Bollito misto

So on a visit to Florence a couple of weeks ago The Seffalice tried another Italian speciality – bollito misto. Mixed boiled meats. So not particularly specialised in fact as we could all do that if we thought it a good idea, but it's on most restaurants' menus here.

It wasn't all that mixed in the event, though thoroughly boiled, comprising of three pieces of meat: one a normal piece of boiled pork (mmmm); the other two might have been some cut of pig too. They were both the same and my guess would have been that they were tripe if they hadn't been so grey. As things stand I'm still not sure what they were.

[N.B. Tripe is a local Florentine delicacy, tripe stalls do a brisk trade on street corners.]

It would have been unseemly to take photos at lunch so here's a local artist's impression:

It came with a delicious garlicky salsa verde that helped me forget the unsettling texture of the unknown meat for the whole of the first piece and about half of the second, after which it all began to pall somewhat.

Does Hugh F-W do a bollito misto in his MEAT book? I'm sure Mrs Beeton or some 1950s rationing guide has it covered if not. I suspect each kitchen would just use the cheapest local cuts rather than there being a hard and fast recipe.

The Seffalice's guess at the tasty salsa verde would be parsley, garlic, capers and oil. It was very good with the chips also. Does the combined cookery library offer anything on a recipe?

Anyway, in summary, it wasn't too bad. Not a glowing recommendation I'd be the first to acknowledge but there you go. I was pleased to have tried it but probably won't be ordering it again.