From Italy to America: The Delicious Story of Beef Braciole (2024)

FAQs

What does braciole mean in Italian? ›

Braciole is an Italian-style roulade, a rolled and stuffed meat. It is also called involtini, or bruciuluni in Sicilian. The etymology of the word translates to slice of meat rolled over coals. The meat — typically beef, veal, or pork — is pounded thin and stuffed with prosciutto, breadcrumbs, cheese, and herbs.

The rolled, stuffed beef preparation we typically associate with Braciole in America is more commonly known as "involtini" in Italy. Italian immigrants brought the concept of Braciole with them when they journeyed to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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.

Further, if you haven't pounded the meat thin enough, it can still be tough after cooking, so make sure to pound it to an even, thin slice. Lastly, the cooking time matters, as if you cook it too short it can be tough, so make sure to cook it slow and prolonged to get a more tender result.

This is an American-Italian dish that is a pounded beef filet that is stuffed with cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs that is then pan-seared and braised in a tomato sauce. The stuffing will depend on who is making it. You pronounce this classic Italian recipe as Brah-J “yoh- lah.

Pork is the most common cured meat in Italy, although other meats such as beef, venison and wild boar are also cured. Each region of Italy is known for its own cured meats, known as salumi, based on local customs. Spice plays an important role in the curing of Italian Meats.

Lunch is the day's main meal, lasting up to two hours! If you plan to eat lunch with locals, block out time. A typical Italian lunch consists of a primo (pasta, soup or risotto dish), a secondo (meat or fish-based dish) and a contorno (side dish).

Answer and Explanation: The national food of Italy is a pasta dish that is called Ragu alla Bolognese, which is a Bolognese sauce of meat and tomatoes with tagliatelle pasta. The dish is also sometimes just called Bolognese, because the sauce has become so popular that it is often identified as the meal itself.

Make ahead: The uncooked braciole can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. This dish gets better with time. If you can, make it in the morning or the night before, refrigerate, and reheat when you're ready to serve.

Preparing the Braciole Early – I made my Braciole ahead of time and wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap. By placing it into the refrigerator, the Braciole firmed up and created a more uniform roulade (which you can see below).

Can braciole be frozen? ›

Carpaccio is an Italian appetizer of thinly sliced raw meat drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil. It's traditionally made with beef, but can be made with fish (specifically salmon or tuna), veal, or venison.

The word is also used in Italian-American slang as a reference to the male reproductive organ. An example of this usage is in The Sopranos episode “Second Opinion”.

Bresaola (breh-ZOW-lah) is a lean dried salted beef from the Valtellina, a long Alpine valley in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy. It is occasionally made from pork, venison, or horse meat, but top round and similar cuts of beef are the most common.