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Braciole with Sauce

Mili Takashima
This authentic-classic Italian dish features individual beef roast rolls, cooked in a simmering tomato sauce. This recipe was developed to achieve the same incredible flavor and experience, without most of the work. Mili uses a pressure cooker and her tried and true recipe and techniques to achieve a Sunday-style meal with sauce that can be served up on a weekday, with use of ease of a pressure cooker. Prep time is 10 minutes.
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Equipment

  • pressure cooker, twine.

Ingredients
  

for braciole

  • 1 pound sliced beef bottom round roast about 6-8 pieces
  • 6 tablespoons garlic, minced about 6 cloves
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt to taste - seasoning each slice of meat
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper to taste - seasoning each slice of meat
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any other high-heat oil of your choice: grape seed, canola, vegetable

for sauce

  • 4 cups tomato sauce two small cans, or about 30 ounces - plain sauce with no seasoning
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano chopped
  • 1/4 cup Italian basil chopped
  • 3 tablespoons garlic, minced about 3 cloves
  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes* At home, we like our sauce with a spicy-kick, and I use 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes.

additional options

  • 1 pound pasta or spaghetti
  • 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese topping
  • 1 teaspoon Italian parsley topping

Instructions
 

  • Prep all of your ingredients to roll the little beef roasts.
  • Add minced garlic to the center of each slice of sliced, beef-bottom round roast.
  • Add fresh-chopped Italian parsley.
  • Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
  • Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Roll each slice to keep in all of the ingredients. If there is a short side, roll it into the long side.
  • Use twine to tie and knot each roll.
  • Set your pressure cooker to "Saute." Have it come to a hot heat. Add one tablespoon of avocado oil and place the rolls in.
  • Brown each roll by turning and cooking somewhat evenly.
  • Turn off the "Saute" setting. Pour in all of the tomato sauce onto to the top of the browned bracioles.
  • Add the chopped parsley, basil and oregano. If not using fresh-cut herbs, you can substitute for 1-2 tablespoons of a dried Italian seasoning mix.
  • Add the salt, coarse black pepper, fresh and fine-ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. We use one tablespoon for a nice heat and kick. I recommend using 1/4 teaspoon for flavor, if you do not want a spicy sauce.
  • Use a wooden spoon to get the ingredients into the sauce. Close the pressure cooker. Place on the "Sealing" setting for the top. Select the "Meat" button and a high-pressure cooker mode and set the timer to 45 minutes. Select the keep warm setting so that you can return to it whenever you are ready to serve the meal. You can make this hours in advance.
  • Your sauce will be done, with pressure released after one hour. It will look somewhat separated when you open it.
  • Take a wooden spoon and vigorously turn and mix the sauce so that everything is even and incorporated.
  • The sauce will no longer separate and is ready to enjoy.
  • Take out each braciole and use kitchen scissors to cut at the twine-knot and easily unravel and remove the twine.
  • You can return the braciole into the sauce to keep them warm, and to ensure that the meat will stay tender and not dry out.
  • Plate braciole and top with sauce, and optional fresh Italian parsley.
  • Serve with the pasta of your choice. In my YouTube video tutorial of this recipe, I show you how I pair this with spaghetti cooked "al dente."

Video