Scottiglia Toscana (Italian Tuscan Mixed Meat Stew)

Traditional Italian Tuscan Mixed Meat Stew

Story of the Dish

Scottiglia Toscana is one of the most deeply rustic dishes of Tuscany, a slow-cooked mixed-meat stew traditionally associated above all with the Casentino, the mountainous valley in the province of Arezzo.

Sometimes described as a Tuscan answer to a mixed hunter’s stew, Scottiglia is built around an idea deeply rooted in rural cooking: several different meats are cooked together slowly with aromatics, wine, tomato, and herbs until their individual flavors become part of one intensely savory sauce.

There is no single immutable combination of meats. Historically, the composition depended on what was available. Beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, lamb, and sometimes game could appear in different proportions.

That flexibility is part of the identity of Scottiglia.

What matters is the technique: brown the meats separately, construct a proper aromatic base, deglaze with wine, then cook everything slowly until the tougher cuts become tender and the sauce develops concentration and depth.

Traditionally, the cooking juices are particularly important because Scottiglia is often served with toasted or stale Tuscan bread, which absorbs the rich sauce.

Servings: 6–8

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 2½–3 hours

Total Time: About 3½ hours

Scottiglia Toscana is built around the balance of its principal ingredients, correct temperature control, and disciplined seasoning. The preparation should preserve the identity of the main ingredient rather than bury it under unnecessary garnish or excess sauce. The method below follows professional Italian kitchen logic: organize the mise en place first, cook each component to its proper texture, and bring the elements together only when they are ready for service.

Recipe Information

Servings: 6–8

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 2½–3 hours

Total Time: About 3½ hours

Region: Italy

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Mixed Meats

1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch pieces

1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 1½-inch pieces

1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into 1½-inch pieces

1 pound bone-in chicken thighs, each cut into 2 pieces

1 pound rabbit, cut into serving pieces

Kosher salt, as needed

Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

For the Scottiglia

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

2 medium carrots, finely diced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1½ cups dry Tuscan red wine

1 28-ounce can whole peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed by hand

2 cups light beef or chicken stock, approximately

2 fresh sage leaves

1 large rosemary sprig

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Serving

6–8 thick slices rustic Tuscan-style country bread

Extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Prepare the Meat

Remove the meats from the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before cooking.

Pat every piece thoroughly dry.

Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Moisture on the surface prevents proper browning, and browning is particularly important in Scottiglia because much of the complexity of the finished sauce begins with the caramelization of several different meats.

Do not combine all the raw meat in one enormous bowl and throw everything into the pot simultaneously.

Each type of meat behaves differently.

2. Brown the Beef

Heat approximately 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add the beef in a single layer.

Do not overcrowd the pot.

Brown deeply on several sides, approximately 6–8 minutes.

Transfer to a tray.

3. Brown the Pork

Add the pork shoulder.

Brown it thoroughly, allowing the exterior to develop good caramelization.

Transfer it to the tray with the beef.

4. Brown the Lamb

Repeat the process with the lamb.

If the bottom of the pot becomes dry, add another small amount of olive oil.

Do not allow the accumulated browned residues to burn.

Transfer the lamb to the tray.

5. Brown the Rabbit

Add the rabbit pieces.

Brown them lightly on all sides.

Rabbit is leaner and more delicate than pork shoulder or beef chuck, so it does not require the same aggressive searing.

Remove and reserve.

6. Brown the Chicken

Finally, brown the chicken pieces, beginning with the skin side if using skin-on thighs.

Cook until the exterior develops good color.

Remove and reserve separately from the tougher meats.

At this point, the bottom of the Dutch oven should contain a substantial layer of caramelized cooking residues.

That is flavor.

Do not discard it.

Building the Scottiglia

7. Prepare the Soffritto

Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Add the remaining olive oil if necessary.

Add the onion, carrots, and celery.

Cook slowly for approximately 10–12 minutes.

As the vegetables release moisture, use a wooden spoon to begin loosening the browned meat residues from the bottom of the pot.

Add the garlic.

Cook for another minute.

8. Add the Tomato Paste

Add the tomato paste.

Cook for approximately 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously.

The paste should darken slightly and lose its raw flavor without burning.

9. Deglaze with Tuscan Red Wine

Increase the heat to medium-high.

Add the red wine.

Scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly.

Every caramelized residue created while browning the meats should be incorporated into the liquid.

Allow the wine to reduce by approximately half.

The aggressive alcoholic aroma should disappear before continuing.

Slow Cooking

10. Begin with the Tougher Meats

Return the beef, pork, and lamb to the pot.

Add the crushed tomatoes.

Add approximately 1½ cups of stock.

Add the rosemary, sage, and bay leaves.

The meat should be surrounded by liquid but not completely submerged like soup.

Bring everything to a gentle simmer.

Reduce the heat to low.

Partially cover the pot.

Cook for approximately 60 minutes.

11. Add the Rabbit

After the tougher meats have had their head start, add the browned rabbit.

Gently incorporate it into the stew.

Continue cooking for approximately 30 minutes.

12. Add the Chicken

Add the browned chicken.

Continue simmering for approximately 30–45 minutes, or until all the meats are properly tender.

This staggered cooking method is important.

If chicken and rabbit are cooked for exactly the same amount of time as tough beef chuck and pork shoulder, they can begin falling apart before the tougher meats have softened.

13. Control the Liquid

Check the Scottiglia regularly.

If the sauce becomes excessively dry before the meat is tender, add small quantities of hot stock.

