The disconnect with our food
Like most American kids, I grew up not really making the connection to where my food came from. Food was food. We either liked it or we didn’t. Some of my favorites came in packages that were microwaved into steaming hot dinners with a little chocolate pudding for dessert. I never considered the life of my microwaved broccoli that was smothered with cheese, let alone the life of the cows that produced the milk to make the cheese (if there was any real cheese). Embarrassingly, it wasn’t until I was 16 and went on a trip to Spain that I took note of which side of the chicken the head used to be attached to. I stared, dumbfounded behind the butcher counter at the hanging chicken carcasses with their legs, feet and heads still attached. No wonder there is such a disconnect in the US; even the most raw form of our food–a whole chicken–is presented in a neat and tidy package with little resemblance to how it used to be.
Fast food epidemic
Sadly, packaged and fast food has become an epidemic all over the world. More and more kids are growing up into adults without ever thinking or caring about where their food comes from. People are too busy to cook and get tempted by fast food chains that provide cheap, hot food in less than 5 minutes. This “food” provides little nutritional value and the meat is most commonly sourced from huge, inhumane operations that mistreat the animals.
The Slow Food Movement
Alpine cow of Piedmont
Not everyone is swayed by convenient, fast food, however. Praise the Italians and their mother’s pasta! The Italians started the Slow Food Movement to counteract the spread of fast food. It started in 1986 when McDonalds wanted to open a franchise at the base of the Spanish Steps in Rome. The Italians were outraged and–in true Italian style–they protested with pasta. That’s right; penne pasta. They shared a good ole home-cooked Italian meal with the crowd that gathered and soon everyone was chanting, “We don’t want fast food, we want slow food!”
This story reminds me of why I so dearly love the Italian culture. They are so passionate about their food and traditions and they speak with their hearts and their bellies! They also understand the importance of safeguarding their mother’s, grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s traditional recipes. I too, have moved on from my fast food and TV dinner days to become infatuated with locally grown, home cooked, slow cooked, handmade meals. There’s just no comparison to quality and flavor.
No matter where you go in Italy, you will find traditional and regional dishes being served at the local Osterias and Trattorias. Many of these establishments use recipes that have been passed down multiple generations, and most often, everything is made from scratch.
Since that day at the Spanish steps in Rome, millions of people have taken action to support the ideals of slow food. The movement has spread to over 160 countries with as access to good, clean and fair food.”
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- Local cheese booth at the Slow Food Event “Terra Madre” in Turin
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- Craft table using local beans
Slow Food philosophy
According to Slowfood.com, Slow Food is “a grassroots organization [intended to] prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of fast life and combat people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from and how our food choices affect the world around us.
Outdoor market in Turin with local fruit and vegetables
Headquarters in Piedmont
Slow Food is headquartered in a little town called Bra in the northwest region of Piedmont. To me, there couldn’t be a better place, because Piedmont, more than ever, encompasses S-L-O-W food in every aspect. This agricultural wine region can source nearly every ingredient for a meal locally, from most every kind of meat, dairy, fish, rice, corn, wheat, fruit, vegetables, nuts, mushrooms, white and black truffles, and of course, wine grapes.
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- Curious cows lounging in the grass across the road from a vineyard
Slow cooking methods
In addition to locally sourced ingredients, the cooking methods used in Piedmont are also quite slow. You won’t find a lot of flaming hot grills or sizzling deep fryers here…instead, simmering sauces and braised meats are the norm. It’s common for a meal to take all day or more to cook. When I volunteered at La Torricella, a family run Italian restaurant in Barolo, I would often see the chef start simmering meat at 10 or 11am to get it ready in time for diners who wouldn’t arrive until 8pm.
Braising meat and simmering sauces in the restaurant kitchen at La Torricella
No one grows old at the table
To honor this lengthy preparation, Italians take their time to enjoy their meals; sometimes for HOURS on end. There is an old Italian saying, ‘A tavola non s’invecchia’: At the Table, one does not grow old. It’s not uncommon for dinner to last 3 or more hours. I loved that at La Torricella, and most restaurants in Italy, there is no turning over tables for a second wave of diners. Once people sit down at a table, it is understood that they will be there for the whole evening and there is no rush to get them out.
Adapting slow food into our busy lifestyle
Witnessing (and tasting!) the slow food of Piedmont has inspired my husband and I to experiment with braising meats and we now covet this method as the best. Simmering for hours in red wine and herbs makes any cut of meat tender and flavorful. The best part is, even though it takes a while to cook, it is actually one of the simplest methods of cooking that we’ve experimented with. The trick is to first sear the meat on all sides, then deglace with wine and then let it simmer all day.
Braised Lamb shank
Below you will find one of our favorite recipes, braised lamb shank in red wine. This is adapted from a dish that is served at La Torricella, which uses local pork. I love the bold, rustic flavor of Colorado lamb but you could follow this same recipe using pork shank instead. The lamb that we used was raised and processed by Sunnyside Meats here in Durango and the root veggies are grown up the road at our friend’s farm (Field to Plate). It takes just a little preparation and then cooks itself into a mouth-watering meal. (Plan ahead because it needs to simmer for 4 to 5 hours).
Wine pairing
We paired this meal with one of my favorite reds; a Syrah from the northern Rhône in France. This particular one is from the village of St. Joseph. Northern Rhône Syrah’s have savory, gamey flavor that make for a perfect pairing with this braised lamb shank. They are earthy and funky, (reminiscent of a stinky cheese) and have big tannins that smooth out with decanting. The bold flavor, big tannins and high acid in the wine stand up to the fatty and flavorful meat. (And trust me, the meat is super flavorful!)
Here’s to delicious, local, slow cooked food!
Hope you enjoy! Or, as the Italians say, “Bon appettito!”
- 2 lamb shanks
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3 ribs of celery, chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2 cups red wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt/pepper to taste
- 2 Tb olive oil
- Season shanks with salt & pepper, rubbing thoroughly on all sides.
- Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high and sear shanks on three sides (about 2 minutes per side)
- Remove shanks and set aside on a plate
- Add carrots, onion, celery and garlic to the cast iron skillet with olive oil and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes)
- Place shanks back in the skillet
- Deglace with wine and let simmer on med-high for one minute.
- Add beef broth, herbs and bay leaf and place cast iron directly in the oven at 325.
- After 2 hours of cooking flip shanks over.
- Continue cooking for another 2-3 hours until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
- Remove shanks and strain the herbs and veggies out, reserving the liquid.
- Place cast iron back on stove and cook remaining liquid on medium-high until it reduces to half and thickens slightly.
- Plate up lamb shanks and spoon reserved pan sauce atop.
- Serve with roasted local vegetables, such as beets, carrots and potatoes
- Pair with a bold, rustic red wine, such as a Northern Rhone Syrah
- Lamb may be substituted for pork shanks.
- This recipe can easily be made in a crock pot: After searing in the cast iron and deglacing with wine and broth, add to crock pot, cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.