Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Dallas and Babbo at EsseLunga

In my last post I discussed the learned pleasure of eating almost-raw meat: this is the pleasure of bistecca alla fiorentina, Florence’s traditional steak dish.  I quaked at the sight of blood on my plate before Italy.  Somehow, a few months after my arrival, I was desperate to try it, and after a feast of sorts at the homey, cramped Trattoria di Mario in Florence’s Centro Storico, I was absolutely hooked.

My wonderful, loving host dad Babbo Carlo treated me and my housemate Dallas to bistecca alla fiorentina during our last month together in Italy.  We traveled together to EsseLunga, a fabulous grocery store, and we headed straight to the meat department.

This lovely butcher offered us a slice.

Back at home, Babbo showed me how to cook and eat the steak.

It was out of this world.

YUM!