Methods/steps

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the meat. Lightly salt the water, add the vegetables. Since you want the flavour to remain in the meat, wait until the water comes to a boil before adding the beef (the heat will seal in its juices). Reduce the flame to a simmer, and after about an hour, add the breast of veal, chicken and calf's head.

In the meantime, set a second pot of lightly salted water on the fire, bring it to a boil and begin simmering the tongue when you add the veal and chicken to the beef. If you are using a fresh cotechino or zampone, set it in a pot of cold lightly salted water at this time (prick the cotechino all over or loosen the string of the zampone first) and begin simmering it. If you have bought precooked sausage instead, follow the instructions on the package.

The meats will be done when they are fork-tender, this will take about 1 hour or slightly more from the time when you add the veal and the chicken to the beef.

Come serving time, the meats should be arranged on a heated platter, sprinkled with a ladle of hot broth and carved at the table (cut the tongue and the cotechino or zampone into 1/2-inch slices). Often bollito misto is well accompanied by salsa verde and/or mostarda.