I can’t be the only person in the world that saw the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where Debra outshines her mother-in-law Marie, by making the most incredible classic Italian Braciole. In fact, the episode literally inspired me to make my own Braciole recipe.
The hard part was figuring out how it was even spelled… Brajool, brajewel?! I finally discovered it was spelled Braciole and then it was game on.
Here’s the Inspiring Clip from Everybody Loves Raymond
What is Braciole?
Braciola aka Braciole are very thin slices of meat, most often beef, chicken, pork or swordfish, that are smothered with herbs and seasonings, and cheese and then rolled roulade style.
How to Make Classic Italian Braciole
Place the slices of meat on a sheet of plastic wrap, then top with a second sheet. Pound the meat thin using a mallet or a rolling pin. In a bowl combine the minced garlic, shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped herbs, and seasoned dry breadcrumbs, mixing well.
Place a slice of the prosciutto on the beef.
Cover the pieces evenly with the filling mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Next, roll each piece up, securing it with toothpicks. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the Braciole and brown them evenly on all sides. Be careful not to disturb or spill the filling when you turn them.
Carefully remove the browned Braciole and place them in a larger, deeper pot (with a cover). If you’d like, you can use a crock pot to finish them off. In a bowl combine the crushed tomatoes, red wine, garlic slices, Italian seasoning, raisins or currents, and beef broth, mixing gently until smooth. Pour the mixture over the Braciole.
Cook over medium heat until it comes to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover and cook on the lowest setting for about one and half hours, turning the Braciole occasionally. Alternatively, if you’d like you can bake this in a dutch oven at 325°F for one and a half to two hours, or finish in a slow cooker on high for 3 hours.
If the sauce thins too much during cooking (due to condensation) you can remove the cover and return to the stovetop. Remove a cup or so of the liquid and whisk in the flour until smooth. Return the sauce to medium heat and simmer until thickened. Finally season again with salt and pepper to your taste preferences.
Remove the toothpicks from the Braciole prior to serving.
Everybody Loves Raymond Braciole Recipe
You’ll Need
1 pound beef, sliced very thin in 6 pieces (use beef rump, top round, or bottom round)
2 cloves garlic- minced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
2 Tbs cup minced fresh basil (or to taste)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese,
2 tablespoons seasoned dry breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 thin slices prosciutto
3 tablespoons raisins or currents
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 can (15-ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
Place the slices of meat on a sheet of plastic wrap, then top with a second sheet. Pound the meat thin using a mallet or a rolling pin.
Prepare the filling by combining the minced garlic, parsley, basil, shredded parmesan, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper, mixing well. Place a slice of prosciutto on each thinly pounded slice of beef. Cover the proscuitto evenly with the filling mixture. Then roll each piece up, securing with toothpicks.
Heat a tablespoon (or two) of oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the Braciole and brown them evenly on all sides. Be careful not to disturb or spill the filling when you turn them.
Carefully remove the browned Braciole and place them in a larger, deeper pot (with a cover). In a bowl combine the sliced garlic cloves, red wine, beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and Italian seasoning, mixing well. Pour the mixture over the Braciole. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover, and cook on the lowest simmer setting for about 2 hours, turning the Braciole occasionally.
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The show mentioned Marie using rasins or Deb using currents. That made the flavor better.
Recently there were many requests for the Braciole that was made in one of the episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond.
I saw a story about it in today’s Miami Herald online, Living Food. The article went on to mention the significance of cooking as a theme of the show.
My copies of the recipe are enclosed. At the end of the recipe, they listed the source book from which the recipe was derived. Apparently, it was really made on the show and all the cast members loved it. If you have a chance, read the Miami-Herald online as it is quite an interesting piece!
Everybody Loves Raymond Braciole Recipe with Raisins
BRACIOLE DI MANZO (BEEF ROLLS IN TOMATO SAUCE)
1 pound boneless beef top round, trimmed of fat and cut into 4 thin slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 thin slices prosciutto
1 thick slice provolone cheese (about 2 ounces), cut into 4 equal pieces
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons currants or raisins
1 clove garlic, peeled, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 or 4 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Place the meat slices between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet until they are 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay a slice of prosciutto and a piece of cheese on each one. Sprinkle with a few pine nuts, currants and garlic. Roll up the slices, tucking in the ends. Tie the rolls at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string.
In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the beef rolls and cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes.
Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes longer.
Add the wine and cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, turning the rolls occasionally, until the beef is tender when pierced with a knife, about 2 hours. Check from time to time to see if the sauce is becoming too dry; add a little water if needed.
Uncover, scatter the parsley and basil evenly over the rolls, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Transfer to warmed, individual plates, spooning the sauce over the top, and serve at once.
Makes 4 servings
From a story in Miami Herald, Living section 3/19/00