2022 Giro d’Italia - Stage 20: Belluno to Marmolada.
Today the riders start back in the Veneto but end up in the Dolomites in the Trentino region. It’s a tough penultimate stage with a few Category 1 climbs before the last day of the Giro, tomorrow. Whereas, I just arrived at my in-laws’ bay house and am typing up this blog quickly before I head down to the water! Today’s dish is rooted in Veneto tradition, a meager offering of just rice and beans…but this dish hits! I had no idea there was “soul food” in Italy. This is very reminiscent of southern red beans and rice, although the flavor is a bit more subtle and it’s not as spicy. This was so good, my older daughter had me heat up leftovers twice this past week to pack in her thermos for school lunch during this rainy, cold week.
Venetian Rice and Beans
12 oz dried Roman beans
Ham hock
Shallot, peeled and halved lengthwise
Bay leaf
1 qt beef stock
3 oz lardo (or fat cut from ~5 strips of bacon)
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
3” chunk of soft salami, ¼” dice
Large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1.5 cups arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
Parsley
Soak your beans overnight in water.
The next day, drain the beans and place them in a large pot. Add in about 8 cups of water and bring to a boil, over high heat, and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans and briefly rinse out the pot. Repeat the 2 minute boiling process in 8 cups of water. Drain the beans once more, but this time reserve about 3 cups of the cooking liquid.
Place the beans in the pot, cover with the beef stock and reserved bean water and remove any loose bean skins. Add the ham hock, shallot, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer gently for about an hour.
After an hour, turn off the heat and remove the hock, shallot and bay leaf. Season the water and beans with 1 tsp of salt. Cover the pot to keep warm.
Meanwhile, after simmering the beans for 40 mins, in a large skillet, start to render the lardo over medium-low heat. After about 10 minutes, increase the heat to medium and add in the butter, olive oil, salami, and onion with a pinch of salt.
Once the onion is translucent, increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the rice until toasty and smelling of oatmeal, stirring frequently. Add in the wine, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan.
Once the wine has nearly evaporated, add 4 ladlefuls of bean cooking liquid from the pot. Cover the skillet and allow the rice to absorb the liquid, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the cover, and add in 4 more ladlefuls of cooking liquid. Stir frequently, adding 4 more ladlefuls of cooking liquid and reducing the heat to medium-low, once the prior has been nearly absorbed.
At this point, check the rice. It should be soft, but not falling apart. If satisfied, add in the beans, and more liquid to make a soupy consistency. Season with salt and pepper and taste for additional seasoning needs.
Serve in bowls, garnishing with some minced parsley.
______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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