THE PANZANESE STEAK

Name: Bistecca Panzanese (the Panzanese steak)

Effect: a visit to the Circle of the Gluttonous.

Please note: particularly sensitive food-lovers may experience the following

side effects:

a feeling of deep well-being
profound physical pleasure
the desire to drink good red wine
a reawakening of the sensual senses (with all that this entails).

A clear-eyed vision of Tuscan roots:

THE PANZANESE STEAK

Really, they were born simultaniously; Tuscany, passion for red meat, and poetry.
Without doubt the finest expressions of this heritage and these roots, are the Bistecca alla Florentine and the Panzanese steak.
The latter is not so well known today, but is every bit as good as the ìFiorentinaî, and was once absolutely essential on the well-laid tables of the Renaissance.
Our ìBistecca Panzaneseî is a monumental slice from the heart of a leg of ìCecchini Selectî beef. Vacuum-sealed and refrigerated, it can be stored for up to a month.

Here are the simple rules to enjoy it in all its splendour:

ï Remove from fridge 10-12 hours before cooking.
ï Cook it on a grill placed low over red hot coals, five minute per side, and ten minutes standing on edge.
ï Do not use any metal utensils; turn the meat with a wooden spatula or your hands.
Serve the steak on a wooden chopping board, cut into chunks.

Lovers of true food will sink their teeth into the Panzanese without adding any other seasoning, devouring the meat in rapt meditation and sheer enjoyment.
A splash of olive oil and a pinch of Profumo del Chianti are the only transgressions allowed.

This is not just food; it is emotion, this is a bite of life itself. Accompany the Bistecca with copius red wine (Chianti Classico, of course).
And if for some strange reason there is any left, the Panzanese is excellent sliced and served cold like carpaccio.