The word braciola is used in different regions of Italy to describe different cuts of meat. But in southern Italy, braciola refers to a dish where a slice of meat is topped with different ingredients and rolled up and baked. It’s moist, rich, and very flavorful, and it’s actually easy to make, although not quick: In order to make this cut of meat moist and tasty, it needs a good amount of oven time. I like to serve it at holiday dinner parties or for Sunday supper. You will need kitchen twine to tie the rolled flank steak.

　　

Ingredients

4 main-course servings

　　2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

　　1/3 cup grated Provolone cheese

　　1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　4 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 flank steak (1 1/2 pounds)

　　1 teaspoon sea salt

　　1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1 cup dry white wine

　　3 1/4 cups Marinara Sauce (page 59)

　　

Step 1

In a medium bowl, stir the cheeses, bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil, and set aside. Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the bread-crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at one short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll and enclose the filling completely. Using kitchen twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciola with the remaining salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large, heavy, ovenproof frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium flame. Add the braciola and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake, turning the braciola and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes, until the meat is almost tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. (The braciola can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover with foil and refrigerate. Rewarm in a 350 degree F oven until the braciola is heated through, about 30 minutes.)

　　

Step 3

Remove the braciola from the sauce. Using a large, sharp knife, remove the kitchen twine and cut the braciola crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.

　　Cooks' Note

　　You can be creative with the flavorings. You can substitute mozzarella or even fontina or Gorgonzola; you can also use whatever herbs you like. Make this dish your own—that’s what makes cooking so much fun.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.