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Bragioli (Maltese Beef Olives)

Bragioli, often called Maltese beef olives, are thin slices of beef wrapped around a savoury filling. This version uses minced pork, breadcrumbs,…

Bragioli are Maltese stuffed beef rolls with pork, egg, and parsley, simmered in tomato sauce. Learn how to fill, roll, and cook them gently.

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Prep30 minsCook45 minsServes4DifficultyMedium
Watercolour illustration of stuffed beef rolls in tomato sauce with peas and an egg-filled cut slice.

Bright, satisfying and built for real life.

This recipe brings together the generous flavours of Maltese cooking in a format that works on a busy day. Read through the method before starting and adjust seasoning to your taste.

Ingredient notes & swaps

  • Ask your butcher for thin beef slices suitable for stuffing and rolling; 'beef olives' describes the finished rolls, not a cut containing olives. Minced pork is ground pork. Match the peas by weight rather than the size of a local jar, and use plain fresh breadcrumbs so an added seasoning mix does not change the filling.

The recipe

Bragioli (Maltese Beef Olives)

30 min prep45 min cook75 min total4–6 people
Scale:

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1

    Prepare the beef: Cut the beef into 8-10 pieces and flatten each slice to about 4-6 inches. Beat them well to tenderize.

  2. 2

    Make the filling: In a bowl, mix together the minced pork, breadcrumbs, parsley, and beaten eggs. Add enough breadcrumbs to make a filling that holds together on a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the chopped tomatoes for the sauce.

  3. 3

    Assemble the rolls: Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of each slice of beef. Add a slice of hard-boiled egg on top. Roll up the meat tightly and secure with toothpicks.

  4. 4

    Brown the bragioli: Lightly brown the beef rolls in a pan with a little oil until they take on some color on all sides.

  5. 5

    Prepare the sauce: Transfer the browned rolls to a plate. In the same pan, sauté the chopped onion in a little oil until soft. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Pour in a little red wine and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes.

  6. 6

    Cook the bragioli: Return the rolls and their juices to the sauce with the peas and bay leaf. Add a little water if needed to keep the sauce loose enough to simmer without catching. Cover and cook gently for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Continue cooking if the beef is not yet tender; thicker slices may need longer. Check that the centre of the pork-and-egg filling reaches at least 71°C (160°F).

  7. 7

    Finish and serve: Once the rolls are cooked through, taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and all toothpicks before serving.

What Are Bragioli?

Bragioli are stuffed beef rolls served with their cooking sauce. The outside is a thin slice of beef; the centre is a separate filling. This makes them different from Pulpetti tal-Laħam, which are meatballs made from minced meat.

Fillings vary between households. The recipe here includes both beaten egg to bind the filling and sliced hard-boiled egg inside each roll. Its tomatoes belong in the sauce, where they provide moisture for the gentle cooking.

Which Beef Should I Use?

Ask your butcher for broad, thin slices suitable for beef olives or braising rolls. Topside is one option, also used in the Aceline recipe linked below. Flatten thick areas so the slices roll evenly, without pounding holes through them. A thick steak will not behave like a thin slice simply because it has the same weight.

How to Roll Bragioli Without Losing the Filling

  1. Lay the flattened beef out before dividing the filling between the pieces.
  2. Keep the filling away from the edges and add a slice of hard-boiled egg.
  3. Fold the sides in where possible, then roll around the filling. Leave enough bare beef to close the seam.
  4. Secure with toothpicks and lower each roll carefully into the pan. Brown in batches if the pan is crowded.

Keep count of the toothpicks so you can remove every one before serving. If a little filling escapes, leave it to cook through in the sauce rather than repeatedly unrolling the beef.

Ingredient Substitutions Outside Malta

Ask your butcher for thin beef slices suitable for stuffing and rolling; 'beef olives' describes the finished rolls, not a cut containing olives. Minced pork is ground pork. Match the peas by weight rather than the size of a local jar, and use plain fresh breadcrumbs so an added seasoning mix does not change the filling.

What to Serve With Bragioli

  • Serve the rolls and peas with Patata l-Forn and a little of the sauce.
  • Use Ħobż Malti to mop up the tomato sauce.
  • For a two-course meal, serve some of the cooked sauce with spaghetti first, then the beef rolls. The sauce should only be served after the meat and filling have cooked through.
  • Our Maltese Sunday lunch collection includes starters and sides for a longer meal.

Cooking Questions

Why are my bragioli tough?

The slices may be too thick or need more time to soften. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer with the lid on and enough liquid to prevent the sauce catching. Check again as they cook; a vigorous boil and a dry pan will not help.

How do I know the filling is cooked?

Check the centre of a roll with a food thermometer. The minced pork and egg filling should reach at least 71°C (160°F), following FoodSafety.gov's guidance for ground meat and egg dishes. Browned beef on the outside does not establish that the filling is ready.

Do beef olives contain olives?

This version does not. Here, beef olives means the stuffed rolls; check the ingredient list of other versions, which may include olives in their sauce.

Recipe adapted from Maltese Recipes.

Storage

No specific storage guidance is provided in the source recipe.

Freezing

Check the recipe notes for any dish-specific freezing guidance.

Reheating

Follow current food-safety guidance and reheat cooked food thoroughly where appropriate.

Keep cooking

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