Recipe(tried): Braciola and Neapolitan-Style Braised Beef Braciole

Hi Jonan, What they were talking about on "Everybody Loves Raymond" was Braciole, a favorite dish in the trattorias of central and southern Italy. The tender Braciole is simply beef slices concealing a filling of cheese and aromatic vegetables. This particular recipe comes from good Neapolitan friends I had in The Bronx! They called it Braciole Di Manzo Brasate alla Napolitana. Open a good Chiant for both cooking and enjoying this hearty meal! The one on Raymond called for raisins or currants, here is a recipe for that one:

BRACIOLA
makes 6 servings

3 slices white bread
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 egg slightly beaten
2 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
6 to 8 thin slices Westphalian ham or prosciutto
3 Tbsp. raisins or currants
3 Tbsp. minced onion
2 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 Tbsp. Romano cheese
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cans (6 oz. each) tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Place bread slices in a large bowl. Add water and crumble bread with fingertips. Mix in ground beef, egg, parsley, garlic salt and pepper. On a piece of waxed paper, pat the beef mixture into a 1/2 inch rectangle. On top of the beef, arraange in layers the ham, raisins, onion, pine nuts and Romano cheese. Starting at the narrow end of the rectangle, roll meat up and seal the seam. Wrap tightly in waxed paper and chill at least 3 hours.

Brown meat in olive oil over med. heat in a large skillet, remove meat from pan. Into the meat drippings, stir in the tomato paste, water, wine, basil, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for 15 minutes. Return meat to pan and baste with sauce, cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Remove meat to a heated platter and pour sauce into a sauceboat and serve with green noodles.

---

NEAPOLITAN-STYLE BRAISED BEEF BRACIOLE
serves 4

1 lb. top beef round, cut into 4 thin slices
1/4 lb. smoked baked ham, cut into 4 thin slices
1/4 lb. provolone cheese, cut into 4 thin slices
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
4 tsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. chopped, peeled carrot
4 tsp. plus 2 Tbsp. chopped celery
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped red Spanish onion
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Italian red wine
2 cans plum (Roma) tomatoes, drained and pureed
salt and pepper to taste

Place each beef slice between two sheet sof plastic wrap and using a meat pounder, pound into 1/8 inch thick. Place 1 ham slice on top of each beef slice and then top with a cheese slice.

In a small bowl, mix together parsley, 2 tsp. garlic, 1 Tbsp. carrot and the 4 tsp. celery. Sprinkle this mixture of[ver the center of each cheese slice. Beginning at one end, roll each beef slice up and tightly secure with toothpicks. Seal the ends with toothpicks to keep the filling from coming out.

In a saucepan, warm the oil and add the beef rolls and brown well on all sides. Reduce the heat to med. low and add the remaining 2 Tbsp. carrot, 2 Tbsp. celery and onion. Saute for 2 mts. add the remaining garlic and suate til fragrant.

Raise the heat to high, add the 1/2 cup red wine and deglaze the pan by stirring to dislodge any delicious browned bits from pan bottom. Boil for 1 mt., then add the tomato puree. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered til the beef is so tender when you pierce it with a fork. About 1 1/2 hours should do it.

Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. red wine and continue to simmer for 2 minutes. longer. Season with salt and pepper and spoon into warmed individual plates, removing the toothpicks of course!

Serve with a side salad and garlic bread!!

Bon apetito!!

---

More recipes
Braciole Recipes