Bollito Di Manzo [Boiled Beef]

Bollito di manzo is the Italian answer to a long, lazy Sunday on the stove. A whole beef brisket, a soup bone, and a small armada of aromatic vegetables go into cold water and cook so slowly the surface barely trembles. What you get back is two dinners in one pot: a piece of beef so tender it pulls apart with a fork, and a clean amber broth ready to be ladled over tortellini or frozen for the next risotto.

The early skim is the move that decides whether your broth comes out clear or cloudy. As the pot first comes up to heat, gray foam rises to the top. Spoon it off patiently, then drop the heat and cover. Three hours of bare simmer is what gets you brisket that slices like butter and a stock that tastes of meat, not just water.

Chef Tips

• Start in cold water, not boiling. Cold start pulls flavor and impurities out of the meat slowly, which is what gives the broth its clarity.
• Don’t let the pot rip on a hard boil. Hard boil clouds the broth and toughens the brisket.
• The soup bone is what gives the broth its body; ask the butcher for marrow bones if you can find them.
• Rest the brisket briefly before slicing, then cut across the grain so each bite stays tender.

Variations

• Add a parsnip or a chunk of leek to the pot for more natural sweetness in the broth.
• Stud one of the onions with whole cloves for a faintly spiced backbone.
• Serve the meat Northern Italian style with salsa verde and a coarse mustard on the side.