A Classic Tuscan Sunday Dinner
Monday January 5, 2009
One of the nicest things about old Italian kitchens is their ample hearths, which made it possible to grill meats and vegetables at any time of year, and thus serve up a grigliata mista, mixed grilled meats, on festive occasions. Modern apartments don't have this kind of hearth, and therefore city folk have to go to restaurants to enjoy this sort of meal, but out in the country most houses, even new ones, have a hearth somewhere, and if you walk down a country lane, especially on Sunday, you're almost certain to smell the rich aromas of roasting meats. Our house in Chianti is no exception, and this Sunday I'm thinking about:
- Ribollita, a hearty winter vegetable soup.
- Onions, thickly sliced, grilled, and set in a serving dish; I'll also grill sausages, and set them atop the onions, which will absorb the drippings.
- Rosticciana, or Spare Ribs: The trick is to cook them slowly, over moderately hot coals, so they don't dry out.
- Agnello Scottadito:Grilled lamb chops. Well done, which is how Italians prefer them.
- Grilled Pork Chops, which I'll rub with hot pepper flakes before setting on the grill.
- A Bistecchina di Vitella, or veal chop, seasoned with just salt and pepper, for Daughter Clelia.
- Baked Potatoes, wrapped in foil and slipped into the coals. Seasoned after baking with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Cannellini: White beans, boiled with a couple of leaves of sage and a garlic clove, lightly salted, and seasoned with more salt and olive oil at table.
- A tossed salad.
- Apple Brown Betty: Not Italian, I know, but we have lots of apples right now and this is one of Elisabetta's favorite desserts.
Comments
Now this is truly splendid. I love how everything is minimally seasoned. Polo alla diavola definitely will work great here!
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We had what we imagine to be a Tuscan dinner on Sunday night. We had grilled country style ribs, braised cavalo nero, (which we first discovered in Tuscany and now grow in our winter garden) and baked strips of potato. A hearth in the kitchen sounds like a good idea, but this time we used the outdoor grill. You can do that year round in South Texas. Thanks for all your inspiration and recipes.
I believe chops of any type are called costolette? not bistecca
Depends where in Italy you are. In Tuscany bistecca is so entrenched that pork chops are called bistecchine di maiale. In other areas chops are costolette and a steak is a costata.
Kyle