Frankies Spuntino Pork Braciole

Name: Frankies Spuntino Pork Braciole
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 pounds pork braciola cutlets (sliced from the shoulder and pounded into six 6-by-8-inch pieces about 1/4 inch thick); Salt and white pepper to taste; 2 tablespoons minced garlic, plus 8 to 10 large whole cloves; 2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish; 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving; 1 cup grated aged provolone; 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, plus an extra can in case more sauce is needed; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup grape seed oil

Recipe from Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli

Adapted by Dana Bowen

Updated May 15, 2024

Frankies Spuntino Pork Braciole — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 4 hours
Rating: 4(367)
Comments: Read comments

Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, who own the Frankies Spuntino restaurants in New York, prefer to keep it mellow. "I cooked on the line for 18 years," Mr. Falcinelli told The Times. Mr. Castronovo, equally low-key, said, "We like to take the easy approach." That means many of their dishes, like vegetable antipasti, grilled meats and wine-stewed prunes, are cooked well ahead and assembled to order or served at room temperature. In this version of braciola, the meat rolls are covered with canned tomatoes that become sauce as the meat cooks. "My grandfather calls it gravy," Mr. Falcinelli said. "For the Sunday sauce, you do spareribs, sausage, meatballs, braciola." The Franks’ version is lighter, meant to be eaten with salad and bread, not steaming pasta. Leftovers are good for sandwiches the following day. —Dana Bowen

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

3pounds pork braciola cutlets (sliced from the shoulder and pounded into six 6-by-8-inch pieces about ¼ inch thick)
Salt and white pepper to taste
2tablespoons minced garlic, plus 8 to 10 large whole cloves
⅔cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
1cup grated aged provolone
228-ounce cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, plus an extra can in case more sauce is needed
¼cup olive oil
¼cup grape seed oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line cutlets up on a clean work surface with the shorter sides on top and bottom (seam side up, if made from a butterflied cut). Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with minced garlic, parsley and cheeses. Roll a cutlet into a tight log. Stretch butcher's twine along the length of the roll; wrap string tightly around one end and continue wrapping to the other end, each turn an inch from the previous one; tie loose ends. Repeat with remaining braciola.
Step 2
Empty two cans of tomatoes into a mixing bowl. Use your fingers to break tomatoes apart, and discard firm cores and tops. Pour half the sauce into a deep-sided roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add oils. When oils are hot but not smoking add braciola and sear, rotating every minute or so, until browned all over. Reduce heat to medium, add whole garlic cloves and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer braciola to roasting pan, allowing garlic to continue cooking until golden. Add a cup of remaining sauce to skillet, and scrape browned bits from bottom; shut off heat, and pour over braciola. Add remaining sauce to braciola, completely covering braciola. (If there isn't enough sauce, use another can of tomatoes.) Cover tightly with foil, and bake until tender, from 1 to 3 hours. Check frequently for doneness.
Step 4
Snip twine off braciola. Arrange, whole or sliced, on a platter, drizzle with some sauce and transfer remaining sauce to a serving bowl. Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Ratings

4 out of 5

367 user ratings

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Comments

magic_hat7 years ago

Pork shoulder has a lot of very tough collagen that won't break down unless it cooks for 3 hours. Pork loin/chop, which you used, is all muscle and will overcook and dry out if cooked that long. So use the shoulder, or shorten the cooking time substantially.

Janet7 years ago

Grandma saved the ends of salami and prosciutto and chopped them for braciole. She crumbled the cheeses and sometimes added hard boiled egg. The chopped filling makes the packets a little lumpy, but we loved the texture.

Alicia7 years ago

For Christmas Eve I made braciola with turkey breast, which I butterflied and filled with raisins, pine nuts, cheese, parsley, lemon zest and bread crumbs. The rolls get tied up and browned. Then I made a tomato sauce with onion, garlic, carrots, tomatoes (of course), fresh herbs, and let the turkey braciola cook in the sauce for an hour. To serve, you remove the twine, cut the rolls in slices (looks pretty) and serve with the hot tomato sauce. I served mine with creamy polenta - YUM!!!

Patricia1 year ago

Not sure if the recipe has been modified, concerning cut of meat, as it is now stated 'pork shoulder', as it should be. I think the people who tried the recipe, and used pork loin are the ones who are complaining it is dry. NEVER use pork loin for a long-cooking dish. I am sure one could use a butterflied pork tenderloin if they want a rather quick-cooking dish, and it won't dry out from the braise.

capeMimi1 year ago

Can we use pork tenderloin and shorten the cooking time?

Toni1 year ago

My mother would make braciole with beef pounded thin and filled them with Italian breadcrumbs, Romano cheese, fresh parsley and thin garlic slices. Since they were smaller she used toothpicks instead of tying. After browning them she added them to the already cooking tomato sauce pot on Sunday morning. We’d eat lunch about four hours later. Always delicious!

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