Instant Pot Braciole in Sauce. Rolled beef from southern Italy, pressure cooked in a red tomato sauce.
Frank said, "You've got to make braciole!" and who am I to argue? Frank is my barber, and his mom is one of my sources for Italian-American cooking. But I get the info filtered through Frank. While he's cutting my hair, I'll quiz him to find out how an authentic Italian grandma makes dinner.
So when Frank told me how good his mom's braciole was, I started pumping him for details. Here is my take on braciole from Mrs. Raso's recipe, or Italian beef braciole "alla nonna Raso."
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Mrs. Raso's recipe is straightforward. Get "braciole cut" beef - extra-thin sliced pieces of beef round. (Or put thin slices of beef round between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them flat with a meat mallet - it's more work, but if you need to work out some aggression, it's very therapeutic.)
Ingredients
Beef Braciole Ingredients
- Extra-thin sliced beef round (aka Braciole or Milanesa cut)
- Fine sea salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Italian bread crumbs
- Grated pecorino Romano (or grated parmesan)
- Garlic, minced
- Flat-leafed parsley, minced
- Fresh basil, minced
- Toothpicks
- Olive oil
Tomato Sauce Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Onion, diced
- Celery, diced
- Carrot, diced
- Garlic, crushed
- Dried Italian Seasoning
- Fine sea salt
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Red wine (or broth or water)
- Beef or chicken broth (preferably homemade or store-bought low sodium)
- Crushed tomatoes
- Fresh ground black pepper
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make Instant Pot Braciole in Sauce
Roll the braciole
Sprinkle the salt and pepper over both sides of the slices of beef. Mix the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, minced garlic, parsley, and minced basil in a small bowl. Lay a piece of beef flat on a cutting board, and sprinkle one side evenly with an eighth of the breadcrumb mixture (about 2 tablespoons per piece). Starting on the thin side, roll up the beef, then secure the roll with three toothpicks, two near the ends and one through the middle. Repeat with the rest of the beef and filling.
Brown the braciole on one side in two batches
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an Instant Pot set to sauté mode until the oil starts shimmering. (Use medium heat on a stovetop PC). Add half the braciole in a single layer and cook until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Transfer the browned braciole to a platter. Repeat with the rest of the braciole, browning it on one side and then transfer it to the platter
Fry the soffrito, simmer the wine
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot, then add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Sprinkle with the Italian herb mix, crushed red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Saute until the onions soften, about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of beef. Pour the wine into the pot and stir, scraping any last stuck bits of onion or beef loose from the bottom of the pot. Simmer the wine for 1 minute to boil off some of the alcohol.
Everything in the pot
Add the braciole to the pot, browned side facing up. Pour in the beef or chicken broth, then pour the crushed tomatoes over the braciole. (Don't stir the pot).
Pressure Cook for 30 minutes with a Natural Release
Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 30 minutes (Use "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode in an Instant Pot) or for 25 minutes if using a stovetop pressure cooker. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes. (If you're in a hurry, you can quickly release the remaining pressure after 15 minutes.)
Serve
Unlock the lid on the pot, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam. Gently lift the braciole rolls out of the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon (or both) and transfer them to a serving platter. Stir the fresh ground black pepper into the tomato sauce in the pot. Carefully remove the toothpicks from the braciole rolls, then pour a few spoons of sauce over the platter of braciole and sprinkle with some pecorino romano cheese. Use the rest of the tomato sauce with dinner - it's enough to sauce a pound of pasta. Serve and enjoy!
Substitutions
Prosciutto: Many beef braciole recipes add a slice of prosciutto to the roll. I didn't include it in the ingredients because I like braciole as a simple food. If you want to include prosciutto, buy one slice per piece of beef. Then, when you're rolling, lay a slice of prosciutto on top of the beef after salting and peppering, then cover it with the other stuffing ingredients.
Equipment
Scaling
This recipe doubles easily in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Cut all the ingredients in half, and this recipe will fit in a 3-quart pressure cooker. The cooking time does not change; it takes the same time to cook a single braciole through.
Storage
Leftover braciole, covered in sauce, store well. They'll last a few days in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. I store them in 2-cup containers so I can microwave myself a quick lunch. Take out the toothpicks before putting them in the fridge or freezer; they'll hold their shape once they're cooked.
Tips and Tricks
- Holding the rolls together: I hold my rolls of braciole together with toothpicks, instead of trying to truss them with kitchen twine. A couple of quick pokes with a toothpick and my rolls are held together for cooking.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Braciole
The obvious answer is pasta to go with the sauce. I like to serve it with short, tube-shaped pasta to match the look of the rolled braciole, so I use penne, ziti, or rigatoni. I also like a salad and a vegetable side, like green beans or broccoli rabe.
Print
Instant Pot Braciole Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Instant Pot Braciole. Rolled beef from southern Italy, pressure cooked in a red tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Beef Braciole
- 6-8 pieces extra-thin sliced beef round (aka Braciole or Milanesa cut), 1 ½ to 2 pounds
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup flat-leafed parsley, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced basil
- 18-24 toothpicks (3 per piece of beef)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup red wine (or broth or water)
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth (preferably homemade or store-bought low sodium)
- 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Roll the braciole: Sprinkle the salt and pepper over both sides of the slices of beef. Mix the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, minced garlic, parsley, and minced basil in a small bowl. Lay a piece of beef flat on a cutting board, and sprinkle one side evenly with an eighth of the breadcrumb mixture (about 2 tablespoons per piece). Starting on the thin side, roll up the beef, then secure the roll with three toothpicks, two near the ends and one through the middle. Repeat with the rest of the beef and filling.
- Brown the braciole on one side in two batches: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an Instant Pot set to sauté mode until the oil starts shimmering. (Use medium heat on a stovetop PC). Add half the braciole in a single layer and cook until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Transfer the browned braciole to a platter. Repeat with the rest of the braciole, browning it on one side and then transfer it to the platter
- Fry the soffrito, simmer the wine: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot, then add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Sprinkle with the Italian herb mix, crushed red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of beef. Pour the wine into the pot and stir, scraping any last stuck bits of onion or beef loose from the bottom of the pot. Simmer the wine for 1 minute to boil off some of the alcohol.
- Everything in the pot: Add the braciole to the pot, browned side facing up. Pour in the beef or chicken broth, then pour the crushed tomatoes over the braciole. (Don't stir the pot).
- Pressure Cook for 30 minutes with a Natural Release: Lock the lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 30 minutes (Use "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode in an Instant Pot) or for 25 minutes if using a stovetop pressure cooker. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes. (If you're in a hurry, you can quick release the remaining pressure after 15 minutes.)
- Serve: Unlock the lid on the pot, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam. Gently lift the braciole rolls out of the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon (or both) and transfer them to a serving platter. Stir the fresh ground black pepper into the tomato sauce in the pot. Carefully remove the toothpicks from the braciole rolls, then pour a few spoons of sauce over the platter of braciole and sprinkle with some pecorino Romano cheese. Use the rest of the tomato sauce with dinner - it's enough to sauce a pound of pasta. Serve and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
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Mike Vrobel says
Try it, you'll love it!