Chef-tested recipe
Thin beef rolls filled with savoury mince, bacon, egg, and herbs, slowly braised in rich gravy
Bragioli, often translated as Maltese beef olives, are not made with olives. Thin steaks are wrapped around a rich filling of minced beef, bacon, hard-boiled egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley, then slowly braised until tender. The rolls release their flavour into a red-wine gravy with vegetables and peas, creating the kind of substantial shared dish associated with Maltese family cooking.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 45 mins
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 45 mins
- Total Time
- 2 hours 30 mins
- Cuisine
- Maltese
- Course
- Main dishes
- Cooking Method
- Stuffing, rolling, browning, and slow braising
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Best Served With
- Best served with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, crusty Maltese bread, seasonal vegetables, or buttered pasta.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Wide heavy casserole with lidpaid link
- Meat malletpaid link
- Baking paperpaid link
- Kitchen twinepaid link
- Instant-read thermometerpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the beef rolls
- Beef topside or round steaks, cut into 12 thin slices: 1200 g
- Minced beef: 400 g
- Smoked bacon, finely diced: 150 g
- Hard-boiled eggs, peeled and finely choppedpaid link: 180 g
- Fresh breadcrumbspaid link: 120 g
- Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped: 40 g
- Garlic cloves, finely grated: 25 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 12 g
- Freshly ground black pepper: 4 g
For the braising gravy
- Extra-virgin olive oilpaid link: 60 ml
- Yellow onions, finely diced: 400 g
- Carrots, cut into 1 cm dice: 300 g
- Celery stalks, cut into 1 cm dice: 200 g
- Garlic cloves, finely grated: 20 g
- Tomato paste: 50 g
- Bay leaves: 2 g
- Dry red wine: 400 ml
- Unsalted beef stock: 1200 ml
- Frozen green peas: 300 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 8 g
Preparation Overview
Pound the steaks between sheets of baking paper until about 4 mm thick without tearing them. Prepare the filling, then cut kitchen twine in advance or have wooden cocktail sticks ready. Keep the filling cold until the rolls are assembled.
Method
Combine the minced beef, bacon, chopped egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, 12 g salt, and black pepper until evenly mixed.
Lay the beef slices flat and divide the filling among them, leaving a clean border around every edge.
Fold the sides inward, roll each slice tightly, and secure with kitchen twine or wooden cocktail sticks.
Heat half of the olive oil in a wide heavy casserole over medium-high heat and brown the rolls in batches for 6 to 8 minutes; transfer them to a tray.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, onions, carrots, and celery, and cook for 8 minutes until softened.
Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes while stirring from the base.
Pour in the red wine, scrape up the browned residue, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the beef stock, bay leaves, and remaining salt and bring to a gentle simmer.
Return the bragioli and their juices to the casserole, cover partly, and braise gently for 75 minutes, turning the rolls once.
Add the peas and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the beef is tender and the gravy lightly coats a spoon.
Confirm the centre of the filling has reached at least 71°C, then remove the twine or cocktail sticks.
Adjust the seasoning and serve the rolls whole or sliced with plenty of gravy.
Beginner Technique Notes
Pound the steaks evenly so the rolls cook at the same rate and remain tender.
Do not overfill; exposed filling can escape into the gravy during braising.
Brown the rolls in batches because crowding cools the pan and prevents proper colour.
Count every cocktail stick before serving, or use visible kitchen twine that is easier to remove.
Tips and Variations
Assemble the rolls up to one day ahead and refrigerate them covered before browning.
A small amount of grated hard cheese may be added to the filling as a family variation.
If the gravy is thin after the meat becomes tender, remove the rolls and reduce it separately.
Bragioli taste even fuller the following day after the gravy has rested.
Serving Ideas
- Serve two rolls per person over mashed potato, spoon over the red-wine gravy and peas, and finish with fresh parsley.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate in the gravy for up to 3 days. Reheat gently to at least 74°C. Freeze the rolls and gravy together for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains egg, gluten from breadcrumbs, celery, and sulphites from wine. Bacon, stock, and tomato paste may contain additional allergens or cross-contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are bragioli called beef olives?
The name refers to the compact shape of the cooked rolls; traditional bragioli do not contain olives.
Can I prepare the rolls in advance?
Yes. Assemble them one day ahead, refrigerate covered, and brown them just before braising.
What cut of beef works best?
Topside, round, or another lean steak that can be sliced and pounded thin is suitable.
How do I keep the filling inside?
Leave a border, fold in the sides, roll tightly, and secure every roll before browning.
