Braciole - Italian Beef Rolls

2hrs 30mins
PREP 30 MINS
COOK 2 HRS

This is Giada DeLaurentis's recipe from her book Everyday Italian, and it is so wonderful. She does suggest to be creative with the flavorings by using different herbs or cheeses, if you'd like. This is sure to impress. The recipe looks a little lengthy, but it is not complicated or difficult. And don't worry if some of the stuffing falls out during the browning - just spoon it back in if you can, or let it blend into the sauce. It will be great.

NOTE: I made 4 of these for a large gathering, browning them in a skillet, then baking them in a 11x15 pan 2 1/2 hrs mostly covered, 30 more minutes uncovered. (For this much, you only need 2 or 3 times the wine and sauce, not 4 times.)

INGREDIENTS Nutrition

SERVINGS 4
2⁄3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1⁄3 cup provolone cheese, grated
1⁄2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1⁄2 lbs flank steaks
1 cup dry white wine
3 1⁄4 cups marinara sauce (can use a jar of sauce)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Stir the cheeses, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together.

Lay the flank steak out flat on work surface and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Pat the bread crumb mixture over the steak.

Starting at one short end, roll up the steak (like a jelly roll) and tie with butcher's twine. Season the outside with the remaining salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add the flank steak.

Cook, turning until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.

Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil, and stir in the tomato sauce.

Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After about 1 1/2 hours, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer.

Remove the braciole from the sauce. Cut the twine off, and slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Transfer the slices to a platter, and spoon some sauce over the slices.

Note to self: add Garlic Oil, Italian Sausage, and Mushrooms