wax paper.
- Scatter bread crumbs over the steaks then again with grated pecorino cheese. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the cheese.
- Lay a slice or two of prosciutto on top, then in the center (or at the end of one side) add a chunk of provolone cheese and green onions.
- Grab one end of the meat and roll it tightly, then tie it with a strong string, or butcher's twine to secure it. You can also use strong toothpicks to secure the meat. Finally, sprinkle braciole with salt and pepper. Set them aside in a dish. Repeat with the other package of sliced steak.
- Place a large skillet on the stovetop and add a drizzle of olive oil. Heat the oil for a few seconds, add the braciole, and sear the meats for a few minutes, turning them every few minutes to brown evenly on all sides. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be fully cooked, the sauce will finish cooking them.
- Transfer each one to the tomato sauce (recipe below) which should already be simmering and submerge each one into the sauce. Simmer the braciole for 1 hour, uncovered. Then cover it with a lid, turn off the heat, and allow it to sit and cool down slightly.
- Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a sharp knife and carefully remove the string and discard. Slice the braciole into thirds, and transfer them to a serving platter. Ladle with extra sauce on top and serve.
- Yields: 6 braciole
INSTRUCTIONS for TOMATO SAUCE:
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, add the olive oil, onions, red pepper flakes, and basil, and simmer on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Then add only one can of tomatoes (blended) to the onions to prevent the onions from burning while cooking. (This is a trick my husband learned from his mom). Occasionally stirring. Continue to simmer the onions on low heat for another 15 minutes.
- Then add in the rest of the tomatoes and salt. Cover and raise the heat to bring to the sauce a boil. Lower the heat again, and continue to simmer the sauce on low heat.
- Add the braciole to the sauce. Simmer for an additional hour, occasionally stirring the sauce. The total cooking time should be about 1 and 1/2 hours. Taste the sauce. Turn off the heat. Allow the sauce to cool down slightly.
- Yields: 3 quarts
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Keep in mind, that I only made 6 bracioles, but you can make less or even more for a large gathering.
- Thin slices of steak usually come in packages of 3 or more. You can find them in your meat section at the supermarket, or ask your local butcher to make them for you.
- You can also secure the meat with thick toothpicks instead of the string- only remember to remove the toothpicks before serving (especially when serving children).
- For this dish, you will need a lot of tomato sauce since the braciole will soak up some of it. Also, the longer you simmer the sauce ( and you can simmer the sauce with braciole for up to 2 hours), the better and more tender the meat will be. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water to it.
- Keep in mind, if any leftovers, the sauce keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, and freezes well.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 to 8 servings Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 224Total Fat: 6.6gCarbohydrates: 6.2gProtein: 10.1g
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I haven’t made braciola in a couple of years. When I make them, I usually include them in my Sunday sauce with meatballs and sausages. The next time I do, I will try your version. I like that you use green onions in the middle.
…that sounds great, Karen. I think you will enjoy this recipe. thanks again!
Thank You Abbe!!
This is a delicious dish and always so impressive!
Wow, just amazing! I really want to try this recipe. It sounds and looks terrific. Beautiful photos too!
Thank you Tricia! I hope you’ll enjoy his recipe !!
I’m so excited to see this recipe, it’s one that my German grandfather used to make, with pickles inside…I love your Italian version!!
Thank you Sue! Your grandfather’s version sounds interesting, I bet it’s fantastic. This dish brings back our sweet childhood memories. Have a great weekend!
You’re talking about Rouladen. Also good but completely different. The only thing they have in common is the beef is rolled. I bet your grandfather’s Rouladen was good
Thanks, Chris,
This certainly looks delicious, ladies, and I’ll be pinning the recipe! I love your new look here too!
Thank you Susan! We finally got our Pin to work and thrilled to get the new site up and working.
Have a great weekend!