Italian Soup (Minestra)

Wash the meat and put it in a pot with the herbs. Cover the meat to a depth of about 2 inches with water and set the pot on the stove. Simmer for about 2 1/2 hours.

Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and pick it apart (if the meat on the prosciutto bone is still tough, boil it some more).

Transfer the pulled meat to another pot, and add to it a ladle or two of broth. Check seasoning, adding more salt if necessary, then cover the pot and set it aside.

Let the broth in the stock pot cool and skim the fat that rises to the surface. Then return the pot to the fire.

In the meantime, wash the greens well, coarsely shred them, and blanch them in a little bit of lightly salted water (dump them into the pot, cover it, wait for the water to return to a boil, and drain the vegetables into a colander). Squeeze out as much water as you can (it will be quite bitter because of the broccoli rabe).

Crumble the caciocavallo. Stir it into the stock, together with the drained vegetables and the hot pepper. Simmer for about 1/2 hour, and check seasoning, adding salt if necessary.

Reheat the pulled meat. You can either stir it into the soup in the kitchen, or serve it in a second bowl, allowing your diners to add as much as they want to their soup bowls.

Serve the grated Parmigiano on the side.

NOTE: If you cannot find prociutto rind, use a quarter pound of fresh side pork (the cut used to make bacon). Do not substitute pork rinds or bacon, which have spices that will throw off the seasoning.

You can make a bouquet garni consisting of a rib of celery, a peeled carrot and several sprigs of parsley, tied with a string.