Do not pour in excessive liquid.

Scottiglia should finish with a rich, concentrated sauce, not a thin broth.

Toward the end of cooking, remove the lid completely if additional reduction is necessary.

14. Check Each Meat

Do not assume that every piece will become tender at exactly the same moment.

The beef and pork should yield easily when pressed with a fork.

The lamb should be succulent.

The rabbit and chicken should remain tender without completely separating into fibers throughout the sauce.

Remove any piece that becomes ready significantly earlier than the others and return it during the final few minutes.

15. Finish the Sauce

Remove the rosemary stem and bay leaves.

Taste the sauce.

Adjust salt and freshly ground black pepper.

If excessive fat has accumulated on the surface, remove some with a spoon, but do not strip away every trace.

A small amount of emulsified meat fat contributes enormously to the flavor and texture of the finished sauce.

Allow the Scottiglia to rest off the heat for approximately 15 minutes.

Like many braised dishes, the flavor becomes more harmonious after resting.

The Importance of Mixed Meats

Scottiglia should not simply taste like beef stew with a few additional pieces of meat.

The character comes from the interaction between different animals and different types of fat, connective tissue, bones, and juices.

Beef provides depth.

Pork contributes sweetness and richness.

Lamb brings a distinctive savory character.

Rabbit adds delicacy.

Chicken contributes both flavor and gelatin, particularly when cooked on the bone.

The sauce eventually becomes the point where all those elements meet.

Why the Cooking Order Matters

One of the easiest ways to ruin a mixed-meat stew is to pretend every meat requires identical cooking.

It does not.

Beef chuck and pork shoulder contain connective tissue that benefits from prolonged moist cooking.

Chicken and rabbit generally become tender much faster.

That is why the tougher meats enter the braise first.

The more delicate meats follow later.

This preserves recognizable pieces and prevents the finished Scottiglia from becoming a pot of shredded meat.

Professional Technique

Control heat and moisture deliberately. Prepare all components before the final cooking stage, season progressively instead of all at once, and judge doneness by texture and appearance as well as by time. Keep the principal ingredient clearly identifiable and finish the dish only when every component is ready to be served together.

Chef Tips

Brown in batches. Overcrowding the pot produces steam rather than caramelization.

Use shoulder cuts for the larger meats. Lean tender cuts are unnecessary and can become dry.

Keep some meat on the bone. Bones contribute flavor and gelatin to the sauce.

Reduce the wine properly. The finished stew should taste of wine's complexity, not raw alcohol.

Stagger the meats. Do not cook rabbit, chicken, beef, and pork for identical lengths of time.

Keep the simmer gentle. Violent boiling toughens the exterior of meat and breaks delicate pieces apart.

Control the stock. You can always add more liquid; removing excessive water takes much longer.

Make it ahead when possible. Scottiglia is excellent reheated the following day.

Mistakes to Avoid

Do not use only one meat and still expect the character of Scottiglia.

Do not overcrowd the pan during browning.

Do not skip browning entirely.

Do not burn the fond at the bottom of the pot.

Do not use enormous quantities of tomato.

Do not cover the meat with several inches of stock.

Do not cook all the meats for exactly the same amount of time.

Do not shred everything into an indistinguishable mixture.

And do not thicken the sauce with flour or cornstarch.

The natural gelatin from the meats combined with proper reduction should provide all the body the sauce requires.

Serving and Presentation

Toast thick slices of rustic Tuscan bread until lightly crisp.

Place one slice in the bottom of a warm shallow bowl or alongside the meat.

Spoon a controlled portion of the Scottiglia over and around the bread, making sure the serving contains several different meats.

Add enough sauce for the bread to begin absorbing the cooking juices while retaining some texture.

Finish with freshly ground black pepper and a restrained drizzle of excellent extra-virgin olive oil.

Scottiglia should look deep, rustic, glossy, and generous.

It does not need microgreens, decorative herb towers, or complicated garnishes.

The visual attraction should come from properly browned meat and the concentrated sauce.

Wine Pairing

Morellino di Scansano Riserva

The wine has enough tannin and concentration for the mixed meats, while Sangiovese acidity keeps the tomato-rich sauce from feeling heavy.

Chianti Classico Riserva

Its structure, savory herbs and bright acidity match the long braise and the layered flavors of beef, pork, lamb and game.

Brunello di Montalcino

For a richer version of Scottiglia, Brunello supplies depth, tannin and mature savory notes without losing freshness.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Its balance of red fruit, earth and polished tannin works naturally with the stew’s rustic Tuscan character.

Montecucco Sangiovese

A regional alternative with freshness and firm structure, especially effective when the Scottiglia is served with grilled country bread.

Nutrition per Serving

Calories: approximately 520 kcal

Protein: 0.99 oz

Carbohydrates: 1.69 oz

Fat: 0.85 oz

Saturated Fat: 0.28 oz

Fiber: 0.14 oz

Sugars: 0.21 oz

Sodium: 680 mg

Cholesterol: 95 mg

Approximate nutrition per serving: 540 calories, 0.63 oz protein, 2.54 oz carbohydrates, 0.71 oz fat, 0.28 oz saturated fat, 0.14 oz fiber, 0.18 oz sugars, 620 mg sodium, and 55 mg cholesterol. Values vary with the exact ingredients and portion size.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate in a covered container, and use within 2 days unless the preparation is seafood or contains a more perishable component. Reheat gently only as needed and avoid repeated temperature cycling.

Chef Gianluca