You have never, ever, tasted a broth like this. Guaranteed. It's of course transparent, but very dark in colour, and the combination of flavours make it absolutely incredible. At Christmas I use it with the Tortellini, but it is wonderful drank out of a cup, I prefer it to the French "consommé" (which is a very different kind of broth). I'll replace the image below with the one for this broth, as soon as I make it again.
Ingredients:
2 chicken legs, skin and all but trimmed from the excess fat off the thigh
400gr housekeeper cut or other beef roast cut (don't waste fillet here)
800gr beef tongue, skin on - the wider part of the tongue works best (wash it very well in hot water first, using a nail brush or similar)
400gr piece of pork such as the loin, fat removed (or pork chops, fat removed)
2 Carrots
2 celery sticks
2 White/blond onions
TIP: don't use red onions in broths, they are sweeter and will weaken the flavours. Red onions are fabulous in salad, sauces or caramelized on their own, just not in broths (or in soffritto for that matter)
4 peeled gloves of garlic, whole
2 bayleaves
1 Tbsp of thyme
1 Tbsp of rosemary
1 Tbsp of black peppercorns
1 Tbsp of red pleppercons
1 Tbsp of fine salt
A lot of water, to cover it all reaching 2cm above the content
Method:
TIP: dice the vegetables, the flavour will come out from all sides so if you leave them whole you will get a far less flavoursome broth!
Put everything into a very big pot, the biggest you have (at least half of the pot will be filled with the ingredients)
Add enough cold water to cover them all plus an additional 2 cm or more if there's room
Stir it well
Bring to the boil from cold and watch carefully when it reaches the boil, because it will rise, make a foam and it will risk to overflow
As soon as it boils, reduce the temperature to a low simmer - cover with a tight fitting lid (after 5 mins check to see it's on a low simmer, otherwise reduce the temperature further or increase it accordingly)
Let the broth cook for 1 hour, then uncover it, bring it back up to a good simmer and let it cook for a further hour (it depends on how much broth you want at the end of it all from this point onwards)
Strain the broth when it's still warm through a fine sieve and into a clean pot: check for quantity and colour (see below about what to do with the cooked, strained ingredients)
If needed, reduce it further on the hob until you get the desired quantity (slighly over that though) or the right colour intensity
Once it reaches room temperature, put it into a tall container into the fridge and leave it for 12 hours
Remove the broth from the fridge: there will be a thick yellow layer of grease floating on the top
Break the grease and remove it with a slotted spoon
Bring the broth to the boil and boil it for 5 mins
Wait until it reaches room temperature and back into the fridge for another 12 hours
Strain it, still cold from the fridge, through a fine sieve, it would be great if you can line the sieve with some muslin fabric. This will eliminate any possible other grease particle
TIP: With the cooked, strained ingredients, you can do a lot of things:
Separate all the meat from the vegetables.
Remove from the vegetables the bay leaves and the grains (juniper, peppers)
Blizz the vegetable with a little of the broth to make a truly great soup (serve with grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil)
Remove the skin from the chicken (do this when it's still warm)
Using your fingers, separate the meat from the bones
Store the chicken meat in the freezer - it will make incredible chicken "crocchette" (will add the recipe for that)
Remove the skin from the tongue when it's still warm
Once it reaches room temperature, wrap it into tinfoil and put it into the fridge for 12 hours
Remove from the fridge and slice the tongue in thin (but not too much) slices - not all of it will be in slices, it will crumble a good bit because it overcooked, but it's fine
The prepared tongue is now perfect for the "vitello tonnato" (will add the recipe for that)
Use it straight away or store it into the freezer for later
With the beef roast you have 2 choices, if you want to remain within the Italian cousine: you'll either make "beef crocchette" with it, or you can also use it for the "vitello tonnato"
If you'll use it for the crocchette, cut it into pieces, then straight into the mixer and pulse until well broken up, but do not let it become a paste
If you'll use it for the "vitello tonnato", once it reached room temperature, wrap it into tinfoil and put into the fridge for 12 hours
Cold from the fridge, cut it into thin slices
Of course you can use boiled beef for a gazillion other recipes