Family-style Boiled Meat

Boiled meat, also known as “mixed boil” in some Italian regions, is a typical dish of the culinary tradition, especially in Northern Italy. It is a dish that requires time and dedication, but the result is tender and juicy meat, accompanied by sauces and side dishes that enhance its taste. The family version may vary slightly according to traditions, but here I propose a classic version of the boiled meat.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of beef (snout or priest hat)
• 300 g of capon or hen
• 300 g of beef tongue
• 300 g of cotechino (optional, but traditional in the Emilian variant)
• 4 carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 2 onions
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• Whole peppercorns to taste

Preparation

1. First, clean all the vegetables thoroughly. Peel the carrots, wash the celery, and peel the onions. Leave the garlic whole.
2. In a large pot, arrange the beef snout or priest hat, the hen (or capon), the tongue, and if you have decided to include it, the cotechino. Add the prepared vegetables, bay leaves, and a few peppercorns.
3. Cover with plenty of cold water and bring to a slow boil.
4. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for about 3 hours, skimming off the foam occasionally. It’s important to maintain a slow cook to ensure the meat becomes tender and does not harden.
5. Add salt only towards the end of cooking, so as not to harden the meats.
6. Once cooked, the meat should be soft and easily pierced with a fork. Serve the boiled meat with the boiled vegetables, cut into pieces on a serving platter.

Traditionally, the boiled meat is accompanied by various sauces such as the “bagnetto verde”, green sauce, or the Cremona mustard, and often by boiled potatoes. Some families also like to serve the broth as a first course, perhaps with tortellini or a little pastina.

Curiosity

Boiled meat is a dish that reflects the recovery cooking typical of Italian peasant traditions, where nothing had to be wasted. Hence the use of the broth as a base for another dish, and sometimes even the meat was reused in cold salads or to prepare the famous “pearà”, a sauce made with bread, broth, and bone marrow, typical of the Verona area.