Minestra Maritata

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large 10-quart stockpot for the broth
• •Heavy 8-quart Dutch oven for finishing
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Large bowl with ice water for blanching

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the broth

   Place the prosciutto bone, spareribs, pork skin, sausage, and beef chuck in a large stockpot. Cover with cold water by four inches, about five quarts. Bring slowly to a simmer over medium heat. This should take 30 to 40 minutes. Do not rush it. As the water heats, gray foam will rise to the surface. Skim this away patiently with a ladle. Keep skimming until the broth runs clear.

   The prosciutto bone is essential. Ask your Italian deli or butcher to save one for you. They often discard them or sell them cheaply. The bone gives the broth its soul.
2. 2

   Add aromatics and simmer

   When the broth runs clear, add the onion halves, carrots, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns, and one tablespoon of salt. Reduce heat to maintain a lazy simmer, with only an occasional bubble breaking the surface. Cook uncovered for two and a half to three hours, until the meats are completely tender and falling from the bone. The broth should reduce by about one third and develop a rich, golden color.

3. 3

   Remove and prepare the meats

   Using a slotted spoon, transfer all the meats to a cutting board. Discard the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot. Let the broth settle for 10 minutes, then skim any fat from the surface. When the meats are cool enough to handle, cut or shred them into bite-sized pieces. Discard any bones and cartilage. Slice the sausage into rounds. Set the meats aside.

4. 4

   Prepare the greens

   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. While waiting, tear the escarole, cabbage, chicory, and broccoli rabe into large pieces. You should have roughly equal volumes of each. Working in batches if necessary, blanch each type of green separately until just wilted but still bright in color, about two minutes for the tender greens, three to four minutes for the broccoli rabe. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly and squeeze gently to remove excess water.

   The mixture of bitter and mild greens creates complexity. In Naples, cooks use whatever is available in the winter garden: scarola, verza, cicoria, friarielli. Four varieties is traditional, but three will serve.
5. 5

   Build the flavor base

   In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, cook the pancetta over medium heat until the fat renders and the edges crisp, about eight minutes. Add the crushed garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook one minute more, until the garlic is fragrant but not colored. Remove and discard the garlic cloves. They have given what they have to give.

6. 6

   Marry the greens and meat

   Add the blanched greens to the pot with the pancetta. Toss to coat with the rendered fat. Add the strained broth and bring to a simmer. Add all the reserved meats. Cook together at a gentle simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have married completely. The greens should be tender but not mushy, the broth rich and deeply flavored. Taste and adjust the salt. The prosciutto bone adds salt, so be cautious.

7. 7

   Serve properly

   Ladle the soup into deep warmed bowls, ensuring each portion has a generous mix of greens and meats. Pass grated Pecorino Romano at the table. Serve with thick slices of crusty bread for soaking up the broth. This is not optional. The bread and the broth are inseparable.

   Minestra maritata improves overnight. The marriage deepens. Make it the day before Christmas and reheat gently for the feast.

Chef Tips

• •The prosciutto bone is not negotiable. It provides the deep, aged pork flavor that makes this soup what it is. Pancetta or regular pork bones cannot replace it.
• •Blanch each type of green separately. They cook at different rates, and you want to preserve their individual characters even as they marry in the final pot.
• •The soup should be more greens than broth. This is not a thin consommé with a few leaves floating in it. The bowl should be crowded with good things.
• •In Naples, some families add a piece of salted pork jowl or cotechino sausage. If you can find these, use them. The more varieties of pork, the more complex the broth.

Advance Preparation

• •The broth can be made two days ahead and refrigerated. The fat will solidify on top and can be easily removed.
• •The blanched greens can be prepared a day ahead, squeezed dry, and refrigerated in a sealed container.
• •The completed soup improves for up to three days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently. Add a splash of water if it has thickened too much.
• •This soup freezes well for two months, though the texture of the pork skin changes somewhat. Include plenty of broth when packaging.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 380g)