Italian Trip Report: Where’s the Beef?

For most of us, when you think of steak, your mind immediately conjures up images of Texas and Alberta, complete with cowboys, campfires, and coyote’s howling at the moon. At the opposite end, I had never really made the connection between Italian cuisine and steaks. Of course, I’d heard of bistecca alla fiorentina – but until my recent visit, I had no idea the important role beef plays in the cuisine of Chianti.

For research purposes, I first visited my local butcher in Repolano Terme (about 20 minutes outside of Siena). Even in this small spa town – the butcher takes his work very seriously. Every little town in the region had their local macelleria’s where people purchased their meat rather than go to the supermarket. My kilo of rib eye was cut to order with a giant cleaver, the labeling indicating the region of origin, the farm it came from, and it’s DOP (the area’s appellation) status.

It was at this point that I noticed that the butcher was missing four fingers from his right hand. Yikes. Regardless, grilled over blazing charcoal and seasoned with just salt and olive oil – the steak was fantastic. With a veal like delicacy and a deeply beefy char from cooking over a real fire.

Of course, no Tuscan beef experience would be complete without visiting, the most famous butcher shop in the world; Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano in Chianti.

There are multiple online videos of Dario Cecchini yelling and whooping it up, and to be honest, I was concerned that showmanship would over shadow the actual meal. There was no need to worry. Dario is a generous and fantastic host – but he does not want to be the star. That’s left to the food and guests.

The butchershop is packed with customers and visitors who come to sample house made salame, bread drizzled with olive oil or smeared with the sublimely delicious “Chianti Butter” – raw lard whipped with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.

I started my day of beef with lunch at his burger restaurant, Mac Dario, to get an indication of what my evening meal at Officina would be like. It’s probably the best burger I’ve had – served without a bun, with luridly red sweet tomatoes, red onions and french fries. Simple, well prepared, and delicious.

The theme would repeat itself in the evening – with portions increased exponentially. Five courses of as much fantastically prepared beef as anyone could handle (tartare, seared chopped beef, grilled rib steak, round steak, and the famous bistecca della fiorentina), served with Tuscan fagioli, bread, fresh vegetables, coal roasted potatoes with Chianti Butter, house red wine – and olive oil cake, grappa and coffees to round out the meal.

Seated at a stylish long table along with 25 other people, the meal was hugely boisterous and friendly – a celebration of generosity and inclusiveness with glorious beef as the centerpiece. The evening felt timeless – you wanted it to never end.

As Dario says – “To beef, or not to beef? That is the question!!” The answer of course is YES.

Antica Macelleria Cecchini
Panzano in Chianti, Fierenze
055 852020
www.solociccia.it

~ Canucklehead