Sunday Sauce and Beef Braciole

Ahh Sunday. Nothing says Sunday in an Italian household like a big pot of sauce (or Gravy as my Dad and other NY Italians would call it) cooking on the stove. And, in my family, no sauce was
complete without the addition of meat; Italian sausage, meatballs, or, the clear favorite, Braciole. For those non-Italians out there, Braciole is thin sliced meat, pounded out and rolled around a delicious filling. Depending on the region of Italy, the meat and fillings can vary. Now that I live in an area where I'm 99% certain I am the only Italian person in a 50 mile radius, finding Braciole already rolled in the grocery store is quite difficult. Its simple enough to make at home, and this is what I would normally do (and I will post my recipe for home made veal Braciole another time). However thanks to my dear friend Linda and the gloriousness that is Wegmans, we have some ready made Beef Braciole for today. This is another one of those recipes that takes a good chunk of time to cook, so put on some comfy clothes, crank up the stove, and get ready to enjoy.

Please note: We doubled the recipe for both of our families so the pictures below are for a double batch of sauce and Braciole.

The Ingredients

Beef, Pork or Veal Braciole, either homemade or store bought. Enough so that each person eating has one or 2 rolls
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large White Onion, diced
1 head of Garlic, finely minced or 2 tbsp of jarred crushed Garlic
1 medium Carrot, Peeled and left whole
1 tbsp of dried Parsley
2 tbsp dried Italian Seasoning
2 Bay Leaves
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
2 28oz of Strained Tomatoes (for as long as I can remember, my family as used Pomi brand strained tomatoes. Feel free to use whichever brand you like or can find)
Water
Salt and Pepper

The Method
In a large sauce pot or dutch oven, heat one tablespoon of Olive Oil on medium high heat. Seasith salt and pepper.  Sear the Braciole in the pot, about 2 minutes on each side, making sure it gets nice and browned. Work in batches so the pot is not crowded; the Braciole should not touch one another as they brown. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Photos (from top to bottom): Braciole ready to cook; Braciole searing in pan; Braciole after being seared

Using the same pot, reduce heat to medium and add chopped onion. Cook until soft and beginning to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add in garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste until thoroughly mixed. 

Photo: Cooked onions, garlic and paste

Pour in strained tomatoes. For each 28oz of tomatoes, add an equal amount of water. Stir until the onion mixture is incorporated into the sauce. Drop in the whole carrots, parsley, Italian seasoning and Bay leaves. Season lightly with salt and pepper; the sauce will taste more salty as it cooks down so be careful not to over season at this point. Carefully drop the Braciole into the sauce.

Photos (Top to Bottom): All ingredients in the pot; Placing Braciole in the sauce

Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for 2-3 hours, stirring often. The sauce is ready when it has thickened and reduced in volume and the Braciole is beginning to fall apart. Serve this along with your favorite pasta, or enjoy the Braciole with a side of veggies as a dinner. The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months and kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Photo: The final result.