Extra Virgin (21 page)
Authors: Gabriele Corcos
INSALATA DI CETRIOLO, BIETOLE E BOTTARGA
SERVES 2
D:
The dried, salted fish roe known in Italy as bottarga sometimes gets called “the poor man’s caviar,” but it makes for a great salty, summery salad topping. The other thing to keep in mind about this salad is the importance of washing your knife and your hands after plating each serving of beets. Otherwise, the beet color will bleed into the cucumber and turn your cucumber purple!
1 medium beet, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 English cucumber, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 handful fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 tablespoon bottarga
In a medium pot, combine the beet with water to cover. Salt lightly and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes until tender, then remove from the water and set aside to cool.
Using a mandoline with a julienne blade, first slice the cucumber into very thin strings. Then slice the beet into very thin rings. (The cucumber is first, since the beet will stain the mandoline.)
In a small measuring cup, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, and mint. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until the mixture is emulsified. It should look opaque, with a bright yellow/green color.
In each of 2 salad bowls, place strings of cucumber and rings of beet. Try to give as much height and dimension as possible—you could even use tweezers.
Shave ½ tablespoon bottarga on top of each cucumber/beet serving. Lightly sprinkle each serving with the dressing. Garnish with lemon zest and whole mint leaves on top, and serve.
G:
One of the more surprising discoveries I made when I moved to Los Angeles to be with Deborah was how cheap supermarket meat was. I was instantly suspicious. It felt cheap, too. It was already separating from the bone. The texture was off, not what I’d known from my experiences in Tuscany. Then again, Italians do not
buy their beef, veal, chicken, or pork in small plastic-wrapped packages with a sticker on it. We go to, love, and rely on butchers, trained purveyors in their locality’s best animal products. They know everything about what they’re selling, and what you—the loyal customer—are looking for. I have noticed that butchers have become something of a specialty trend for the food-conscious in America. I see these small, boutique
macellerie
(butcher shops) popping up, and the vibe is that this is a pricey alternative for high-end shoppers. But it’s not, and it shouldn’t be. Butchers are what every community needs if we’re going to curb the explosion of mass-produced, hormone- and-antibiotic-ridden, environmentally unsound meat.
The epiphany our family had about cheap meat happened on a road trip we took from Los Angeles to the Bay Area. The fast, direct route is up the I-5, and there’s a miles-long stretch where all you see are cows with no pasture. There were thousands of them, crammed together, with what looked like no grass for them to eat. On our return trip, we took the longer, hillier, more scenic route via the Pacific Coast Highway, and we saw real pastures, and cows eating grass with plenty of room. That’s when I realized, these are the cows whose cuts are being sold for a higher price at a butcher, and the cows on the I-5 are the ones yielding meat in plastic wrap at the supermarket. I thought, how do I want my food grown? Rolling in filth? Or in green grass? Because in the end, you are what you eat.
So we stopped being stingy about meat with our budget. We eat less of it, and save our dollars for the higher-quality, organic kind a butcher has to offer. Getting to know your local butcher will change your life. And if there’s not a butcher in your area, try your farmers’ market, which will likely feature purveyors selling locally raised meat and poultry. You’ll learn more about different cuts and where the meat comes from. And if you ask, they’ll tell you the best ways to cook what they’re selling. The more you turn food-purchasing into an active relationship between you and the people you get your food from, the more enjoyable and healthy your eating life will be. So find your butcher and help keep that operation going. It’s one of the truest ways you can live like a Tuscan!
BEEF TARTARE
TARTARA DI MANZO
SERVES 4
G:
If ever a dish needed to stand on the quality of the meat, it’s this one. I remember birthday celebrations with my parents at this fancy Florentine restaurant, where the tartare would be prepared tableside like a little show, the waiter mixing the raw beef with egg yolk, capers, and onions, all right in front of us. As I got older though, I preferred to strip away the extra flavors and make it about the meat, complemented by the tartness of lemon. Think of this as a “tequila shot” of tasty beef: salt, pepper, lemon juice, and it’s down the hatch!
4 lemons, 2 cut into ¼-inch-thick slices and 2 zested
1 pound center-cut beef filet
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat a griddle over high heat.
Sear the lemon slices on the griddle for just under 2 minutes per side until they become slightly caramelized. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Using a sharp knife, coarsely mince the filet. Form the meat into 8 loose, walnut-size balls, about 2 ounces each. Place each serving on a seared slice of lemon.
Serve immediately with lemon zest and salt and pepper.
IMPORTANTE!
Eye of round makes for a worthy substitution as a beef cut for tartare. Plus, it’s a more economy-minded choice than filet.
FLORENTINE STEAK
BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA
SERVES 2–4
G:
When we talk in my homeland about this glorious T-bone crossroads of strip loin and filet, scents and taste memories instantly come to mind: bone-in steak thick enough to look prehistoric; the orange-white tint of blazing hot charcoal; the mouthwatering aroma of a perfect charring in progress; the ruby red inside that indicates a perfectly rare doneness; and the noble flavor that comes from those luscious bites. As you get ready to embark on this elemental journey of beef, seasoning, and fire, remember that the steak should be at room temperature before cooking, and it’s best to season right before grilling so the salt doesn’t pull water out of the beef. And for the carnivores in your circle who prefer their cow more pink than tuna-sushi-red, the outer portions of this hefty cut will be more to their liking, while the parts closer to the bone will be rarer. Pass that bone around at the end, too—the hardcore eaters will get a few bites sweet enough to be like meat candy!
1 porterhouse steak, at least 2 inches thick, kept at room temperature for 1 hour 30 minutes before cooking
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat a grill to high heat, or prepare a charcoal grill until the coals are bright red.
Right before cooking, season the steak with the salt and pepper on both sides. Place on the grill and cook until well charred, about 6 minutes on one side, then 6 minutes on the other side. You’re looking for a nice char on the outside and rare on the inside, which is the traditional Fiorentina style. (If you prefer medium, cook each side for 8 minutes; cook longer per side for well-done.)
Remove the meat from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Carve the strip steak off one side of the bone, and the filet from the other. Slice the meat against the grain and serve with the bone.
