C'è bresaola e bresaola - Foodaloo staging

In the Orobico arch in a unique panorama are the magnificent valleys of Valtellina and Valchiavenna, small mountain areas characterized by a cool and breezy climate known for their gastronomic excellence, first of all the "Brisaola" as it is called in the province of Sondrio. Let's find out together why there is bresaola and bresaola.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT BRESAOLA IS?

Bresaola is a beef salami, raw, unsmoked, whole piece. This cured meat has now remote origins. Its origin can be traced back to mountain translations, in the Alpine valleys of Switzerland which used simple salting combined with spices and drying by hanging the prepared pieces in huts exposed to drafts as a method of preserving meat. Practice which was later practiced in the Lombard valleys of Valtellina and Valchiavenna areas still producing the best bresaola today.

BUT HOW IS IT PRODUCED?

According to the PGI specification, Bresaola della Valtellina is produced with meat obtained from the thighs of cattle aged between 18 months and four years, only with the best cuts carefully selected from among these: the hip tip, the topside, the submissive, the subtended and the joist. The meats are then suitably trimmed with the removal of the external fat and tendinous parts. This is followed by careful preparation that has been going on for over five hundred years! Whether it is an artisan laboratory or a structured producer, the attention in the preparation, salting and maturing process will be maximum and with respect for tradition precisely to obtain this product with unique and authentic characteristics.

WHAT ARE THE SECRETS OF A GOOD BRESAOLA?

The first secret is the choice of raw material with selected and genuine meats. To obtain a quality product, the origin of the meat and the type of farming are very important. The best ones are obtained from adult cattle raised on pasture that can move freely and feed on grass. The second secret is in which environmental context drying and maturation takes place. Ideal a ventilated environment with the outside air which favors the natural processes and consequently the development of perfumes and aromas that will characterize the product. Third secret: the craftsmanship. Every master butcher has his own recipe, the mix of ingredients consisting of salt and spices that can be chosen from rosemary, juniper berries, pepper, cinnamon, garlic and others with which the meat is massaged beforedrying. This phase can last up to two weeks during which the salted meat comes several times massaged to release liquids and promote homogeneous absorption.

WHICH ARE THE MOST VALUABLE CATTLE BREEDS USED?

Among the prized Italian breeds we find the Chianina, Fassona and Scottona; among the foreign races the Black Angus Scottish, the Limousine, the Charolais and the most precious Wagyu Japanese. The Piedmontese Fassona is characterized by its homogeneous sweetness and composure, tender, lean and delicate, while the Bresaola di Limousine has a lighter color tending towards rosé, tender and soft and fluffy on the palate. Bresaola of Irish Angus raised in green Ireland and left free to graze and fed on hay and wheat, stands out for its intense color and marbling more pronounced and the taste complex and savory. Wagyu bresaola is a product with unique characteristics, appreciated by connoisseurs of the product. The meat comes from cattle born and raised in Japan following a strict protocol. It has a pronounced marbling and the fat rich in omega 3 and omega 6 is distributed like a fine net over the entire muscle, a detail which makes the meat extremely tender which literally melts in the mouth giving sweetness and taste.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BRESAOLA?

Variety of cattle breeds from particularly toned and lean meats will give characteristics that combine the taste with excellent nutritional properties such as the low fat content, important source of protein, vitamin, iron and mineral salts content. Bresaola is thus a product suitable for people of all ages or even for those who follow a specific diet. It is by far the lowest in fat and highly digestible cured meat, perfect for those who love lightness but don't want to give up on taste.

HOW TO USE IT BEST IN THE KITCHEN

Over the years, consumption and consumer acceptance has gradually increased, both for its characteristics as a lean and tasty cured meat and for its greater use in recipes thanks also to the imagination of chefs who have been able to enhance its taste and combinations. Ingredient that lends itself well to the preparation of appetizers, snacks and sandwiches. In the preparation of first and second courses it is good to keep in mind that bresaola does not like cooking and can best express its properties when used in the natural state as cut into julienne strips to flavor gnocchi and risotto, the slices find an excellent use to prepare delicious bundles with cheese and herbs.

The ideal is taste it without condiments, in purity, thinly sliced with a thickness of a few millimeters to fully appreciate the fragrance.

L'classic pairing of the bresaola is with salad and lemon. A precaution that we can use in order not to risk overpowering the flavor is to add just a touch of salad and emulsify the lemon.

Intense, but delicate, it releases the aromas of the spices absorbed during the skilful seasoning. Like when – for example – bresaola cut into julienne strips gives character to the risotto that combines taleggio cheese, orange and Taggiasca olives. Or in a mix with mushrooms and rocket where the meeting of flavors enhances the balance of this particular red meat, present and never intrusive. Or, again, always raw, when combined with gnocchetti and cherry tomatoes.

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