Piedmontese Mixed Boiled Meat (Gran Bollito Misto)

Name: Piedmontese Mixed Boiled Meat (Gran Bollito Misto)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 200 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Beef head meat 10.6 oz; Beef shank 0.7 lb; Beef chuck 10.5 oz; Beef tongue 7 oz; Beef tail 10.6 oz; Capon 1; Cotechino 1; Carrots 4; Onions 3; Celery 4 ribs; Parsley 1 tuft; Black pepper to taste; Garlic 3 cloves; Cloves 3

671.1

Calories per serving

Energy Kcal 671.1
Carbohydrates g 4
of which sugars g 4
Protein g 52.9
Fats g 49.3
of which saturated fat g 2.4
Fiber g 109.9
Cholesterol mg 0.8
Sodium mg 614.3

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Serving: 6 persone

PRESENTATION

The mixed boiled meat is an excellent one-dish meal typical of Piedmontese cuisine, a variant of the simple boiled meat, which has also become part of the tradition of many other Italian regions. Making a good mixed boiled meat requires some care, a right choice of meat cuts, the right side dishes, the right accompanying sauces, and, of course, a good wine pairing. Naturally, considering that the recipe for mixed boiled meat is lost in the mists of time, every mom, grandmother, or aunt offers a version that differs from the other by some small detail but remains always excellent and tasty. Alongside the various interpretations, there is, of course, an 'official' recipe for mixed boiled meat that seems almost like an ancient magic formula to be recited in a whisper while preparing the various ingredients. According to this ancient recipe, the grand mixed boiled meat is composed of: seven cuts of meat (chuck, brisket, thigh muscle, small muscle, shoulder, tip of the brisket, priest's hat), seven offal (tongue, head with snout, tail, trotters, chicken, cotechino, rolled meat) and seven 'bagnetti' or sauces (rustic green sauce, rich green sauce, red sauce, horseradish, mustard, cugna, honey sauce). Still according to the original recipe, halfway through the meal, a sort of 'call' (roasted loin with pepper and garlic) should be served along with five side dishes (boiled potatoes, buttered spinach, sautéed mushrooms, sweet and sour onions, and a cup of broth), which have now become the inseparable companions of mixed boiled meat. Obviously, this is the theory, but nowadays, it is very difficult to put such a rich recipe into practice, especially due to the difficulty in finding all the ingredients. For this reason, Piedmontese mixed boiled meat today is prepared with only five cuts of meat and is usually accompanied by only three sauces: green sauce, rubra sauce, and horseradish sauce. If you have leftover boiled meat, don't let it languish in the refrigerator but use it to make delicious boiled meat and ricotta meatballs!

If you loved this recipe, try the one for salted tongue!

INGREDIENTS: Beef 10.6 oz (300 g) - head meat; Beef 0.7 lb (300 g) - shank; Beef 10.5 oz (300 g) - chuck; Beef 7 oz (200 g) - tongue; Beef 10.6 oz (300 g) - tail; Capon 1; Cotechino 1; Carrots 4; Onions 3; Celery 4 ribs; Parsley 1 tuft; Black pepper to taste; Garlic 3 cloves; Cloves 3

Preparation

How to prepare Piedmontese Mixed Boiled Meat (Gran Bollito Misto)

To prepare Piedmontese mixed boiled meat, wash the vegetables 1 under running water that will be used for cooking the meats: peel the carrots, peel the onions, and leave all the vegetables whole. The different cuts of meat require different cooking times, so to achieve even cooking, it is necessary to cook the various pieces of boiled meat separately. Start with the preparation of the tail, brisket, and chuck: tie the brisket and chuck with string following the instructions found in the tying the roast guide 2. Put plenty of cold water in a pot large enough 3 and add a handful of coarse salt, whole onions, celery stalks, carrots, garlic, cloves, black pepper, and rosemary.

Bring the water to a boil and let it boil for at least 15 minutes 4. At this point, immerse the brisket, chuck 5, and tail 6 in the pot and bring everything back to a boil, keeping the heat high, for another 15 minutes. Lower the heat and cook everything for at least two hours, checking the cooking from time to time and, if already cooked, removing pieces that you will, however, keep in a double boiler.

Now take care of the tongue: wash it under running water and scrub the surface with a knife 7 so that any residues come away from the surface of the tongue. Then place it in a pot with a carrot, an onion, a sprig of parsley, cloves, and black peppercorns 8 and cook it for a couple of hours. During cooking, skim the broth as needed 9.

Proceed in the same way with the head: put a pot full of water on the stove and add the vegetables, pepper, cloves, and salt 10, cook for a couple of hours 11. The same treatment should be reserved for the capon, which should also be cooked in a separate pot with aromatics and vegetables for about an hour and a half 12.

As for the cotechino, it should be cooked in a pot of unsalted water, without aromatics or vegetables, for about an hour 13. Check the cooking in progress, prick the chuck, tail, and brisket with a large fork 14 to check if they are cooked, then remove them and place them on a cutting board to slice them 15.

When cooking is complete 16, also remove the tongue, place it on a cutting board, and remove the outermost layer with a sharp knife because it is the most rubbery part 17, then slice it 18.

Drain the capon from the broth and set it aside whole (19-20). Finally, drain the head from the broth 21

and slice it too 22. At this point, everything is ready to compose the serving dish: take a large platter, lay mixed salad leaves on the bottom, and then distribute all the meat slices, making sure to leave the central space free to place the capon 23. Your Piedmontese mixed boiled meat is ready to be accompanied with the typical sauces: rubra sauce, horseradish sauce, and green sauce 24. Keep everything warm until serving, slice your meat, and... enjoy your meal!

Storage

The mixed boiled meat can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or frozen if you used fresh ingredients. It is possible to filter and store the meat broth derived from the boiling, except for that of the cotechino, tongue, and head because it is too fatty and cloudy.

Curiosities

To remember the convivial and dining character of mixed boiled meat, which according to tradition should be prepared for no less than 12 people, some enthusiasts of good Italian cuisine and especially of the aforementioned mixed boiled meat, have invented a real association.
The 'Confraternity of Mixed Boiled Meat,' as this organization of gourmets is called, aims to keep the tradition of such a tasty dish as mixed boiled meat alive and intact.

Advice

When tradition is unbeatable: by following the cooking times and methods to the letter, you will have perfect meats, phenomenal if presented with the classic sauces and typical side dishes of the tradition.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.