Top 11 Piedmontese Meat Dishes

This classic dish hails from Piedmont, home of the renowned Barolo wine. Brasato is prepared with beef that is marinated together with Barolo wine and vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onions, as well as herbs and spices that typically include bay leaves, cinnamon, or cloves. The beef is then browned and slowly braised in the marinade before it is rested and sliced, while the braising sauce is puréed and is then doused over the meat. The dish is usually served with mashed potatoes or polenta on the side.Expand

Hailing from Piedmont, fritto misto alla piemontese is a rich, traditional gourmet specialty that consists of a wide range of ingredients (both sweet and savory), which have been dipped in eggs and then breaded before being deep-fried until nicely colored and crispy. Typical food items used in this dish include meat and offal, chicken croquettes, porcini mushrooms, semolina fritters, amaretti di Monbaruzzo, and various types of vegetables and fruits such as apples, pears, zucchini, eggplants, and artichokes. Associated with the time of animal slaughter in the area, this specialty is believed to have been created as a flavorful way to use every single part of the slaughtered animals. This fried dish is typically enjoyed as an appetizer but it can also be eaten as a second course, and it is usually washed down with a glass of fine red or sparkling white Piedmont wine.Expand

Traditionally prepared during winter months, bollito misto (lit. mixed boil) is a hearty meat dish of Piedmontese origins, even though nowadays it can be found throughout northern Italy. This elaborate main course consists of several different beef and veal cuts (tagli) as well as various additional meats (ammennicoli or frattaglie). In Piedmont, bollito misto most often includes beef shoulder or brisket, veal neck or tongue, cotechino pork sausage or zampone stuffed pork trotter, chicken or capon, oxtail, and half a calf’s head. Served immersed in a flavorful, steaming-hot cooking broth, the meat is typically accompanied by an array of different vegetable side dishes, while the traditional condiments for bollito misto include bagnetto verde or salsa verde, a sauce made with parsley, garlic, and mashed anchovies; a spicy onion and tomato sauce known as salsa rossa or bagnetto rosso; and mostarda di Cremona, a jarred sweet and sour candied fruit relish that is preserved in mustard-flavored syrup. Being such a bountiful dish and a real crowd-pleaser, bollito misto is usually dished out for family gatherings and special occasions, and best paired with Piedmontese bold reds such as Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera.Expand

Carne cruda all'albese is an Italian spin on steak tartare, prepared mainly around Alba, a town in the Piedmont region renowned for its precious white truffles. In this version, raw finely chopped beef is flavored with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and garlic. The dish is often served with thin shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and it is often topped with chopped and roasted Piemontese hazelnuts or the prized white Alba truffle. Due to the fact that truffles are very expensive, fresh wild mushrooms are sometimes used instead. Carne cruda all'albese should be enjoyed shortly after the preparation before the lemon juice cooks the meat. The dish is best paired with warm toasted bread, crispy arugula, and fruity red wines.Expand

Polpette di bollito are Italian meatballs made from leftover boiled meat, often from making broth or stews. The boiled meat is finely chopped or ground, then mixed with ingredients like breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, parsley, and grated cheese to create flavorful meatballs. These are then fried or baked to a golden-brown finish. This dish is a great example of Italian cucina povera (peasant cuisine), which focuses on using every part of ingredients, reducing waste, and creating delicious, comforting food from leftovers. The polpette are often served with salsa verde or bagnét verd, a tradition taken from Piedmontese boiled dinner. Polpette di bollito are also very popular in Rome. Expand

Scaloppine al Marsala is a traditional dish originating from Piedmont. The dish is usually made with a combination of veal scallops, Marsala, flour, butter, salt, and pepper. The veal is tenderized with a mallet until then, coated in flour, fried in butter on each side, seasoned with salt and pepper, and removed from the pan. The Marsala is poured into the hot pan and cooked until the alcohol evaporates. The heat is lowered, and the sauce is reduced. The veal is served on a bed of mashed potatoes and drizzled with the sauce.Expand

Antipasto di coniglio is a traditional dish originating from Piemonte. The dish is usually made with a combination of rabbit meat, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, juniper berries, salt, peppercorns, olive oil, and bay leaves. The rabbit is cooked with carrots, celery, onions, and rosemary over low heat. The heat is turned off and the meat is left to cool down in the broth. The meat is then taken off the bones and it's then layered in a pan, topped with garlic, bay leaves, juniper berries, salt, and peppercorns. The process is repeated until the ingredients are used up. The dish is drizzled with olive oil and placed in the fridge for two to three days. The bay leaves, peppercorns, and garlic slices are then removed from the mixture and the dish is served as a cold appetizer. Expand

Coniglio all'Arneis is a Piedmontese stewed rabbit made with rabbit, beef stock, onion, garlic, carrot, Roero Arneis wine, bay leaves, rosemary, sage, olive oil, and salt. It is served as a main dish with either mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or even pasta.Expand

Rustida is a traditional pork dish originating from Piemonte. This stew requires long cooking in order to enhance the flavors of the less noble cuts of pork, and it's usually made with a combination of pork loin, pork hearts and lungs, crumbled sausage meat, butter, onions, tomatoes, stock, salt, and pepper. There are a few variations on this simple recipe so it's not uncommon to add carrots, celery, red wine, and herbs such as sage, bay leaves, and thyme. The onions are sautéed in butter and mixed with the loin, heart, lungs, and sausage meat. The mixture is cooked shortly and mixed with the tomatoes, stock, salt, and pepper. The dish is simmered over low heat for a few hours until a thick sauce has formed, and it's then served hot.Expand

Faraona al Barolo is a traditional game dish originating from Piedmont. The dish is usually made with a combination of guinea fowl, porcini mushrooms, pork fat, butter, shallots, flour, Barolo wine, luganega sausage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. The onions are cooked in pork fat and butter until soft. The guinea fowl is jointed and added to the pan. It's browned on all sides, sprinkled with flour, and covered with wine. The meat is seasoned with salt and pepper and flavored with nutmeg, and it's then simmered until tender. The sauce is reduced, mixed with the porcini and sausage, and it's then cooked until thick. The guinea fowl is typically served on a bed of mashed potatoes, drizzled with the sauce and garnished with parsley.Expand