Bollitos Recipes

BOLLITO MISTO

Steps:

• Make the bollito misto: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season brisket generously with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Add stock; chopped carrots, celery, and onion; parsley; and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover, and simmer gently until brisket is very tender, about 2 hours.
• Transfer brisket to a plate. Strain stock though a fine sieve into pot, then add browned brisket, sausages, chicken, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until meats and potatoes are just tender, about 30 minutes. Add whole carrots, onion halves, and remaining celery. Cover, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat and vegetables to a platter. Strain stock into pot, and cook until reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Make the salsa verde: Puree all the ingredients through garlic in a blender. With machine running, add oil in a slow, steady stream. Season with salt and pepper.
• Slice meats, and arrange on the platter with vegetables. Drizzle some reduced stock on top. Serve with salsa verde, mustard, and remaining stock.

BOLLITOS

Steps:

• Drain liquid from canned peas, rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain again.
• Grind peas with the garlic and a little bit of water in a blender until you have a thick, lumpy puree.
• Add in the salt and cumin and blend well.
• In a pan, lightly saute the chopped onion and green pepper for 1-2 minutes in 2 tablespoons olive oil; let cool.
• In a bowl, mix the onion/pepper mixture into the ground pea mixture.
• Add in fresh lime juice.
• Gradually blend in white flour, a little at a time, until your dough is the consistency of cookie dough.
• Use a large deep frying pan; add vegetable oil to a depth of about 3 inches; heat oil to about 360°-375°; don't let the oil get too hot (you may use a deep fat fryer if you have one, following the maker's directions).
• Drop dough by tablespoons into the hot oil-cook a few at a time and don't overcrowd the pan.
• Let them cook until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 3-4 minutes.
• Remove from oil and drain on paper towels; serve hot with lime wedges and hot sauce, if desired.

BOLLITO MISTO

Steps:

• Heat a large braising pot over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear the beef, browning it on both sides, about 5 minutes a side. Carefully add the stock and enough water to just cover the meat. Add the onion, celery, and bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 hour. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook until the meat is tender, about another hour. Carefully lift out the meat, place on a cutting board, and cover with foil. Strain the vegetables from the stock. Discard the celery, onion, and bay leaf. Arrange the carrots and potatoes on a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Continue cooking the stock uncovered over medium heat until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the meat against the grain, on an angle. Arrange the meat alongside the carrots and potatoes on the platter. When the stock has reduced, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer to a gravy dish. Serve the Bollito Misto with the gravy and bowls of the Gorgonzola Sauce and the Salsa Verde.
• Put all the ingredients in a food processor and combine until smooth. Serve in a side dish.
• In a bowl, stir all the ingredients together until combined. Serve in a side dish.

BOLLITO MISTO (ITALIAN BOILED MEATS WITH RED AND GREEN SAUCES)

Steps:

• Prepare the meats: Season chuck roast and beef shank generously with salt and pepper and let sit for 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate overnight, if time permits. Transfer meats to a 12-quart pot. Use the whole cloves to stick the bay leaves onto the whole onions, and add to the pot along with peppercorns, celery stalks and large carrots.
• Cover with 4 quarts water (or a little more to cover) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with lid ajar and cook at a bare simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until meats are fork tender.
• Make the salsa verde: Purée parsley, basil and capers in food processor with about 1 cup olive oil to make a rough, loose paste. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in red-pepper flakes, salt and pepper, scallions, horseradish and vinegar. Thin with more oil to desired consistency. You should have 1 1/2 cups. (Both sauces can be made well ahead of time. The salsa verde will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator and is great on grilled fish, chicken or vegetables.)
• Make the salsa rossa: Soak bread cubes with red wine vinegar until soft. Transfer to a blender or food processor, along with roasted peppers, garlic, tomato paste, paprika and cayenne. Blend until smooth, thick and creamy. Transfer to a bowl, stir in olive oil until it's the consistency of a milkshake. (Don't worry if it's a little thin.) Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning - it should be spicy, and you should have 1 1/2 cups. (The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week.)
• Once meats are tender, remove them from the pot and set aside. Strain broth through a fine mesh sieve and discard aromatics. Ladle off any surface fat. (If time permits, refrigerate meat and broth overnight.) Reheat meat in a small amount of broth. Bring remaining broth to a simmer and reduce for 10 to 15 minutes to concentrate flavors. Season to taste.
• Bring a separate pot of water to a light simmer over medium heat, and cook the precooked cotechino sausage for 30 minutes. Add the Italian sausages and simmer for 12 minutes, until firm and cooked through. Turn off heat and keep sausages warm in their cooking liquid.
• As sausages cook, prepare the vegetables: Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook each type of vegetable separately until soft but not mushy, about 10 minutes each, a bit longer for the potatoes. Blot on a kitchen towel, then arrange on a platter and keep warm.
• To serve, cut chuck roast into 3/4-inch-thick slices, and chop shank meat into rough chunks. Cut cotechino crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Leave Italian sausages whole. Arrange all meats on a platter, moisten with a little hot broth and garnish with parsley sprigs. This meal works well as a buffet, or you may prepare individual plates. Pass salsa verde and salsa rossa at the table. Serve broth in small cups alongside, if desired.

MEXICAN BOLILLOS, CRUSTY OVAL ROLLS

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over the warm water in a large mixing bowl; stir and let stand 5 minutes.
• When the yeast is working a bit stir the honey, lard and salt into the yeast mixture.
• Add 2 1/2 cups flour.
• Mix at low speed and then beat at medium speed until the dough is very elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Gradually stir in as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough.
• Knead on floured surface until dough is smooth in texture and very elastic, 15-20 minutes (use a dough hook on your mixer and knead for about 10-15 minutes).
• Place dough in a greased bowl, turn the dough so all surfaces have a sheen of oil.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour (I turn on the light in the oven and place the dough in there to rise, do NOT heat the oven!).
• Punch the dough down and knead briefly on a floured surface.
• Divide dough into 10 pieces and roll into balls.
• Work with the palms of your hands and start at the center of each ball to roll out into ovals.
• Each piece should be about 5 1/2" long and 2" in the middle, tapering to each end.
• Place rolls on a greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile heat oven to 375F degrees.
• Mix cornstarch and cold water, heat stirring constantly to boiling, boil until thickened and clear about 2 minutes.
• Brush each roll with the cornstarch mixture.
• Slash each roll down the middle stopping about 1/2" from each end and cutting about 1/2" deep.
• Bake until the rolls are brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool on racks.
• Serve warm & fresh from the oven.