Beef Braciole

12/31/2025

Here we are, at the end of 2025!

Many of you are probably busy with the last preparations for your New Year’s Eve dinner. If you’re still undecided about what to serve as a main course, this recipe is just what you need. Simple and quick to prepare, it’s the kind of dish that will impress everyone at the table and we bet they’ll be asking for seconds!

Together with our Cesarina Mimma from Brindisi, we bring you a beloved classic from Bari’s culinary tradition: Beef “Braciole” in tomato sauce.
Known locally as “brasciòle”, these are tender beef rolls (traditionally made with horse meat) slowly simmered in a rich tomato sauce until it becomes thick and flavorful, much like a homemade ragù.
Easy, budget-friendly, and incredibly tasty: a perfect example of a “maximum flavor, minimum effort” dish that will make you shine as a host.

“My grandmother Marta lived with us, and every Sunday morning our home filled with the aroma of her sauce simmering in a clay pot. While the braciole cooked slowly, she would hand-roll the strascinate pasta and grate cacio ricotta. That was her way of showing love: not with words, but with time and care. I waited for my favorite moment, when she left the kitchen for a second and I could dip a slice of bread into the sauce, a little secret she always pretended not to notice. Those Sunday lunches weren’t just meals; they were lessons in love, patience, and family tradition”.

Italian beef braciole, ingredients shown, Cesarina Mimma, traditional Puglian festal main course

Beef braciole make a wonderful centerpiece for your holiday table, and their rich sauce is also perfect for tossing with pasta, from classic orecchiette to hand-made strascinate.

Beef Braciole

Tasty beef rolls from the traditional cuisine of Bari

DifficultyEasy

Preparation time30m

Cooking time3h

Servings4

€

CostLow

Ingredients

8 slices of beef (chuck or shoulder cut)
Parmesan cheese, as needed
Parsley, as needed
Garlic, as needed
Salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
Toothpicks or kitchen twine

Method

Place a little Parmesan, salt, pepper, and garlic on each slice of meat.
Roll up each slice to form a small roll and secure it with two toothpicks or kitchen twine.
In a pot, heat some olive oil and sauté chopped onion for a few minutes.
Add the beef rolls and let them brown, then pour in some red wine. When the wine has completely evaporated, add the tomato sauce.
Simmer for about 3 hours, or until the sauce thickens.
Before turning off the heat, add a few fresh basil leaves.