BEEF CARPACCIO – a classic appetizer consisting of paper-thin slices of raw beef served cold. The traditional preparation includes very high-quality beef tenderloin, a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Common garnishes include arugula (rocket), shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and capers.
BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA – a classic steak dish originating from Florence in Tuscany. It’s essentially a T-bone or porterhouse steak, containing both tenderloin and strip steak sections, cut very thick – typically 3-4 inches (7-10 cm). The preparation is simple: the meat is grilled over hot coals, seasoned only with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
BRASATO AL BAROLO – a classic Northern Italian dish from the Piedmont. It consists of beef that’s been slowly braised in Barolo wine until extremely tender.
OSSOBUCO – traditional ossobuco from Lombardy is made with cross-cut veal shanks that include the bone. The long, slow cooking process breaks down the tough connective tissues in the shank, resulting in meat that’s incredibly tender and practically falls off the bone. The dish is often finished with gremolata, a fresh condiment made of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley. The bone marrow in the center is considered a delicacy. Ossobuco is served with risotto alla Milanese or polenta to soak up the sauce.
RAGÙ ALLA BOLOGNESE – one of Italy’s most famous meat sauces. The authentic ragù begins with a soffritto of onions, celery, and carrots sautéed in olive oil. Ground beef is used, with the addition of pancetta for extra flavor and fat. The meat is then browned before adding a small amount of tomato, wine, cream, and beef stock. The sauce is then simmered very slowly for several hours. Unlike American-style meat sauces for spaghetti, an authentic ragù alla Bolognese uses relatively little tomato and has a much higher proportion of meat to liquid. In Bologna, this sauce is traditionally served with tagliatelle.
COTOLETTA MILANESE – a breaded veal cutlet that’s similar to the Austrian Wiener schnitzel. The traditional version uses a bone-in veal chop that’s pounded until it’s thin, then dipped in egg and coated with breadcrumbs. What makes it special is that it’s fried in butter instead of oil, which gives it a rich flavor. The authentic version keeps the bone attached. People usually serve it with a lemon wedge on the side and sometimes a simple salad.
PORCHETTA – a fatty roast pork that’s pretty spectacular when done right. The classic version is made from a pork that’s stuffed with lots of herbs and seasonings like wild fennel, rosemary, garlic, and salt. The meat is rolled up tightly, tied with string, and then slow-roasted until the skin gets really crispy while the inside stays juicy and tender. Porchetta is often sold from food trucks or market stalls, sliced thinly and served in a sandwich called porchetta panino.
AGNELLO AL FORNO – oven-roasted lamb dish, which involves cooking lamb leg or shoulder in the oven with rosemary, garlic, and sage. Many recipes include also white wine, olive oil, and sometimes potatoes that cook alongside the lamb, soaking up the meat juices.
POLPETTE AL SUGO – meatballs in tomato sauce, homestyle Italian classics. The meatballs are made from a mix of ground beef and sometimes pork or veal, combined with stale bread soaked in milk, grated Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, garlic, and seasonings. Unlike American-style meatballs which tend to be larger, Italian polpette are often smaller, about the size of a golf ball or even smaller.
BRACIOLE – thin slices of beef filled with a mixture of breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and cheese, then rolled and roasted in tomato sauce.
CONIGLIO IN UMIDO – a rustic, homestyle dish of rabbit braised with tomatoes, white wine, rosemary, and garlic.
CONIGLIO ALLA LIGURE – Ligurian-style rabbit, braised with olives, pine nuts, and rosemary.
POLLO ALLA CACCIATORA – rustic chicken dishof chicken pieces browned in olive oil, then slowly simmered with tomatoes, onions, garlic, rosemary, sage, and typically some wine – either red or white. Many versions also include olives, mushrooms, or bell peppers.
ARROSTICINI – meat skewers from the Abruzzo, made from small cubes of mutton hat are threaded onto thin wooden skewers. Seasoning is minimal – typically just salt added after cooking, and maybe a light brushing of olive oil.
LARDO – thick pork fat cured with rosemary, pepper and salt. It’s not to be confused with lard, which is rendered pig fat used for cooking. The most famous version is Lardo di Colonnata from Tuscany, where thick layers of pork fat are cured in marble basins called conche with sea salt, rosemary, sage, garlic and black pepper. The curing process typically takes several months, during which the fat develops a silky texture and absorbs the flavors of the herbs and spices.
PANCETTA – cured meat made from pork belly. To make pancetta, pork belly is salted and seasoned with black pepper, nutmeg, fennel, garlic, and sometimes juniper berries. It’s then rolled into a tight cylinder and cured for several weeks. Unlike American bacon, pancetta isn’t smoked – it’s just cured with salt and spices. You’ll find pancetta in two main forms: rolled (arrotolata) or flat (stesa). The rolled version is more common outside of Italy and is what most people picture when they think of pancetta – that round spiral of meat and fat.
COPPA, CAPOCOLLO – dry-cured pork neck or shoulder that’s seasoned with spices, herbs wine before being aged for several months.
PROSCIUTTO CRUDO – dry-cured ham. The name literally translates to “raw ham”, distinguishing it from prosciutto cotto, which is cooked ham. Made from high-quality pork legs that undergo a lengthy curing process from one to three years. Prosciutto di Parma and Prosciutto di San Daniele are among the most famous varieties, both protected by designation of origin status in Europe.
SPECK – dry-cured ham from the Alpine regions of Northern Italy. Unlike many Italian cured meats that use only salt for preservation, speck combines salting and smoking.
SALAMI – garlicky, salty ground pork sausage with small cubes of fat. Salami has deep roots in Italian culinary tradition, dating back to ancient Roman times.
SALSICCIA – the Italian word for sausage, referring to a fresh uncured pork sausage that’s a staple in Italian cuisine. Salsiccia is made from coarsely ground pork seasoned with salt, black pepper, garlic, fennel seeds, wine, and various herbs depending on the regional style.
SOPPRESSATA – a distinctive Italian dry-cured salami with large chunks of fat visible throughout the meat. It comes in several regional varieties throughout country. Southern versions are spicy, pork, hot red pepper flakes, salt, and various spices. Northern ones are milder with garlic, fennel seeds, and even cinnamon.
N’DUJA – a distinctive, spicy, spreadable pork salami from Calabria, southern Italy. What makes n’duja unique is its soft, spreadable consistency and intense heat. It’s made from pork fat, pork meat, and a generous amount of Calabrian hot peppers (up to 30% of the mixture).
VITELLO TONNATO – a thinly sliced veal that is served cold, topped with a creamy tuna-based sauce.
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