Pearà: tradition on the table
The name derives from péar, which means pepper in the Veronese dialect and is one of its main ingredients.
The origins
According to legend, Pearà was created in 572 AD by the court chef of Alboin, king of the Lombards, to help Rosmunda, the king's wife, overcome the pain of the death of her father Cunimondo, at the hands of Alboin himself. The sauce, tasty and full of energy, contributed to the recovery of Rosmunda, who then took revenge on her husband by killing him in turn.
Historically, the origins of Pearà are traced back to the Roman "Puls", a legionary dish made with water, flour, pepper, salt and wine. The sauce evolved in the Middle Ages, first entering aristocratic cuisine, thanks to pepper, and later popular traditions, with the addition of bone marrow.
Today
There is nothing more Veronese than a good plate of boiled meat with Pearà, in fact this sauce is prepared only in the Verona area and province. The secret of its recipe lies in the tasty ingredients and the long cooking: the longer it cooks, the better it will be. Today, pearà is considered a symbolic food of the holidays. It is so loved that every family jealously guards its own version, often passed down from generation to generation. Precisely for this reason there is no official recipe: there are, for example, those who add grated cheese at the end of cooking.
Recipe
For 4 people you will need 300 g of grated stale bread, 1 liter of meat broth, 80 g of beef marrow, 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and salt.
After having melted the marrow together with the butter and oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan (preferably terracotta), add the grated bread and toast it lightly in the fat, stirring continuously. Gradually add the hot broth until you get a creamy and smooth consistency. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Let it cook on a very low heat for at least 1-2 hours. Pour the hot sauce over a plate of mixed boiled meats or serve it separately as an accompaniment.
Alternatively, try this delight in the restaurants of Valpantena, perhaps paired with the best wines of the area.
