Bruscitti

Bruscitti(Italian:[bruʃˈʃi.tti];Lombard:brüscitt,Lombard:[bry'ʃit];lit.'crumbs')is anItaliansingle-course mealof theLombard,PiedmonteseandTicinesecuisines based on finely choppedbeefcooked for a long time.It is a typical winter dish,and is served withpolenta,risotto alla milaneseorpurée.
Bruscittiis originally from thecomune(municipality) ofBusto Arsizio,Lombardy, Italy.Bruscittiis widespread in northwesternLombardy(Italy), northeasternPiedmont(Italy) and lowerTicino(Switzerland).The dish probably originated in theMiddle Ages.
In theLombard languagethe termbrüscittmeans 'crumbs', referring to the size of the meat, chopped into small pieces.
Based on finely choppedbeefand cooked for a long time (from 2to 4 hours)on a low flame, the other ingredients of the dish arebutter,lard,garlic,pancettaandfennelseeds.At the end of cooking, it is blended with well-structuredred winessuch asBarbera,BaroloorGattinara.When serving, thebruscittimust not be too soupy or too dry.It is a typical winter dishand is served withpolenta,risotto alla milaneseorpurée.
For a 100 g serving ofbruscitti, thefood energyis 112.63kcal(472 kJ), whilenutritional valuesare 6.73 g ofproteins, 4.93 g offats(of which 2.29 gsaturated fatty acids), 1.14 g offibresand 10.05 g ofcarbohydrates(of which 1.21 gsugars).
The dish is widespread in the wholeInsubriaarea, or in theprovince of Varese(Lombardy),in theAlto Milanesearea (Lombardy; particularly in the area of thecomune(municipality) ofBusto Arsizio, where it originates), in theprovince of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola(Piedmont)and in lowerTicino(Switzerland).
Bruscittiis originally from thecomune(municipality) ofBusto Arsizio,Lombardy, Italy.It is a dish of the ancient peasant tradition.The dish probably originated in theMiddle Ages.The first hypothesis on its origin traces its birth to the use of shreds of beef that remained attached to tanning hides (in fact, many tanneries were active in Busto Arsizio).Another hypothesis on the origin of the dish can be traced back to the total pulping of the bones of the steers, i.e. the recovery of those parts that were discarded from the tables of the richest.Until theItalian economic miracleof the 1950s and 1960s, toughercuts of the beefwere used forbruscitti, which required longer cooking.Later, more tender cuts began to be used such as thecappello del prete, thediaframma, therealeand thefusello.
Originally, the less tender or typically discarded parts of beef were used.It was a humble but invigorating dish, which was created with the aim of providing refreshment to the farmers who worked in the fields.The dish was born from the need to cook a dish that would cook very slowly on the embers of the fireplace, without the need for much attention and then be finished off at the end of cooking with a touch of wine.Tradition dictates that the meat is cut into small pieces using a knife so as not to lose its juices.
In 1975 in Busto Arsizio theMagistero dei Bruscitti('Bruscitti Magisterium') was founded, an association with the aim of spreading knowledge of local rustic cuisine.On 16 December 2012, the mayor of Busto Arsizio established "the day ofbruscitti"(Ul dí di bruscittinLombard), which occurs every second Thursday in November.In 2014 thecomuneof Busto Arsizio recognized thedenominazione comunale d'origine(De.CO) forbruscitti.