Bollito misto
(Carne lessa)
Traditionally prepared during winter months, bollito misto (lit. mixed boil) is a hearty meat dish of Piedmontese origins, even though nowadays it can be found throughout northern Italy. This elaborate main course consists of several different beef and veal cuts (tagli) as well as various additional meats (ammennicoli or frattaglie).
In Piedmont, bollito misto most often includes beef shoulder or brisket, veal neck or tongue, cotechino pork sausage or zampone stuffed pork trotter, chicken or capon, oxtail, and half a calf’s head. Served immersed in a flavorful, steaming-hot cooking broth, the meat is typically accompanied by an array of different vegetable side dishes, while the traditional condiments for bollito misto include bagnetto verde or salsa verde, a sauce made with parsley, garlic, and mashed anchovies; a spicy onion and tomato sauce known as salsa rossa or bagnetto rosso; and mostarda di Cremona, a jarred sweet and sour candied fruit relish that is preserved in mustard-flavored syrup.
Being such a bountiful dish and a real crowd-pleaser, bollito misto is usually dished out for family gatherings and special occasions, and best paired with Piedmontese bold reds such as Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera.
Pairing tips
Barbaresco
This powerful red wine is produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown on the nutrient-rich soils around the city of Barbaresco in Piedmont. For a long time, the wine was considered ... Read more
Pignolo
Pignolo is a local Friulian grape that produces tannic red wines. It is believed that the grape originated around the Abbey of Rosazzo, a monastery located in ... Read more
Gattinara
This ancient Italian wine region produces bold red wines that are based on Nebbiolo grapes, locally known as Spanna. Gattinara wines are usually medium to full-... Read more
Barbera d’Alba
This red Italian wine is produced in the DOC region that surrounds the city of Alba and in some areas overlaps with Barolo and Barbaresco wine regions. The wine is produced ... Read more
Serve with
Pearà
Pearà is a traditional Veronese sauce from the Veneto region of Italy, known for its rich, creamy texture and bold peppery flavor.... Read more
Salsa verde toscana
Tuscan salsa verde is a traditional green sauce originating from Tuscany. It's made with a combination of parsley, eggs, anchovies, capers, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil,... Read more
WHERE TO EAT The best Bollito misto in the world (according to food experts)
"Diners wait expectantly for hunks of bollito misto (mixed boiled meats) to be produced from the steamer below and carved tableside; a ritual observed here daily pretty much since 1592."
"Try all you can to make a reservation in Moderno, where the cult of bollito is alive."
"The other great typical Piedmontese dish is certainly bollito misto, but when it is from the ox, well, we are close to absolute pleasure."
"Carrù is famously the birthplace of the bollito and in the Vascello d'oro the ox meat is served all year round in incredible versions."
"Traditional Piedmontese dishes: surely a guarantee for those who love this type of cuisine! Specialties: trippa with leeks of Cervere, agnolotti made by hand, bollito (during winter)."
"Beautiful bollito misto!!!"
"Attentive and careful service managed by the Scarpa family and traditional dishes revisited with flair and skill await you in this restaurant, founded in 1957 by Nando and his wife Germana. The cuisine is carefully prepared using fresh, seasonal produce. Some of the most popular dishes include Piedmontese Bollito misto with a trolley of local cured meats and cheeses."
"Here is where to taste it: Osteria del Boccondivino - Very classical bollito misto in Boccondivino, the most typical of all the osteria in the Slow Food center of Bra. However, it's on the menu only from the 15th of December, to allow the right maturation of the meat."
"Don't forget the bollito misto (mixed boiled meats) every Thursday at the Sosta di Settimo Vittone."
"A dish that turned out to be a hymn of a joy: bollito misto with purè and salsa verde."
