I have to admit that it is very rare for me to make homemade marinara sauce. This is probably due to the fact that I have a family of marinara sauce aficionados and it almost feels sacrilegious to tread on their sauce toes. I am pretty sure my very first food was marinara sauce, my first food memory had to have been marinara sauce and it is definitely my comfort food. I always remember a pot of marinara sauce on the stove, during the holidays, simmering away, usually stacked on two burners so that it doesn't cook too fast or scorch. The smell of olive oil, garlic and onions sends me right back to Mama Kathleen's kitchen and it was always an indicator that some type of Italian deliciousness was in my near future.


This sauce was always the base for my Mom's lasagna or manicotti or baked rigatoni or even pizza and it was heaven! I always remember it raining, well because I grew up in Northern California, and I remember the kitchen windows being foggy from the heat or steam of the sauce and the pasta. And I remember taking a spoon and tasting the sauce out of a big pot, most of the time burning my tongue, but still enjoying the tradition all the same.

So I decided to try Giada's Marinara Sauce recipe. I figured, maybe just maybe, if I made another families recipe, it wouldn't feel so much like I was cheating on my Mom, Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas, etc. To begin with, the sauce of my youth never had vegetables in it, so I was a little concerned by the celery and carrots, but I decided to stay true to the recipe. And I have to say I actually couldn't taste them at all.


 The sauce was perfect. It is not Mama Kathleen's but it was perfect for the Braciola and it accomplished the same smells and flavor profile of my youth, so I was happy. It has a nice balance of acidity from the tomatoes and the olive oil. I was thrilled to find San Marzano tomatoes, which in my opinion, are the King of all tomatoes. They just taste fresh, they don't have that canned taste and they have a strong tomato taste.

Here is the recipe for the sauce:



Directions
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Now for the braciola. If you are unfamiliar with braciola, it is a thin cut of meat that is stuffed, normally with cheese, bread crumbs and herbs and cooked in a white wine marinara sauce. I found that it goes by several different spellings, being listed as braciola and braciole. In all actuality, what we call braciola here in the US, is known in Italy as involtini.




First of all I made the cheese mixture. I used a smoked Provolone cheese and a Romano cheese. I added some bread crumbs, garlic and parsley.  Then stir in the olive oil.

Next take the flank steak and season with salt and pepper. I did find it interesting that I actually had a hard time finding flank steak around Christmas, but I think that was just because people were buying larger cuts of meats, like roasts or prime rib, etc.



Layer the cheese mixture on the steak. Be prepared for some of it to fall out during the rolling process.


Start rolling up the steak, including the filling, from the short side, kind of like a burrito.  Use kitchen twine to tie it and hold it together. I also used some kitchen pins, like the kind that are used on a turkey to assist in this process.


Brown the steak in olive oil, on all sides.



Add white wine marinara sauce to the pan, cover it in foil and place it in the oven.


Take the braciola out of the oven every 30 minutes and baste it with additional tomato sauce to keep it tender and moist. Cook it for the last 30 minutes, uncovered.

Remove from the oven and slice, removing the pins and the twine. I served mine over pasta with the sauce from the pan.

Ingredients
1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/3 cup grated provolone
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/4 cups Simple Tomato Sauce

Directions
Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciola with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciola and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.

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


I made this recipe for Christmas dinner and it was perfect. The meat was tender, the filling was melted inside and the sauce was rich and comforting. It truly felt festive and had the perfect colors for any holiday table.  I also love the fact that this meal looks like it was technically challenging and it just screams "I spent hours in the kitchen," which if you sat in the kitchen while it cooked, I guess you can technically claim that you did. But honestly it was easy to make, not too challenging or labor intensive. Amazing flavor and beautiful presentation! I paired this with a Cabernet Sauvignon and it was perfect. Cheers!