Braciole al Ragù: Neapolitan Rolled Beef in Sunday Sauce

Place each beef slice between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 4-5 mm thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Uniform thickness prevents uneven cooking and tearing when you roll.

Combine chopped parsley, minced garlic, pine nuts, raisins, and grated Pecorino Romano in a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper.

Lay a beef slice flat. Distribute a quarter of the filling in a thin, even layer, leaving a 2 cm border on all sides. Roll firmly away from you into a tight cigar shape, tucking in the sides as you go. Tie with butcher's twine at 2-3 intervals. Repeat with remaining slices.

Heat 40 ml of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the braciole in a single layer (work in batches) and brown on all sides, including the ends, about 8-10 minutes per batch. A deep, even crust here is the foundation of the dish's flavor. Remove and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 20 ml olive oil and the sliced onion to the same pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fully softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.

Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it reduce by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt. Return the braciole to the pot, nestling them into the sauce so they are at least half-submerged.

Bring to a bare simmer — you want occasional lazy bubbles at the surface, not a rolling boil. Cover tightly and braise on the lowest possible heat for 3 to 3.5 hours, turning the rolls every 45 minutes. The sauce is ready when it is thick, deeply brick-red, and the braciole yield to gentle pressure.

To serve in the Neapolitan way: remove the braciole and keep warm. Toss the ragù with rigatoni or paccheri, then serve the pasta as a first course. Snip the twine from the braciole and bring the rolls to the table as the second course.