Boiling broth seals in the juices of the meats so that they retain their flavor after hours of simmering. If the meats were added to cold water which was then brought to a boil, the juices would be more liable to leach out into the broth, leaving the meats flavor- less. Here, the author adds the cotechino sausage to a small pot. Bollito Misto— grew up in the Piedmont region of Italy, and every winter around Christmas my family and I I would feast on bollito misto. While the name translates unromantically as “mixed boil,” bollito mis- An Italian to is more than that—it’s a delicious mixture of meats and poultry cooked in a broth that’s flavored with lots of fresh herbs and aromatic vegetables. The meats are sliced and moistened with some of the Classic broth and more vegetables are served on the side. When I make bollito misto now at my restaurants in Washington, DC, I usually serve three sauces: Humble cuts of meat and simple horseradish in vinegar, a tomato and red pepper sauce, and a garlicky green herb sauce. A few spoon- techniques make a superb dish fuls are the perfect contrast to the rich meats. I also serve mostarda fruits, usually a mixture of apricots, cherries, pears, and citron, candied in a syrup of honey and mustard powder. BY ROBERTO DONNA WHAT’S IN THE MIX? When deciding which meats to use, you want to think of getting a good variety of flavors, but you don’t need to worry much about the mix of textures. Once Photos: Martha Holmberg 60 FINE COOKING Copyright © 1994 - 2007 The Taunton Press the meats are cooked, they all have pretty much the broth as a palate cleanser at the end of the meal. Of same texture—fork-tender, melt-in-your-mouth. course there’s always the question of how much you The best cuts of meat to use are the cheaper, can fit into your pot. You may need to split your ingre- tougher cuts with lots of flavor and lots of gelatin dients into a couple of batches. and connective tissue. This will break down and For the broth, I combine the vegetables, a nice, soften during cooking and will keep the meats very fat bouquet garni (of bay, thyme, and parsley), salt, moist and tender. These cuts also take on the flavors and pepper in a large pot of water. I bring it all to a of the broth and make the meat very delicious. Ex- boil and let it simmer together for about 20 minutes pensive cuts of meat aren’t appropriate because to flavor the broth, which must be correctly sea- they’re milder in flavor and they’re too lean—they’ll soned, especially in terms of salt (see photo at right). be dry and bland after simmering. The meat would taste plain in undersalted broth, I use a lot of cuts in bollito misto that are easy to and you can’t really correct the flavor by sprinkling find in the grocery store, like short ribs of beef, veal salt on the cooked meat afterward. breast, and bottom round of beef. Other good Next I add the meats. I keep the heat very high choices include veal shank, veal shoulder, and lamb until the broth returns to a boil, then I turn the heat shoulder. I also use several traditional cuts that give down immediately, adjusting it so the liquid just has a deliciously flavored, tender meat, but they’re not lively tremble on top. I don’t want anything close to a always easy to find. Calf’s head has very tasty, per- rolling boil, because this will make the meat tough fectly textured meat. Veal tongue has a close- and the broth cloudy and greasy. I’ll use the same Don’t skimp on the grained but tender texture when simmered, and process to cook the capon in a separate pot. I skim off salt or your meats pig’s foot is a good source of gelatin for the broth, the foam that forms on the top during cooking; this will taste bland. The giving it good flavor and body. also keeps the broth clear and clean tasting. vegetables, herbs, I use a capon (a castrated male chicken weighing Each cut of meat needs a different simmering time. and spices in the about seven pounds) because the flavor is good and Unfortunately, I can’t simply tell you to cook veal for cooking liquid all con- the bird is pretty fatty, which I like since fat is an im- one hour and beef for two hours. You have to keep tribute their flavors to portant flavor carrier. Capon meat may not be as testing for doneness by piercing the meats with a skew- the final dish, so the tender as