Bollito Misto Piemontese

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Very large stockpot (at least 12 quarts)
• •Second pot for the cotechino
• •Large cutting board
• •Sharp carving knife
• •Slotted spoon or spider
• •Food processor for salsa verde
• •Food mill for bagnet ross (optional)
• •Large warmed serving platters

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the tongue

   The tongue requires a head start. Place it in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Skim the foam that rises. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for one hour before the other meats join it. The tongue is ready when a fork slides in easily near the base, which takes three to four hours total. You will peel it later.

   Some recipes call for soaking the tongue overnight in cold water. This is not strictly necessary with modern beef, but it does produce a milder result. If time permits, soak it.
2. 2

   Build the poaching liquid

   After the tongue has simmered one hour, add the carrots, celery, halved onions, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and parsley stems to the pot. Add enough cold water to cover everything by four inches. Bring back to a simmer. Season with two tablespoons of coarse salt. The liquid should taste pleasantly seasoned, like a good broth.

3. 3

   Add the beef cuts

   Lower the brisket and chuck into the simmering liquid. Do not let the water boil vigorously at any point. A bollito that boils is a bollito ruined. The surface should barely tremble, with only occasional bubbles breaking through. Simmer for two hours, skimming any foam that rises.

   The word bollito means boiled, but this is a misnomer. The water must never actually boil. A gentle poach extracts flavor while keeping the meat tender. Vigorous boiling toughens the fibers and clouds the broth.
4. 4

   Add the veal and chicken

   Add the veal breast and the whole chicken to the pot. The chicken needs only one hour to cook through; the veal needs closer to ninety minutes. Continue at the gentlest simmer. The pot will be crowded. This is correct. Add more hot water if needed to keep everything submerged.

5. 5

   Cook the cotechino separately

   The cotechino must cook in its own pot. Pierce it in several places with a fork, place it in cold water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for two hours. The casing bursts if you rush it. Keep it warm in its cooking liquid until ready to serve.

   Cotechino and zampone are traditional Modenese sausages, rich with pork fat and spices. They are essential to a proper bollito misto. If unavailable, seek out a good-quality fresh Italian pork sausage, but know it will not be the same.
6. 6

   Make the salsa verde

   While the meats simmer, prepare the sauces. For salsa verde: combine the parsley leaves, anchovies, capers, garlic, and egg yolk in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. With the machine running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream. Add the vinegar and pulse twice more. Season with salt and pepper. The sauce should be thick but pourable, bright green, pungent with parsley and the salt-brine of capers and anchovy. If too thick, thin with a tablespoon of the meat broth.

7. 7

   Make the bagnet ross

   For the red sauce: heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook slowly until completely soft, about fifteen minutes. Crush the tomatoes by hand and add them with their juices. Simmer uncovered for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Stir in the vinegar and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Pass through a food mill or blend until smooth. This sauce should be bright, slightly sweet, with gentle acidity.

8. 8

   Test the meats for doneness

   The meats are done when a fork slides in and out with no resistance. The brisket and chuck need three hours total. The veal needs ninety minutes. The chicken needs one hour. The tongue needs three to four hours. If one cut finishes before the others, transfer it to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest in a warm place.

9. 9

   Peel the tongue

   When the tongue is tender, transfer it to a cutting board. While still hot, peel away the thick outer skin. It should come off in sheets. If it resists, the tongue needs more time. Trim any glands or gristle from the base. Return the peeled tongue to the warm broth until ready to slice.

10. 10

    Slice and serve

    Transfer all meats to a very large cutting board. Slice the brisket, chuck, veal, and tongue against the grain into pieces about half an inch thick. Carve the chicken into serving pieces. Slice the cotechino into thick rounds. Arrange everything on one or two large warmed platters. Moisten with a ladleful of the hot broth. Serve immediately with the salsa verde, bagnet ross, and mostarda in separate bowls. The broth itself becomes soup for the next day, with pastina or tortellini.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out a proper cotechino from an Italian specialty shop. It is a pork sausage from Modena, rich with fat and studded with spices, essential to the character of the dish. Supermarket Italian sausage will not do.
• •The broth that remains is liquid gold. Strain it, chill it overnight, lift off the solidified fat, and use it for tortellini in brodo, risotto, or a simple soup with pastina. Nothing goes to waste.
• •Bollito misto is traditionally served from a carrello, a wheeled cart brought tableside in restaurants, with the meats kept warm in their broth. At home, slice everything just before serving and moisten with hot broth. The meats cool quickly once sliced.
• •If seven cuts seem excessive, begin with brisket, tongue, and cotechino. This gives you the essential experience. Add the other cuts as your ambition and your pot size permit.
• •Mostarda di Cremona, with its whole fruits in mustard syrup, is traditional but not always available. A good fruit mostarda or even a sharp, grainy mustard will serve. The point is contrast: something sweet and hot against the mild meat.

Advance Preparation

• •The salsa verde can be made one day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving and stir well. The color will darken slightly but the flavor remains.
• •The bagnet ross improves overnight. Make it up to three days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently before serving.
• •The meats can be poached several hours ahead and held in their broth, off heat, covered. Reheat gently before slicing. Do not let the broth boil.
• •The cotechino can be cooked one day ahead and refrigerated in its liquid. Reheat in simmering water for thirty minutes before slicing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 450g)