Bollito Misto alla Piemontese

BOILED DINNER SOUNDS TERRIBLY OBVIOUS, AND IT IS. However, in the last century Crown Prince Vittorio Emanuele and his friends would sneak off to Moncalvo, a town far from the stifling air of the Court in Torino, to enjoy a rich, flavorful bollito misto: seven kinds of meat, seven vegetables, and seven condiments.

Though seven kinds of meat may seem like a lot, the variety is important because each compliments the others, producing a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. You should include beef, veal, pork, chicken, tongue, zampone or cotechino, and feel free to add whatever other cuts of meat you feel might work. The pieces should be from older animals, because they will be more flavorful, and should also be large - this means that a good bollito misto is ideal for a convivial meal with friends, or for when you want to make something that will provide the wherewithal for several meals. In terms of cooking technique, preparing a bollito misto is straight forward: Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil and add the beef, veal, chicken and vegetables (the hot water seals the meat; see below for timing). Boil, separately, the tongue and zampone or cotechino, assuming you choose to include them.

To serve 8 to 10, you will need:

2 1/4 pounds beef -- the cut used in Italy is shoulder; James Beard suggests beef brisket

2 1/4 pounds neck or breast of veal 1 1/4 pounds calf's head (though required by tradition, this is

becoming difficult to find; should you choose not to include it, increase the beef and veal, or add a pound of lean pork instead)

A veal's tongue, weighing 1 1/4 pounds A chicken, weighing about 2 1/4 pounds A cotechino weighing about 3/4 pound (a cotechino is a pork

sausage, available in Italian delicatessens; you can also use a zampone, which is a stuffed pig's trotter)

2 carrots 3 ribs celery 2 onions, stuck with 2 cloves each Salt

Fill a large pot with water sufficient to cover the meat. Lightly salt the water, add the vegetables, set the pot on the fire. Since you want the flavor to remain in the meat, wait until the water comes to a boil before adding the beef (the heat will seal in its juices). Reduce the flame to a simmer, and after about an hour, add the breast of veal, chicken, and calf's head (should you prefer not to use it, increase the quantities of beef and veal, or add a pound of lean pork -- this isn't piemontese, but the emilians do it.)

In the meantime, set a second pot of lightly salted water on the fire, bring it to a boil, and begin simmering the tongue when you add the veal and chicken to the beef. If you are using a fresh cotechino or zampone set it in a pot of cold lightly salted water at this time (prick the cotechino all over, or loosen the string of the zampone first) and begin simmering it. If you instead buy precooked sausage, follow the instructions on the package.

The meats will be done when they are fork-tender, this will take about an hour or slightly more from when you add the veal and the chicken to the beef. Come serving time, the meats should be arranged on a heated platter, sprinkled with a ladle of hot broth, and carved at the table (cut the tongue and the cotechino or zampone, into 1/2-inch slices).

A printer-friendly version of these instructions.

WHILE THE MEATS ARE BOILING, you should see to the accompaniments.

Some of the condiments can be bought, and others made ahead; feel free to improvise as well. If you decide to follow tradition to the letter you will need bagnèt ross, bagnet vert, salsa del pòvr'òm, saosa 'd avije (honey sauce) (recipes follow below), mustard, horseradish, mostarda d'uva, and coarse sea salt. This sounds like, and is, a lot; feel free to make a selection of sauces -- for example the bagnetti (which you should serve), salt, mayonnaise, horseradish and a selection of good quality commercially prepared mustards.

