Ivrea and the boiled meat festival, that sovereign dish that warms up the exhibition

ivrea

With the organization of Eporedia 2004, the Valdostana Red Pezzata breed cattle exhibition was enriched with an important gastronomic event that perfectly matches it, the Boiled Meat Festival, now in its seventh edition, the best way to pay homage , tasting it, the meat of this bovine breed and more. Immediately appreciated by everyone from the first year, the boiled meat festival combined with the Red Pezzata Valle d’Aosta exhibition continued to be part of the scheduled appointments with growing success.

The tradition of boiled meats in Piedmont has a long history dating back to the end of the fifteenth century and refers to the livestock markets, in particular that of Carrù, rightly considered the capital of boiled meat and where, for over a century, the Fat Ox Fair has been celebrated.

The official recognition of this Piedmontese specialty that spread throughout Italy and abroad was its translation into a real dish for a king, becoming the favorite of Vittorio Emanuele II, so much so that the Italian Academy of Cuisine, having reconstructed the recipe, he called it “Great Piedmontese Risorgimento historical boiled meat”.

What do you need to cook Piedmontese boiled meat? Seven cuts are needed: scaramella, brisket, pointed bow, priest’s hat, walnut, tender and breech. Which are cooked all together, with the bouquet composed of rosemary, garlic, bay leaf, celery, onion and parsley stalks. Next to them, in different pots, the seven ‘ornaments’ are cooked: calf’s head, tongue, leg, tail, hen, loin and cotechino. The mixed boiled meat, today often cooked with only five cuts, does not require any specific side dish, at most boiled potatoes or vegetables according to imagination. Unmissable sauces, once seven today above all three, the classic ones: green sauce or “bagnet vert”, the most famous one, obtained from parsley, anchovies, garlic and stale bread crumbs; red sauce or “bagnet ross”, with tomatoes, garlic, mustard and red vinegar; “Cugnà”, a sauce made from grape must, quinces and dried fruit. As often happens with traditional recipes, each territory and each family has its own variant in terms of meat and sauces. The Ivrea version, made of 5 cuts of red Pezzata meat, will therefore be on the table on the occasion of the 7th Boiled Meat Festival, Saturday 27, in the heated pavilion, starting at 20, and Sunday 28, starting at 10 (at the price of 15 euros, non-stop self-service boiled meat, as well as side vegetables, wine and water; also to take away, subject to availability). Info and reservations at the numbers 342/6833402 or 340/6427701, at eporedia2004.eu or [email protected].