The original recipe of a great classic of Roman cuisine, directly from the hands of the young chef Remo Fiscina
"He knocked. He tapped. Qu’est ce que c’est ça? "
"Beef with tomato and onion"
"I see tomatoes and onions, a little less beef"
«In Sor Maè there are 5,830 trattorias in Rome. You have ample hesitation "
Who does not remember that masterpiece of There were many loved ones of Ettore Scola, when the protagonists, three former partisan friends, find themselves conversing with the host of the King of the half portion, the tavern that often appears throughout the film. And in this scene they are eating the picchiapò, an ancient dish of the Roman tradition, the real one, at home, not iconographic, widespread in taverns especially in the early twentieth century. Today it is being done less and less, so much so that many do not even know it. But not Remo Fiscina, the young home chef we had already told you about about pasta alla gricia. Now it is also well known between Rome and its surroundings, especially in the Castelli Romani area, to prepare one of the most noteworthy beat-ups there is.
Discovering the beat
The picchiapò is one of those ingenious dishes of the recovery kitchen. This is why it is usually prepared on Mondays, starting with the meat of the broth consumed on Sunday together with pasta, almost always thin, like capellini. It is a boiled and not a boiled: remember, in fact, that the first differs from the second because the meat is thrown into cold water and then brought to a boil, as you will see in Remo's recipe, while in the second case the meat is placed directly in boiling water. Once cooked, the beef is sautéed in a sauce of stewed onions with tomato, which give the dish that savory taste and then strictly accompanied with baked potatoes. Picchiapò is a winter dish, which is eaten when it is cold, especially during the Christmas period, even if in reality, unfortunately, it is cooked less and less. But why is it called with this curious name?
The hypotheses on the origin of the name
Chef Remo Fiscina tells us that there are two hypotheses on the etymology of the name: according to the first, picchiapò was due to the act of beating the meat on the cutting board. Beat n'po! The second, on the other hand, the most certain and reliable for Remo, is linked to its spiciness, which in the Roman dialect is called picca or piccare "and the picchiapò is definitely a spicy dish". But picchiapò with "b" is also the name of the court dwarf protagonist of a 1927 fable by Trilussa, He hit, the moje der chamberlain: "Beaten, er buffoon de Corte, he was a little man accused little that one could put him in his pocket as the key to the house. When he walked he took three steps, a zompo, a piroletta and a roe deer because they are the biggest head of the body, every now and then he spiommava and je he loses his balance. What I can tell you is that he hit, by dint of roe deer and pirouettes, if he made his way and arrived as far as the Royal Palace, so he laughs at the King ". There is also a Roman mask with all the skin of the face frayed, just like the meat in the recipe that we give you. So, whatever the origin of the name, let's now see how to prepare this delicious dish of Roman cuisine, in order to prevent this delicacy from falling into oblivion.
The picchiapò recipe
Many of the ingredients used by Remo, such as tomatoes, spices and oil, are produced directly by him, in his garden in Rocca Priora. The following recipe is designed for about six people, but we assure you that the picchiapò never advances, especially with its indications.
Ingredients
1 kg of beef for boiled meat (muscle and belly)
200 g of cherry tomatoes
350 g borettana onion (the flat one)
1 white onion
1 stick of celery
1 carrot
1 potato
3 bay leaves
salt
Chili pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Method
Put celery, carrot, onion and potatoes together with the meat in a large pot with cold water (hence the name boiled and not boiled).
Bring to a boil for ten minutes, then lower the heat and cook for about 4-5 hours.
Once this time has passed, keep the broth aside to make the egg capellini in broth that are usually eaten the day before, that is Sunday, and let the meat cool.
Meanwhile, cut the onions half into julienne strips, while leaving the other half whole.
Add oil, chilli pepper (remember that the picchiapò must be spicy) the sliced and whole onions in a saucepan and caramelize them. Then add the tomatoes cut in half (if you want you can also use the peeled tomatoes in the same quantity).
Cook everything, in the meantime fray the meat and add it to the pan. Cook for twenty minutes with a glass of broth made previously.
Finally, serve and enjoy the beaten with baked potatoes.
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