Name: Cima alla genovese
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 2 h 15 min
Total time: 5 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian, Ligurian
Ingredients: 1.1–1.3 kg veal breast, butterflied into a single pocket by the butcher; kitchen twine and food-safe needle for sewing; 250 g lean veal, finely diced or minced; 100 g veal sweetbread, blanched, cleaned and diced; optional; 6 large eggs; 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 180 g peas, blanched and cooled; 30 g pine nuts; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 tbsp fresh marjoram leaves, chopped; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp fine sea salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 carrot, chunked; 1 onion, quartered; 1 celery stalk, chunked; 2 tsp salt; water enough to cover

Cima alla genovese: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish

Prep1 h

Cook2 h 15 min

Total5 h 15 min

Yield8 servings

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The dish

About Cima alla genovese

VisitGenoa identifies cima as an icon of Genoese gastronomy and gives a traditional method of filling a veal pocket only about two-thirds full before sewing it closed.

The filling expands during cooking. Leaving headspace and using a gentle simmer reduce the risk of the pocket bursting.

Traditional formulas include organ meats. This home version retains sweetbread as an optional regional component while using lean veal as the practical base.

Pressing the cooked cima between weighted plates while cooling compacts the filling and produces the clean mosaic slices associated with the dish.

Technique

Three things that matter

Underfill the pocket. Two-thirds full leaves room for egg and meat filling to expand.
Poach gently. A hard boil strains the seam and toughens the veal wrapper.
Press while cooling. Weight creates the dense sliceable structure.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Veal pocket

1.1–1.3 kgveal breastbutterflied into a single pocket by the butcher
kitchen twine and food-safe needlefor sewing

Filling

250 glean vealfinely diced or minced
100 gveal sweetbreadblanched, cleaned and diced; optional
6large eggs
100 gParmigiano Reggianofinely grated
180 gpeasblanched and cooled
30 gpine nuts
2garlic clovesfinely chopped
2 tbspfresh marjoram leaveschopped
1 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
1 tspfine sea salt
1/2 tspblack pepper

Poaching broth

1carrotchunked
1onionquartered
1celery stalkchunked
2 tspsalt
waterenough to cover

Step by step

Method

Make the filling and pocket

Prepare the meat. Brown the chopped lean veal and optional cleaned sweetbread briefly in olive oil, then cool completely.
Meat should lose its raw surface colour without becoming dry.
Mix the filling. Beat eggs with Parmesan, garlic, marjoram, pine nuts, peas, salt and pepper, then fold in the cooled meat.
The filling should be cohesive but still show peas and pine nuts.
Fill only two-thirds. Spoon the mixture into the veal pocket, leaving generous empty space at the top, then sew the opening securely.
The pocket should lie soft and flexible, never drum-tight.

Poach gently

Wrap the cima. Wrap the sealed pocket snugly in a clean white cloth and tie it so the shape stays even.
The cloth should support the seam without crushing the filling.
Start in warm broth. Place carrot, onion, celery and salt in a wide pot, add warm water and immerse the wrapped cima.
The pocket should stay fully submerged.
Simmer slowly. Bring only to a gentle simmer and cook about 2 hours, turning carefully once or twice.
The liquid should barely tremble rather than boil hard.

Press and slice

Drain carefully. Lift out the cima, unwrap it and let surface steam escape for several minutes.
The seam should remain intact and the pocket feel firm.
Press while warm. Place between two trays or plates, set a 2–3 kg weight on top and cool about 2 hours.
The shape should flatten evenly without splitting.
Chill and slice. Refrigerate until fully cold, then remove twine and cut into neat slices 8–12 mm thick.
Slices should show a compact mosaic with no wet gaps.

Practical guidance

Butcher preparation

Ask a butcher to prepare a broad veal-breast pocket; an uneven thin homemade pocket tears easily.

Offal

Traditional Genovese recipes can contain several organ meats. Sweetbread is optional here for practicality, not presented as the only historical formula.

Serving

Cima is traditionally served cool or at room temperature in slices; it is not a hot stuffed roast.

Troubleshooting

The pocket bursts. It was overfilled or boiled too hard. Leave one-third empty and maintain only a simmer.
Slices crumble. The filling was cut while warm or insufficiently pressed. Cool under weight and chill fully.
The wrapper is tough. The liquid boiled aggressively. A gentle poach keeps veal more tender.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1/8 recipe
Calories: approximately 510 kcal
Carbohydrates: 6 g
Protein: 53 g
Fat: 30 g
Fibre: 1 g
Sodium: 760 mg

Estimate excludes discarded poaching broth and varies with veal cut/offal use.

Allergens and food safety

Keep raw veal and egg filling refrigerated during preparation.

Use a food thermometer: the centre should reach at least 74°C before cooling.

Cool the pressed cima promptly and refrigerate; do not leave the cooked meat at room temperature for prolonged periods.

FAQ

Why is cima pressed after cooking?

Pressing compacts the cooked filling so the cold dish can be cut into characteristic clean slices.

Why not fill the veal pocket completely?

Egg and meat filling expand during poaching; VisitGenoa specifically advises filling only about two-thirds.

Is offal mandatory?

It is historically characteristic, but exact organ-meat combinations vary; this home recipe makes sweetbread optional while keeping the Genovese filling profile.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Cool, neat slices of tender veal enclosing a savoury egg, cheese, pea, pine-nut and marjoram filling.
Key: Underfill, sew securely, poach gently for about two hours and press completely cold before slicing.