regular chicken, but that’s fine since I’m er or sharp knife to see if they feel tender. And you balance of ingredients simmering it. You can use a regular chicken if you have to be patient. You definitely don’t want to un- is important. can’t get capon, but be sure not to overcook it or the dercook the meats for bollito misto, because they’ll be flavor will all cook out into the broth. hard and tough. The whole point of the dish is to sim- The ingredient for bollito misto that’s worth mer the meats until they’re super-tender, super-tasty. seeking out, however, is the authentic cotechino When one cut of meat is done, take it out and keep it sausage—a really fabulous fresh pork sausage, flavored warm, and continue simmering the rest until it’s time with a traditional Italian mix of spices including mar- to remove the next. To keep cooked meats for more joram, nutmeg, and cumin. If you have a local Italian than about half an hour, refrigerate them. store or a good butcher, try to get a real cotechino. SERVING THIS RUSTIC FARE THE KEY IS GENTLE SIMMERING As for serving bollito misto, don’t try to make this dish The technique for cooking bollito misto is not really look glamorous. It’s a rustic dish and it’s meant to be boiling, as the name implies, but instead gentle simmering, until the texture of both the meaty part Is your pot this big? and the connective tissue is extremely tender. Making If not, don’t worry— bollito misto is just like making stock, only with stock you can split up the you add your ingredients to cold water and with bollito ingredients into misto you must add the meats to hot liquid. This is crit- batches. Donna likes ical, because the hot liquid seals in the juices and to cook most of his flavors, instead of drawing them out into the broth. bollito misto ingredi- Whether you cook the different meats together ents together, except or separately is a question of custom and individual for strong-flavored taste, too. Some Italian cooks simmer each type meats like lamb and of meat separately—beef with beef, chicken with pork, which get their chicken. Others combine everything in one pot, own pot. He cooks the which makes for an interesting broth. But if you use capons separately, too, pork or lamb, you should cook them separately. Their so he can serve the strong flavors will overpower more delicate meats like broth as a light soup. chicken or veal. In my version, I’m cooking the capon separately so that I can serve a delicious, pure chicken DECEMBER1994/ JANUARY1995 61 Copyright © 1994 - 2007 The Taunton Press the Piedmont region with enough acid to cut the richness of the meats. Serves ten to twelve. FOR THE BROTH: 3 large onions, quartered 4 leeks, rinsed and split 4 large carrots, chopped coarse 6 large cloves garlic 2 large tomatoes, chopped coarse 4 bay leaves 4 large sprigs fresh thyme 1 small bunch fresh parsley 4 Tbs. salt 2 Tbs. whole black peppercorns FOR THE MEATS: 2 lb. lean short ribs of beef 4 lb. bottom round of beef 1 lb. oxtail 2 lb. breast of veal, rolled and tied 1 veal tongue 1 pig’s foot, parboiled for 15 min. 1 calf’s head 1 cotechino sausage 1 capon or large roasting chicken FOR THE VEGETABLE ACCOMPANIMENT: 10 to 12 medium yellow or Vidalia onions, peeled and halved Olive oil for drizzling Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 1 ⁄2 lb. new or boiling potatoes, peeled 1 1 ⁄2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 1 Skim the broth fre- 1 ⁄2 lb. leeks, split, rinsed, and cut into 3-in. chunks quently so it stays presented that way. Most of the cuts of meat are ir- Chicken stock, for simmering (optional) clear and clean regularly shaped, so it’s impossible to cut nice, neat Divide the broth ingredients between a pot for the capon tasting. Note that slices from them. Just do your best to cut thin slices, and a pot (or pots) for the other meats. Add water to fill the the ingredients in this cutting across the grain, and don’t worry about the pots about half way and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat pot are simmering but shape. To accompany the dish, I cook vegetables in slightly and simmer for 20 min. Taste the liquid to make sure the amount of salt is right. Increase the heat and bring not actually boiling, more chicken stock to serve separately (the vege- the broth to a full boil.