Mortar-Pounded Italian Salsa Verde

Northern Italian cooks in Piedmont and Lombardy know salsa verde as the sharp green sauce served with bollito misto, a platter of simmered beef, tongue and sausage. Pounding the herbs instead of blending keeps some texture and releases their oils without heating the leaves, so the color stays vivid. Begin with the firm ingredients, garlic, salt, anchovy and capers, then add the leaves in handfuls. A bit of bread soaked in vinegar is the traditional thickener. It is excellent with porchetta, roast pork loin or poached tongue.