Our today recipe is simple and easy and that is Italian Mixed Boiled Meats …
We will see the ingredients of this recipe first.
Ingredients:
01) 1 Ox tongue (it will require roughly 3 to 3 ½ hours simmering)
02) 1 Onion (studded with 3-4 cloves)
03) 2 Carrots
04) 2 Celery stalks (leave some leaves on them)
05) Salt for seasoning
06) Serve with salsa verde and mostarda di Cremona
Now we will see y=the preparation of this Italian Mixed Boiled Meats recipe.
Preparation:
In the first step we will Preapare the vegetables and cut the carrot and celery as shown in the picture. Leave the onion whole and stud it with 4 cloves.
Now in the next step we will Fill a big stock pan with cold water. The water should be enough to cover the meat you are going to put into the pan. Add very little salt to the water, just a couple of teaspoon of salt; this is because the real final seasoning stage of the stock will be done at the end, after the meat has boiled thoroughly. Using too much salt at the start will spoil the stock because at the end you may end up with a very salty stock. Now in the next step we will Add all the vegetables into the cold water and bring to the boil. Now When the water has reached boiling point, immerse the ox tongue into it. In the next step of the Italian mixed boiled meats recipe we will The ox toungue should be fully immersed into the water. Adding the tongue into the water, will cool the water down, so bring quickly the water back to the boiling point and leave to boil for about a minute or so. Then, bring the heat to very low, and set the water to a simmering point. Simmer for 3 hours and, if necessary, add boiling water as the liquid reduces.
Meanwhile, we can prepare the salsa verde. The picture shows the ingredients listed at the start. Now we will reduce the garlic to a purée consistency. An easy way to do it, is by working the garlic against the chopping board with the side of a large blade.
In the next step of the recipe we will place the salsa verde ingredients onto a chopping board, with the exception of the small potato which should be boiled first. Peel the potato and boil it until soft. Meanwhile, have a look at the big pan and remove any scum that comes afloat. Remove the scum regularly so that you keep the liquid clear. Here, the picture shows when I am adding some boiling water from the kettle. This was after 2 hours simmering, when the liquid started to go below the ox tongue. Add just enough water to keep the meat covered.
Once the potato has boiled, chop all the ingredients, including the potato. It’s a work of patience, so take your time and finely chop everything. I prefer not to use a food processor because I don’t want a pulp.
Now we are going to add the olive oil and if you think that the salsa looks too dry, then add some extra oil, so that you achieve a smooth consistency. Now we will Add a teaspoon of white vinegar. Then we will season with black pepper just a hint. Don’t add salt; you will see why later. Stir and set aside for a later stage.
A few minutes before serving the salsa verde with the meat, warm the salsa with a bain marie. Now, it’s time to deal with the mostarda di Cremona. For those who have never heard about mostarda, this is made of candied fruit preserved in a mustard flavoured syrup. It is very hot and in Italy it is served with mixed boiled meat (but it also good with a selection of hard cheese). Now Put the mostarda into a small dish, then with the help of a fork and knife, cut the fruits into small pieces.
I like to leave the cherries whole because they help with presentation. Divide the fruits into small dishes (I personally choose to have one dish for every two persons), add some of the syrup from the original mostarda jar and set aside. After 3 hours simmering, take the ox tongue out of the pan and place it onto a working surface. Using a small knife, remove the skin off the ox tongue. Return the ox tongue into the pan and simmer for another 30 minutes.This is the ox tongue after 3 ½ hours simmering. Slice the ox tongue with a carving knife. Slices can be between 5 and 7 mm thick. Finally, lay the slices on a warm plate and serve with salsa verde, mostarda Cremonese and also some salt flakes you can scatter over your slices after having put some salsa verde.
Alternativley, you can serve the meat in a deep dish, with a couple of ladles of its stock, or you can use the stock to make a starter minestrone, just adding some canned chickpeas and crashing by hand some dry pasta sheets (the ones used to make lasagne), then boil the pasta until cooked and that’s it.
It was all about the Italian mixed boiled meats recipe and we are hopeful that you enjoy the recipe and do your cooking with fun!