Bollitos Recipes

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.

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.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Trim the ends of the yuca and peel thoroughly (see Tip). Cut yuca in half crosswise, then quarter each piece lengthwise. (Do your best to make them the same size to ensure even cooking.)
• Add yuca to boiling water and cook until fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain yuca, then transfer to a large bowl. Using a fork, remove and discard any hard fibers at the center of each piece. While the yuca is still hot, mash it using a large fork or potato masher until mostly smooth (a few chunks are O.K.). Set aside and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Add cheese, heavy cream, 1 beaten egg and salt, and mix until well combined. Wetting your hands as necessary to prevent sticking, scoop out about 1/4 cup yuca mixture (it will be soft and sticky) and roll between your palms into golf-ball-size rounds. You should have about 16 balls.
• Separate the flour, panko and the remaining 3 eggs into three shallow containers. Lightly beat the eggs. Working in batches of 2 to 3 balls, dredge each ball in the flour, then the egg, then the panko, making sure it is well coated with each one. Transfer to a large plate and prepare the rest of the balls.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/4-inch vegetable oil over medium-high. (The oil is ready when a pinch of flour sizzles when added to the pan.) Transfer half the yuca balls to the pan and fry, rotating frequently, until golden brown all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer yuca balls to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining yuca balls and serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the sauce: Heat the peanut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the habaneros and onions and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt and black pepper. When the tomatoes start to break down and get soft, put a lid on the pan, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Let the sauce cool slightly, and then blend in a food processor until smooth. Soak the black-eyed peas in water at least 8 hours or overnight. Change water at least twice. Drain peas and rinse well. Rub off the outer husks with the black spots, saving the white beans. Combine the beans, garlic, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it forms a smooth paste adding water if needed. Adjust seasoning to taste. In a heavy skillet, heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat to 375º. Working in batches, scoop out one rounded tablespoon of the bean mixture and add to the oil, 5-6 at a time. Turn the fritters with a slotted spoon until they are puffed up and golden, about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to overcrowd the skillet or the oil temperature will fall. Remove fritters from oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with lime and serve.

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.

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.