Italian Bollito (Boiled Beef)

Name: Italian Bollito (Boiled Beef)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 195 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Beef steak 2.2 lbs; Celery 2 ½ cups; White onions 1 cup; Carrots with tops 4 oz; Water 17 cups; Parsley 1 tuft; Thyme 1 sprig; Bay leaves 2 leaves; Cloves 4; Fine salt to taste; Ground black pepper to taste

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Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Serving: 4
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Bollito di carne is one of those dishes that just brings people together, especially in Piedmont—which is great—where it's been around forever. And you know, what really sets it apart from other boiled meat recipes is the careful choice of cuts like biancostato di manzo. In northern Italy, folks really, really swear by the slow, gentle simmer. Pretty simple. You just let the meat hang out with sweet carrots, fresh celery, and onions until everything's so so tender and soaked in all those earthy flavors. It's not fancy at all, but that’s its charm; it's honest, simple food that tastes amazing.

And here's the thing: the real magic is in the balance—the right amount of vegetables, the freshest beef, and patience while it all melds together. People do not just eat the meat; the rich, golden broth from boiling it all is a big deal. Seriously good. It is often used for a first course with cappelletti or as the base for risotto and soups. Across Piedmont, families gather for Bollito Misto alla piemontese—probably the most famous version—which often includes several kinds of meat.

You'll see plates loaded with beef and bits of boiled chicken or pork, especially at big gatherings. And the sides? Salsa verde and mostarda give it a little kick with their tangy contrast, making every bite interesting. People love comparing different boiling meat techniques and trying regional twists like Francesina or Picchiapò, turning leftovers into something new and tasty.

This is not just another meal—it's a tradition that sticks around because it's satisfying and comforting. For sure. Even the simplest version, just using beef, becomes special when you follow the how to boil meat methods from Piedmont. Nothing rushed, just a gentle simmer and a bit of care, and you end up with slices of moist, flavorful meat. Pretty much what everyone wants to try. It's a meal that feels like home—every bite tells a bit of the region's rich story.

How to prepare Italian Bollito (Boiled Beef)

To prepare the bollito, first trim the onion 1 and stud it with cloves by inserting them into the onion so they won't float away during cooking 2. Clean the celery: don't throw away the leaves and cut the stalks into large pieces 3.

Place the peppercorns on a small sheet of parchment paper 4, fold it into a little parcel and tie it with kitchen twine 5. At this point put everything into a large pot: the carrots with their skins (after removing the tops), the celery stalks and leaves 6.

Add the studded onion 7, the parsley bunch 8 and the pepper parcel 9.

Cover with cold water 10 and bring to a boil. When the water starts boiling, season with salt to taste and immerse the pieces of meat 11. Let simmer gently for 3 hours, skimming off impurities with a skimmer. At the end of cooking remove the celery leaves and the pepper parcel as well 12.

The bollito is ready 13, so drain the meat, remove the bones and cut it into pieces 14. Your bollito is ready to be served with salsa verde and mustard 15!

Storage

Bollito can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

You can freeze it if you used fresh ingredients.

The broth can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator or frozen; we recommend pouring it into ice cube trays so you have handy cubes to use as needed.

Tip

Instead of biancostato you can use other cuts of meat, such as cappello del prete (or copertina), the shoulder round (muscolo/girello di spalla with nerve), the brisket point (punta di petto) and the rib eye (reale/costato).

You can accompany the bollito with an Green sauce without eggs as an alternative to the classic version.

Don't know what to do with leftover bollito? Try our recipe for Boiled Meat and Ricotta Balls!

What is the difference between bollito and meat broth?

The difference between bollito and meat broth lies in the cooking method: to prepare the broth, the meat and vegetables are added to cold water and then everything is brought to a boil. For bollito, on the other hand, you start from the broth base, so you first bring the water and vegetables to a boil and only afterwards add the meat.

It's not only a matter of cooking but also of flavor and texture: in bollito the meat's flavor will be lighter but the texture much more tender. In meat broth, instead, the taste will be richer.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

Italian Bollito (Boiled Beef)

PRESENTATION

How to prepare Italian Bollito (Boiled Beef)

Storage

Tip

What is the difference between bollito and meat broth?

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