bistecca alla fiorentina
We are so happy to have our friends from Cipri & Barbetta contributing our recipe this month! Middle sibling of the Cipri family, Carmelo heads up the kitchen team, and his mouthwatering food is always lip-smacking delish. Carmelo celebrates the seasons with the style & flavour of old & new Italy. Pairing comes from Alessandro who works in our Paddo store and also runs a boutique Italian Wine importing business. His carefully curated portfolio of wines can be found in our stores & also on the winelist at Cipri & Barbetta.
Buon Appetito!
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Ingredients
1kg T-bone – best meat your butcher supplies
100g field mushrooms sliced
2 garlic cloves
100g rocket salad
50g shaved parmesan
50g rosemary
60ml extra virgin olive oil
Method
Chop rosemary and 1 clove garlic to marinate the t-bone adding also salt & pepper, rub this into the meat with some oil.
Leave to get to room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
Sauté the mushrooms with garlic & oil for approx. 5mins on slow heat.
In the meantime, cook the t-bone as you prefer, preferably medium-rare. Allow to rest for 15mins.
Toss rocket, parmesan, mushrooms, oil & jus from the t-bone together then lay on platter
Slice the meat off the t-bone on an angle.
Serve on rocket salad.
Wine Pairing
Alessandro is passionate about wine & good food, and has deep knowledge of Italian wines, particularly those from the regions where he was brought up in in the North of Italy.
As it happens in every Italian's region, the connection between the food and the wine has developed over centuries of tests and pairing, creating a perfect combination among the local products. So, what's better than a red from Tuscany with an iconic dish like the "Bistecca alla Fiorentina"? This beast of a steak (usually 1kg or more) is made to be shared - like good wines & good times! I would pair this special dish with 2 wines from "Poggio Mandorlo", a small boutique winery located at the foot of the volcano Amiata, in the municipality of Seggiano, at the heart of the DOCG Montecucco. With scenic beauty, this corner of Tuscany can be found at the crossroads between the Val d’Orcia and the hills of Maremma, only 20km from the more famous "Montalcino".
To drink like the Tuscans: Poggio Mandorlo "Il Guardiano" IGT 2017 (85% Sangiovese 15% Merlot) Expression of the terroir, born from the meeting between the deep intensity of Sangiovese and the smoothness of Merlot. The local grape Sangiovese pleases with its bright cherry fruit, high acidity & fine tannins, perfect to cut through the richness of the "Bistecca", while the Merlot adds intensity and length for a rounder finish.
To drink like the Tuscans: when they have something special to celebrate! Poggio Mandorlo "Il Poggio" IGT 2012 (70% Merlot 30% Cabernet Franc) The Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes, strongly characterized by the terroir, create a wine particularly well suited for aging. Intense tannic flavour balanced by the freshness of minerals in the soil of the ancient volcano, with uplifting
balsamic notes. The aroma is complex and long...we will see if you finish the bottle or the steak first!
Poggio Mandorlo “Il Guardiano” IGT 2017 $40 avail at Paddington Fine Wines & Bayswater Fine Wines
Poggio Mandorlo “Il Poggio” IGT 2012 $110 avail at Paddington Fine Wines
