Braciola napoletana

In Naples, braciola is a meat roll filled with raisins, pine nuts, cheese, garlic and parsley. It is rolled up, tied with kitchen string and cooked slowly in tomato sauce.

It belongs to the tradition of Sunday cooking. As with ragù, a single pot provides both the sauce for the pasta and the meat served afterwards: two courses brought together by the same slow cooking.

The idea for my sauce came from a small mishap during my early years in professional kitchens. One day, the string holding some braciole together came loose. The rolls opened, and their filling spread into the tomato sauce.

The sauce took on an aromatic intensity and a depth of flavour that stayed with me. The ingredients of the filling were now present in every spoonful, together with the meat and tomatoes. That taste became the starting point for my BRACIOLA NAPOLETANA.

The raisins bring sweetness, the Pecorino Romano a savoury saltiness. The pine nuts add their delicate flavour, the parsley a fresh, green note. The garlic lends its aroma without becoming overpowering. These different flavours come together during the long cooking time while retaining their individual nuances.

I like the thought that a meat roll coming undone led to another way of discovering braciola. Inside the jar are the flavours of that Sunday cooking and something I discovered along the way.