Bagnèt Ross requires:

2 1/4 pounds ripe tomatoes A scant pound (400 g) onions 2 medium-sized carrots 1 rib celery 3 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon sugar 3/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons vinegar (red wine if possible) hot red pepper to taste (go easy) Salt

Coarsely chop the tomatoes, onions, carrots and celery, crush the garlic, and put them all in a pot with half the oil. Bring the vegetables to a boil, then reduce the flame to a minimum and stir in the sugar and the vinegar. Simmer uncovered for about 3 1/2 half hours. Crank the vegetables through a foodmill into an elegant bowl, stir in the remaining oil, and add crushed red pepper and salt to taste. (Back to sauce list)

Bagnet vert, which is closely related to salsa verde, requires:

1/4 pound of parsley 1 clove garlic 2 salted anchovies 2-3 slices day-old bread, with crusts removed (this will depend

upon the size of your loaf of bread) 3 small mild pickles (dills will work, though pickles without dill

would be better) 1 teaspoon capers, preserved in either vinegar or salt, rinsed A scant cup of red wine vinegar 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon olive oil

Soak the bread in the vinegar. Bone and wash the anchovies. Mince the parsley with the garlic, anchovies, and pickles. Gently squeeze the bread to drain it, and add it to the mixture; continue mincing for a couple more minutes, then transfer the mixture to a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, slowly stir in the olive oil, working the mixture well so as to obtain a fairly fluid sauce. (Back to sauce list)

Salsa del pòvr'òm, the poor man's sauce, requires:

An onion 2-3 shallots 2-3 spring onions A few cloves of garlic A cup of dry red wine The juice of a lemon Salt and pepper to taste.

Grind the onions, shallots, spring onions and garlic into a paste. Bring the cup of wine to a boil, then stir it into the paste. Salt the mixture to taste, and stir in the lemon juice. Put the sauce through a strainer (or blend it until it is very finely chopped), season it with pepper to taste, and it is ready. (Back to sauce list)

Saosa 'd avije, honey sauce, requires:

1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup broth 1 teaspoon powdered mustard 12 walnuts

Mix the honey and the broth and stir in the mustard. Clean the walnuts, removing the brownish skin surrounding the nutmeats, and mince them very fine. Stir the nuts into the honey mixture and the sauce is ready. (Back to sauce list)

Mostarda d'uva is a jam-like condiment made from grape must that goes quite nicely with boiled meats, and is also surprisingly good with a selection of cheeses (you can substitute granulated honey in this case). Alas, the recipes I have seen all call for beginning with a gallon or more of grape must, an ingredient not easily available in most places. Nor is mostarda d'uva easy to find outside of Piemonte. However, if you have access to a well stocked delicatessen, you may be able to substitute Mostarda di Cremona, a distinctive sauce made by candying fruit with mustard seeds. As a final condiment for your bollito, you may want some balsamic vinegar -- the Emilians generally do. (Back to sauce list)

Print out these sauce recipes.

IN ADDITION TO MEATS AND CONDIMENTS YOU WILL NEED VEGETABLES -- again, variety is important. Seasonal variability will of course dictate your selection, but it should include at least onions, carrots and celery, boiled in or steamed over lightly salted water until are fork tender; I would also include potatoes, and would serve the vegetables with olive oil and sweet butter for those who want them. Finally, don't forget to serve good Italian-style bread.

In this discussion we have overlooked one very important point: In a festive Italian meal, a bollito misto alla piemontese would be served as a second course. What to serve as a first? Tortellini in broth would be perfect: Degrease the beef/chicken broth(1) (the broths from the tongue and the cotechino will be too greasy), and serve each of your guests a steaming bowl of broth with 8-10 good quality store-bought tortellini of the traditional meat-filled variety. The wine? A good moderately aged Barbera D'Asti would work quite well; it's a medium-bodied red wine with nice fruit and a fairly high level of acidity that will do a fine job of balancing the fats present in boiled meats and sausages. Other possibilities include a robust Dolcetto di Dogliani, for example Giovanbattista Gillardi's Dolcetto di Dogliani Cursalet (his Vigna Maestra is also very nice), or a good Bardolino, for example Corte Gardoni's Bardolino Superiore or Bardolino Classico le Fontane. Dessert? The choice is up to you.

Next week: What to do with the leftovers from a bollito misto (or from making broth, for that matter).

Good Food & Drink Kyle Phillips