the butcher, the baker

    Here in the states, if anyone is familiar with Dario Cecchini it is probably from the his role in the book "Heat." In Heat, Bill Buford wrote about his culinary journey from Mario Batali's kitchen at Babbo to Dario's butcher shop in Panzano. And here is Dario.

Dario, all smiles

    Dario was made to be quite a character in the book, and as it turns out, he is just as interesting in real life. I got to attend a demo with Dario at the French Culinary Institute recently and it was such a good time I couldn't wait to come back and share some photographs, notes, and recipes with the internet. All that after the break.

packed house

    He spoke only a bit of English and after letting the overflowing crowd know it was "very very pleasure," his translator, on the left in the photo above, took over. As he set up he spoke a little of his philosophy, wanting to share "not just technique but a passion for meat." And passionate he is. Dario comes from a long line of butchers, his shop being passed down to him from his father, and to him from his, and so on. Having been at it for more than 30 years now, Dario clearly enjoys being an ambassador for good meat and good Italian food.

getting started

    The demo was on butchering a leg from an American cow, procured through Eataly and his friend Mario Batali. The cattle Dario usually butchers at home in the Chianti region of Italy are grass-fed on the hills right around the wineries, and he gave the impression that this is the right way to do things by him, but he conceded that it can be hard to produce the best cow on grass alone and did not seem to have a problem with grain finishing. The meat on the table was nice and fat, from a grain-fed female and leg was the biggest I've ever actually seen. Though this one was fresh, in his shop the meat is usually 30-40 days old before butchery.

panzanese steak

big shank, recipe below

    The different areas of Italy have different methods of butchery, as for much of its meat history it was not a unified state, and Dario demonstrated for us the way his region, and his family, would break down a leg of beef. As you might expect from a butchering tradition that may not even have blinked at the invention of the band saw, the cuts begin with the major seams between the muscles. From there further cuts are taken from the major muscles in the leg based on how they will cook, i.e. The more tender cuts may end up as the huge Panzanese steaks that Buford so mouth-wateringly described in his book, while the tougher meat from around the knee or shank will be braised until they turn almost magically into the most flavorful pieces of all.

the leg breaking into its four main pieces

    And on that note, a couple of simple recipes from my scribblings.

Christmas Beef Shank

1. Debone shank and season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
2. Saw across the thigh bone and extract the marrow.
3. Stuff the shank with the marrow just as it would have been positioned within the bone, and tie closed in a roll.
4. Cover partially with water or broth and add a kilo of whole shallots and a half glass of EVOO.
5. Cook in the oven for 3 hours, covered, at 350F.
6. Halfway through cooking, add some vin santo(an Italian dessert wine).
7. After done and allowed to settle, slice across and serve.

Polpettone de Medici

1. Grind 800g beef, 200g pork, and 100g red onion twice through successively more fine dies.
2. Mix very thoroughly with 1 egg, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic until tacky and holding together well.
3. Form into large(this is as specific as he got) balls, roll in breadcrumbs, and bake at 350F for 1.5hrs.

    Dario showed everybody how he cuts meat, of course, but the real take-away was his philosophy. He seems to appreciate, more than anything, the meat and in particular the work of artisans as they bring their traditions into the future. In the end, talking about a school for butchery which he would like to open, he said the motto would be "You only have what you're capable of being." So, uh, there it is.

Dario preparing and people eating his "chianti sushi"