When we order a braciola at a restaurant in Italy we cannot expect always the same dish. There are many variations of this word but generally speaking Braciola is a term that, in northern Italy, refers to a cut of meat with bone from the carré of bovine animals and pigs. In southern Italy, on the other hand, a roll is identified with chop, obtained from the carré or the fesa, stuffed with herbs, cheese, etc.

The recipe we have is from our uncle from Napoli, one of the many variations of a Neapolitan braciola.

600 gr.=4 slices of meat

30 g =1/4 cup pine nuts

30 g=1/4 cup sultanas

60 g =1/2 cup pecorino (sheep cheese/Romano)

750 ml = 3  1/2 cups  tomato puree/crushed tomato

1 clove of garlic

 parsley

 1 onion

 1/2 glass of white wine

 basil

fine salt

Place the slices of meat on a chopping board and beat them lightly with a meat beater

Sprinkle the slices of meat with salt and pepper, then add a handful of pine nuts and raisins.

Add the garlic and chopped parsley and finally cover everything with pecorino cheese leaving the edges of the meat free.

Close the slices by rolling them and seal them by inserting 4 toothpicks transversely into the chop.

In a large pot, sauté the thin sliced onion in a couple of tablespoons of oil.

At this point arrange the braciole in the pot and brown them.

Salt, pepper and blend with white wine.

Now add the tomato puree and basil and cover with a lid.

Let the braciole cook with the sauce over a very low flame for at least one hour. The sauce will have to, as they say in Naples, “pippiare “word onomatopoeic that describes the sound of the ragu’ that is simmering. At this point, remove the lid and narrow the sauce

Once the sauce is ready you can cook pasta to season with the sauce of the braciola or simply serve the braciola with  sauce and a nice slice of bread.