Bistecca Florentine

The Filipino’s affinity with western customs has encompassed all aspects of daily life, more so when it comes to dining. Although the specific diet of rice as a staple food is more suited to the Pinoy’s light Asian frame, it does not affect our appreciation for heavy western meals.

When one talks about western food, it entails protein-rich dishes served in exaggeratingly big portions as compared to its eastern counterparts. Of course, no big-sized meal would be complete without a big, fat, juicy steak.

For any ordinary layman, a steak is just a steak. It’s overwhelming enough to consider ingesting that big slab of meat much less appreciate the beef’s quality and texture. However, there is more to understanding prime meat than what it appears to be.

A space that helps diners appreciate the finer points of steak dining is Spasso, a resto-bar known for its ‘Italian tapas’ where the concept of ‘dine, wine, and unwind’ comes alive.

Spasso now has a set of prime-cut steaks called the Carnevino. Although the meat mainly comes from the US and Australia, Spasso gives it a unique twist by incorporating a purely Italian flavor.

Before the heavy meat entrée, Spasso offers starters to whet the appetite: the Citterio Salame Ungherese, a serving of garlic flavored salami specifically known for its unique Italian flavor. The thin serving of salami slices is commendable for the balance it creates between the flavors. Unlike other salami dishes which are dominated by strong salty character, the Citterio introduces a delicate taste and firm texture that exhibits the world class quality of each slice.

After inducing the palates with the delicate flavors of salami, it’s time to bring in the beef. First off in the list is the Bistecche Rustica, a serving of Australian eye of rib-eye prime cut characteristic of Australian beef.  Its texture is very tender and is of high-grade quality because of its ‘high marbling’ feature or the amount of fat running through its meat.

The dish is also served along with roasted vegetables like marble potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and bell peppers.  Topped with a healthy portion of garlic roasted in olive oil which adds character to the meat, the Rustica is best enjoyed when paired with a glass of Beringer Founder Estate Shiraz 2006 red wine.

Next is the Bistecche Contadina, a cut of US wagyu beef topped with apples, porcini mushrooms, and bone marrow.  This premium Kobe-style or wagyu beef is extremely tender, with its soft texture evident in the way the wagyu is bred: the cattle properly fed, its meat carefully processed to exhibit the marbling characteristics that enhance the beef’s natural flavor, tenderness, and juiciness.

The Contadina, complete with its assorted vegetables sidings, goes well with a glass of Beringer Pinot Noir Napa Valley 2006.

For group diners, the Bistecca Florentine is ideal for sharing. The U.S. Black Angus prime rib-eye bone-in cut, and all its 1.3 kilogram glory, is simply overwhelming. The meat, flavored with salt and pepper,  is further enhanced with a variety of Italian herbs and spices; its meat grilled old style to preserve its natural flavor.

Although the Florentine is not as soft as the Contadina or the Rustica, it retains much of the flavor within the meat’s fibers. But arguably, the best part of the steak is the bone, where all the beef’s flavor is concentrated.

The dish also comes with a choice of three condiments (salt, infused oil, and horse radish) depending on one’s desired taste. It is perfect when paired with a glass of Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley 2005.

With constant refinement of our palates, the craving for meat is more than just a primal urge to satisfy our carnivorous nature. The sophistication involved in steak dining, from preparation all the way to wine pairing, is both an exercise  in appreciation and satisfaction.

Dine, wine, and unwind at Spasso located at The Luxe Residences, 4th Avenue corner 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City.