Boiled beef used to be one of the most common meats on the Italian table, both because the cuts are cheap and because it's a byproduct of making broth. Consequently, ways to put it to use were (and are) always welcome. This tasty boiled beef risotto will be nice as a one-course family meal. To serve about 4:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) boiled beef
- 1/2 cup (100 g) unsalted butter
- 2 ounces cured lard or pancetta
- 1 1/2 quarts (1.5 liters) simmering broth or unsalted bouillon
- An onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 cups meat or tomato sauce
- 2 cups moderately short-grained rice such as Roma or Ribe
Preparation:
The recipe is drawn from a collection of tips for dealing with leftovers that Olindo Guerrini, a popular poet and author who was best known for his scathing social commentaries, finished in 1916, just after he turned 71, and a few days before his death (the book was published posthumously, in 1918). It is therefore an old recipe, and old Italian recipes rarely give quantities. I have filled in some of the blanks, but feel free to vary the recipe to suit your tastes. Having said this, the instructions:
Clean gristle and fat from 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of boiled beef (if you also have roast beef, so much the better) and cut it into pieces the size of a walnut. Heat a half cup of unsalted butter and 2 ounces of finely chopped cured lard (if you cannot find cured lard use fatty pancetta) in a deep saucepan.
Peel an onion, quarter it, and cook it, turning the pieces about in the fat until they are nicely browned but not burned. Remove and discard them, and add the boiled beef. Stir well and simmer the meat for 15 minutes in the drippings, stirring occasionally.
Pour 1 1/2 quarts (1.5 liters) of boiling broth over the meat, and stir in a pint (2 cups, or 1/2 liter) of good rice (he doesn't say which; I might go with Roma or Ribe rather than a really short-grained rice). Cover and cook, taking care lest the rice stick and burn, until the rice is done, by which time the dish will be almost dry.
If you want, you can add a little saffron, a grating of fresh nutmeg, or some freshly ground pepper to the rice as it cooks. And, come time to serve it, Mr. Guerrini says to sauce it with meat sauce, or tomato sauce, or whatever else you prefer -- he doesn't say how much, but you'll want at least a cup, and perhaps more -- and then to add a handful of freshly grated Parmigiano, and mix well.
Yield: 4-6 servings risotto with boiled beef.
Clean gristle and fat from 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) of boiled beef (if you also have roast beef, so much the better) and cut it into pieces the size of a walnut. Heat a half cup of unsalted butter and 2 ounces of finely chopped cured lard (if you cannot find cured lard use fatty pancetta) in a deep saucepan.
Peel an onion, quarter it, and cook it, turning the pieces about in the fat until they are nicely browned but not burned. Remove and discard them, and add the boiled beef. Stir well and simmer the meat for 15 minutes in the drippings, stirring occasionally.
Pour 1 1/2 quarts (1.5 liters) of boiling broth over the meat, and stir in a pint (2 cups, or 1/2 liter) of good rice (he doesn't say which; I might go with Roma or Ribe rather than a really short-grained rice). Cover and cook, taking care lest the rice stick and burn, until the rice is done, by which time the dish will be almost dry.
If you want, you can add a little saffron, a grating of fresh nutmeg, or some freshly ground pepper to the rice as it cooks. And, come time to serve it, Mr. Guerrini says to sauce it with meat sauce, or tomato sauce, or whatever else you prefer -- he doesn't say how much, but you'll want at least a cup, and perhaps more -- and then to add a handful of freshly grated Parmigiano, and mix well.
Yield: 4-6 servings risotto with boiled beef.
