Beef Rolls (Braciole) in Tomato Sauce

We always enjoy eating braciole with different vegetables but hands down rapini is a family favourite. These meat rolls need a bit of pounding to get that tender texture everyone loves to enjoy. Because each one is tied it’s like unwrapping your present on your plate to enjoy the surprise inside! Serve the braciola and some sauce with sautéed rapini; toss the extra sauce with pasta or save it for another recipe.
Yield 4 Servings Prep. Time 25 min Cooking Time 165 min Total Time 190 min

Ingredients

Here are the following ingredients:

  • 1 lb (500 g) Beef Inside Round or Eye of Round cutlets/fast-fry steaks (about 4 to 6 cutlets)
  • ½ tsp (2 mL) EACH salt and pepper
  • ½ cup (125 mL) fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • ⅓ cup (75 mL) chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 jar (680 mL) tomato passata (strained tomatoes)
  • 2 sprigs fresh basil (about 10 leaves)
  • 1 small onion, halved
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano leaves
  • ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
  • ¼ tsp (1 mL) hot pepper flakes

Shopping List

Here are the following shopping items to buy:

Directions

Follow these cooking methods/directions:

  1. Cut a sealable bag along one side and bottom to open up easily. Place a cutlet inside and close bag.  Pound out the cutlet using a flat meat mallet until very thin. Remove to a baking sheet and repeat with remaining cutlets.
  2. Arrange cutlets in a single layer on the sheet and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Spread cutlets with cheese, parsley and garlic, dividing equally. Starting the narrower short side, roll up jelly-roll style and secure with butcher’s string or a toothpick.
  3. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wide saucepan. Add beef and brown, turning, until browned on all sides. Add wine and turn rolls again; simmer for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.
  4. Tomato Sauce: Add tomato passata, ½ cup (125 mL) water, basil, onion, garlic, oregano, salt and hot pepper flakes to pan and stir gently. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Cover, reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 2½ hours or until beef is fork-tender. Scoop beef from sauce and place on serving plates.