Pork Braciole is a traditional Italian dish with a southern twist. It is made with pork tenderloin medallions that are cooked until they are fork-tender and wrapped in cornbread and pecan stuffing. They are then cooked in a tasty homemade marinara sauce.
For a southern twist, I use crumbled cornbread instead of bread crumbs and add a handful of roasted pecans to the stuffing mix. Instead of red wine, I use white wine. This recipe is easy to make, even though it has a few more steps and ingredients than most of my others.
Braciole pork is the epitome of comfort food and is perfect for a Sunday family dinner. Because it makes a beautiful presentation and can be made ahead, it’s also perfect for a dinner party.
Braciole is a traditional southern Italian dish made with thin slices of meat wrapped around a filling of bread crumbs, cheese, and sometimes meat. The dish is cooked in a wine and tomato sauce.
As an avid home cook and Italian food lover, one of my all-time favorite dishes is pork braciole – thin cutlets of pork stuffed with a savory filling and slowly simmered in tomato sauce. When properly made, the pork becomes incredibly flavorful and tender. However, getting the oven cook time just right can be tricky. Undercook the braciole and the pork will be tough. Cook it too long and the meat dries out.
Through much trial and error in my kitchen, I’ve finally mastered the perfect method for oven-baked pork braciole with a foolproof cook time. Follow these step-by-step instructions and you too can achieve fork-tender, juicy braciole worthy of a 5-star Italian restaurant!
Selecting the Right Pork for Braciole
For the best texture and flavor, choose thin pork chop cutlets or pork loin cutlets that are about 1/4 inch thick. Avoid cuts that are too thick, or the braciole may not cook through properly. Have the butcher slice a pork loin lengthwise into long, thin cutlets.
Look for cuts that are evenly sized so they cook at the same rate. Opt for cuts that have nice marbling, which keeps the braciole moist during cooking.
Craft the Perfect Filling
One of the keys to incredible braciole is getting the filling just right. I like to use a mixture of breadcrumbs parmesan garlic, Italian herbs, raisins, and spices.
Some other tasty fillings include ground beef and pork, salami, mushrooms, spinach, or provolone cheese. Spread the filling evenly over the pork cutlets, leaving a 1-inch border.
Roll up the cutlets and secure them closed with toothpicks or kitchen string. Season the rolled braciole generously with salt and pepper.
Browning is Key
Before placing the braciole in the oven, it’s important to sear them first. This browning step adds great flavor.
Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the braciole and brown for 1-2 minutes per side until nicely browned.
Transfer the seared braciole to a baking dish large enough to fit them in a single layer Pour the tomato sauce over top
Determining the Oven Cook Time
The thickness of the pork cutlets used for the braciole will impact the necessary oven cook time. Here are general guidelines:
- 1/4 inch thick cutlets – cook for 45-55 minutes
- 1/2 inch thick cutlets – cook for 60-70 minutes
- 3/4 inch thick cutlets – cook for 70-80 minutes
I recommend starting to check the braciole at the low end of the time range above To test for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the meat The ideal internal temperature is 145°F.
If undercooked, return the braciole to the oven for 5-10 more minutes until fully cooked through.
Helpful Braciole Baking Tips
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Use a baking dish just large enough to fit the braciole snugly
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Spoon some sauce over the braciole before baking
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Tent foil over dish, then remove for last 15 minutes to brown
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Don’t overfill the braciole or they may unwrap
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Let braciole rest 5-10 minutes before serving
Master the Art of Braciole with Practice
It may take a few tries to perfect your pork braciole, but the rewards are well worth it! With the right cut of pork, flavorful filling, and proper oven cook time, you’ll be enjoying melt-in-your-mouth, Italian-restaurant-quality braciole.
Serve the braciole with pasta, risotto, or crusty bread to soak up the delicious tomato sauce. A crisp green salad nicely balances out this hearty, comforting dish.
Making braciole is a labor of love, but once you master the technique, it will become a cherished recipe to pass down through generations. I hope these instructions give you the key to savoring the ultimate pork braciole.
Here’s how to make it:
Cut the pork tenderloins into eight equal pieces.
To make each piece ¼-inch thick, put it in a plastic bag and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound it. Set aside.
To make the stuffing, crumble the cornbread and place in a medium-size bowl. Add the parmesan, parsley, garlic, salt, pecans, and olive oil and combine.
Spread out each piece of pork and top it with a few spoonfuls of stuffing. Then, roll the pork into a cylinder shape. Secure with two pieces of kitchen string. It’s okay if some of the stuffing falls out.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper to a shallow bowl. Use a whisk or fork to combine. Dredge each pork braciola in the flour and shake off any excess. Place the rolls on a wire cooling rack.
Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Put four pork rolls in the pan when the oil is hot. Brown each side for about one minute. Place the browned braciole back on the wire cooling rack and set aside. Repeat with the additional rolls. (They will not be fully cooked at this point. ).
To make the marinara sauce, reduce the heat to medium and add the onions to the same skillet. Cook the onions for about five minutes or until they are tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Then, add the tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, wine, and water.
Break up the tomatoes with a potato masher or fork. Cook the sauce for about 30 minutes, or until it gets thick.
Place the pork rolls in the sauce, cover, and cook in an oven set to 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest roll reads 145 degrees. At about the ten-minute mark, turn the rolls over so they will cook evenly.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the meat rest for at least three minutes. The USDA recommended temperature for pork is 145 degrees.
Carefully cut the string on the rolls with kitchen scissors, and remove and discard it. Place the pork braciola on a platter and spoon the sauce over the top. Add chopped parsley, and optionally, grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Here’s what you will need:
- The tenderloin is a thin, soft piece of pork meat that runs along the backbone. It might cost a bit, but there’s no waste, and this recipe works great with it.
- All-purpose flour is used to coat the pork rolls before they are browned, and it also makes the marinara sauce a little thicker.
- Olive oil: For cooking, save the extra virgin olive oil and use pure or regular olive oil. Besides being less expensive, it has a higher smoke point.
- One southern part of this recipe is cornbread. You can make your own or, like me, buy corn muffins and use them instead. I usually don’t like cornbread that is sweetened, but it works fine in this recipe.
- Parmesan cheese: a traditional ingredient in pork braciole. You can also substitute Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano.
- Pecans: another non-traditional southern component. As an added bonus, roasted pecans taste like butter and go well with the cornbread in the stuffing.
- San Marzano tomatoes are a type of plum or Roma tomatoes that come in a can. To be called real San Marzano tomatoes, they have to be grown in San Marzano sul Sarno, which is close to Naples. Tomatoes like these are a little sweeter and not quite as sour as tomato sauce. If you use regular canned tomatoes, you might want to add a teaspoon or two of sugar to the sauce.
- With its base of garlic and onions, marinara sauce adds a touch of rich sweetness.
- White wine: To give this dish a rich, savory flavor, use a good dry white wine that you would drink. I usually use chardonnay. Don’t use cooking wine. If you don’t want to add wine, you can use chicken stock instead. If you like red wine, you can use that instead.
- Salts and spices: Kosher salt, ground black pepper, dried parsley flakes, dried basil, and red pepper flakes all make this dish taste better. When you use fresh herbs, double the amount that is called for. When you use regular table salt instead of Kosher salt, only use half as much.