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Around the age of 20 I decided I really wanted to go to culinary school. However, I already had a career in fitness that was very demanding, therefore culinary school was put on the back burner.
Eventually, I got married and had kids and again I had no time to attend cooking school. But I did have a new network on T.V. called, The Food Network. I learned from those shows and studied cookbooks as much as I could. I actually started a catering business with a friend of mine for short time and it was fabulous.
One Chef I learned a great deal from was Giada de Laurentiis. She was an actual Chef and broke down recipes well. This recipe of hers, for Braciola, is as mouthwatering as it is easy to execute. It seems very fancy but is very manageable to make. Make it for your family they will be a very happy bunch.
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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Braciola
  • 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1/3 cup Provolone cheese
  • 1/2 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 flank steak (1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup dry white wine
Homemade Marinara Sauce
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 small onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 32 ounce cans crushed tomato sauce
  • 2 dried bay leaves

Method
 

Braciola
  1. With a meat mallet pound down the flank steak to about a 1/4 inch thin or as thin as you like.
    In a medium bowl mix together, the cheeses, bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic. Stir in 2 tbsp of olive oil, and set aside.
    Lay the pounded flank steak out on a cutting board, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the salt pepper, evenly. Roll up the flank steak with the bread crumb mixture tucked inside. Roll as tightly as you can. Using kitchen twine, tie the steak roll very securely. Sprinkle the outside of the steak with salt and pepper.
    Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large oven proof skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the tied Braciola and brown all sides, about 8 minutes.
    Add the wine to the skillet and bring to a boil.
    Stir in your homemade Marinara Sauce.
    Cover loosely with foil and bake, turning and basting with sauce from the bottom of the skillet, every 30 minutes.
    Cook the braciola for about 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and cook for about another 30 minutes. Once out of the oven cut the kitchen twine off the meat. Cut the Braciola into 1/2 thick slices, plate and spoon over more Marinara.
Marinara
  1. In a large pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil, onions and garlic and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 8-10 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, and 1/2 tsp of both salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, another 10 minutes.
    Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove the bay leaf. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
    You can make both the sauce and the Braciola a day ahead of time. Just rewarm the Braciola in the oven at 350° for about 30 minutes.
    HAPPY EATING!!